Making The Field: 2022 NXS Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 at Daytona International Speedway

The NASCAR Xfinity Series clearly was not messing around over the off-season, resulting in the largest entry list for a season-opener since 2016. With that, comes the promise of a dramatic qualifying session, as 47 cars fight for 38 spots in Saturday’s 300-mile event.

These drivers, especially those in danger of failing to qualify, will face one of the most nerve-racking laps of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season on Saturday at 11:35 AM ET (FS1).

Emerling-Gase Motorsports, Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, and Alpha Prime Racing are the three organizations looking to make their NASCAR Xfinity Series debuts at the historic 2.5-mile superspeedway.

Alpha Prime Racing will have co-owners Tommy Joe Martins (No. 44) and Caesar Bacarella (No. 45) behind the wheel of its two entries at Daytona. Both entries will compete full-time in the series in 2022, with a multitude of drivers, including Ryan Ellis, Kaz Grala, and Sage Karam.

Jesse Iwuji Motorsports – co-owned by driver Jesse Iwuji and Emmitt Smith — will look to make their first event at Daytona, with Iwuji behind the wheel of the No. 34 Equity Prime Mortgage Chevrolet Camaro. The No. 34 will have technical and engineering support from Chevrolet this season, as well as Hendrick Engines.

Finally, Emerling-Gase Motorsports will bring a pair of entries to the 2.5-mile superspeedway, both with the same sponsor, Kitty Kat Coin. Shane Lee will pilot the No. 35 Toyota Supra, while co-owner Joey Gase will drive the No. 53 Ford Mustang.

Only Drew Dollar – driving the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing — will be attempting to make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Daytona, with his spot in the race, essentially guaranteed, being ninth in 2021 NXS OP.

However, the series’ single-car qualifying session will have a wrinkle thrown into it, as NASCAR has changed the sorting of owner point provisionals to focus only on owner points rank, rather than attempts, as it had in previous seasons.

In addition, NASCAR has implemented a ‘Previous Winner Provisional’ for the NASCAR Xfinity Series in qualifying situations, where a winner from the series’ current or previous season will receive the final spot in the field if they’ve not already earned a position.

However, only one spot can be awarded between the Past Champions Provisional and Previous Winners Provisional.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Gets Provisional Assignment Tweak, Previous Winners Provisional Introduced for 2022

LOCKED IN:

Only Ty Gibbs, Noah Gragson, Landon Cassill, and Brandon Jones, based on their owner points position from last season, are 100-percent certain they’ll race on Saturday. Daniel Hemric is also locked into the event, as he’s the only series champion eligible for the PCP.

Gibbs, Gragson, and Hemric would be eligible to use a PWP, if needed. However, both Gibbs and Gragson would be assigned an OP provisional beforehand, and Hemric would be assigned a Past Champions Provisional before a PWP.

ESSENTIALLY LOCKED IN:

The vehicles ranked from sixth to 20th in 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series owner points are deemed ‘essentially locked in’, based on their owner points position and previous trends of qualifying at Daytona International Speedway.

Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Josh Berry, and Brandon Brown are all eligible to use a Previous Winners Provisional if needed, in the above-listed order. In the event that multiple winners are outside the top-33 in speeds and unable to use an owner points provisional, the highest in owner points would receive the final spot.

FEELING ANXIOUS:

The vehicles that are ranked from 21st to 27th in 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Owner Points, Mason Massey, Tommy Joe Martins, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Jade Buford, Myatt Snider, Jesse Iwuji, and Joe Graf Jr. are probably a little bit on edge when thinking about Saturday’s qualifying session.

While some of these cars may have the speed to be inside the top-31 in qualifying, there could be some slight worries about an extenuating circumstance that would prevent them from competing in the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 at Daytona.

Myatt Snider – ranked 25th in 2021 NXS OP — is the seventh driver in line to utilize a Previous Winners Provisional, if needed, but could only use it if the six drivers above him don’t need it, and Daniel Hemric doesn’t need his PCP.

SWEATING BULLETS:

Everyone else, ranked 28thin 2021 NXS OP on down, is anxious, possibly even terrified for Saturday’s single-car qualifying session, as their owner points position leaves them in a precarious position, should their qualifying speed not be fast enough.

While there is still a chance that Williams, Mills, Currey, Hill, Vargas, Parsons, Starr, Yeley, Decker, Bilicki, and Rhodes could fall back on their owner points position, last year’s qualifying sessions often put drivers inside the top-30 in owner points out of the race.

Jeb Burton – driving the No. 27 for Our Motorsports — is the eighth driver in line to use a Previous Winners Provisional. Burton can use this provisional if the seven other drivers eligible don’t need it, and Hemric doesn’t need his PCP.

Gaulding, Bassett, Labbe, McLaughlin, Alfredo, Sieg, Gase, Viens, and Bacarella MUST post a speed inside the top-33, if they’re hoping to make Saturday’s Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 at Daytona.

RAINOUT PROCEDURE:

• The highest 30 cars in 2021 NXS OP will be assigned a spot in the field
• The next available starting position(s), will be assigned to a team owner(s) that has won an NXS event in 2021.
• The next available starting position(s), if any, will be assigned to a driver(s that has won an NXS event in 2021.
• The next available starting position(s), if any, will be assigned to a driver that is an eligible past champion.
  • The driver must have won the championship in the last 10 seasons, competed in the series in 2021, and currently be running for NXS points.
  • If more than one past champion, positions are assigned in descending order, starting with the most recent champion.
• The remaining position(s), if any, will be assigned to the vehicles highest in 2021 NXS OP.

STARTING LINEUP (IF RAINOUT):