Making The Field: 2022 NXS Alsco Uniforms 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

This weekend, the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the third event of the 2022 season, and the second round of the series’ three-race “West Coast Swing.”

Full-time NASCAR Cup Series competitor Cole Custer, captured the victory in Saturday’s Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway, driving the No. 07 Ford Mustang for SS Green Light Racing.

Brennan Poole and Joe Graf Jr. will look to rebound from poor qualifying results in Friday’s qualifying session, as both drivers failed to qualify for last weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway. However, Graf was able to take the place of Timmy Hill in the event, driving the No. 38 for RSS Racing to a 15th-place finish.

The entry list for Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway started out with 42 entries, but with the removal of the Reaume Brothers Racing No. 33, has shrunk to 41 entries for 38 spots in the field.

LOCKED IN:

As in the series’ previous two races, Ty Gibbs, Noah Gragson, Landon Cassill, and Brandon Jones are locked into the field through their 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series owner points position.

Daniel Hemric – the series’ most recent champion — is locked into the field based on the Past Champions Provisional, despite the fact he likely won’t need it, due to ranking high in the series’ owner points, likely leaving a previous winner provisional open.

FEELING CONFIDENT:

After a highly-contested qualifying session at Daytona, where Mason Massey failed to make the event despite being 21st in 2021 NXS OP, things have started to somewhat calm down for races at Auto Club and Las Vegas, with fewer drivers being in significant danger.

With that being said, drivers ranked inside the top-25 in 2021 NXS OP should be able to rely on their points position, should they need to claim an owner points provisional.

Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Josh Berry, John Hunter Nemechek, Brandon Brown, and Myatt Snider all have the opportunity to use a previous winners provisional, if need, with the PWP being awarded to the vehicle highest in owner points.

DANGER ZONE:

Last weekend at Auto Club Speedway, many were surprised by Joe Graf Jr’s No. 08 Ford Mustang failing to qualify for the NASCAR Xfinity Series event, but don’t realize that Josh Williams (28th in 2021 NXS OP) was only one car away from missing the field.

Therefore, anybody outside the top-25 in NXS OP is deemed in the ‘danger zone’ and could be at risk of failing to qualify for Saturday’s 300-miler, leaving them somewhat worried.

If needed, both Austin Hill and Jeb Burton have a past winner provisional to fall back on, but likely won’t need that provision, barring a major issue, due to the speed in their vehicles.

Therefore, Kaz Grala (Alpha Prime Racing), Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing), and Anthony Alfredo (Our Motorsports) MUST post a speed inside the top-33 in single-car qualifying, if they’re wanting to participate in Saturday’s event.

RAINOUT PROCEDURE:

Rainout Procedure (NXS Race 2 or 3) is as follows:

– Highest 30 in 2021 NXS OP
– Winning Drivers (2021/2022)
– Winning Entries (2021/2022)
– Past Champions Provisional (within 10 seasons, running for NXS points, competed in 2021)
– 2022 NXS OP
– If needed, random draw

— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) March 2, 2022

In the event that qualifying for Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is canceled, due to inclement weather, the following three drivers would fail to qualify for the event: Stan Mullis (MBM Motorsports), Brennan Poole (Mike Harmon Racing), and David Starr (SS Green Light Racing).