Saturday night, under the lights short track racing. Does it get any better than that? Add on the Xfinity Series Championship and that is what we have this weekend. Phoenix Raceway will host the final race of the Xfinity Series for the 2021 season. Four drivers have a chance to hoist the Xfinity Series Championship and further their NASCAR careers.
Xfinity Series Championship Contenders
Noah Gragson
The driver of the 9 with his back against the wall won to clinch his spot in the Championship 4. Noah Gragson had a slow start to the season, but with the calendar changing to September he turned it on. In a three-race stretch, he went from 10th in points to 5th right before the playoffs. Gragson was put into more trouble after a wreck at Kansas put him under the cutline. Martinsville he went out and knew what he had to do and got it done. Can he do it for a second straight week?
AJ Allmendinger
The return to full-time racing has been a resurgence for the oldest driver in the Championship 4. AJ Allmendinger has five wins on the year in the Xfinity Series. That goes along with his Regular Season Championship to give him fifteen more points to his credit. AJ pretty much coasted to the Championship 4 with his points cushion. Allmendinger has never raced a full season in the Xfinity Series. Can he get it done in his first?
Daniel Hemric
The driver who has yet to win a race in any of the National touring series has been up towards the front to get his spot in the Championship 4. Daniel Hemric has the power underneath him to get him the championship. Does he have the experience to go with it? Hemric has been in this situation two times before but has not been able to get the job done. That was when the final race was at Miami, does he get it done in Phoenix though?
Austin Cindric
The defending Xfinity Series champion comes back to defend his crown. Austin Cindric wants to go back to back before going up to the Cup Series. An amazing season for Cindric with 5 wins, 21 top fives and 25 top 10s. Cindric returns to the track where he has won the last two times in this series. He and Allmendinger have been going back and forth all year long and here they are again. Allmendinger bested him by inches at Bristol to get the regular-season championship. Can Cindric get his revenge and do it again?
Championship Pick
This race is going to be tough to pick as any one of these four can take home the title. Gragson can sneak the win in, Hemric can find his way to second to get the Championship behind his teammate. In the end, it will come down to Allmendinger and Cindric with Cindric getting it done for the second straight year.