NASCAR Xfinity Series Returns for 2023 Call811.Com Before You Dig 250
After a Week Off, Can Anyone Bridge the Gap to Championship Leader Austin Hill?
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is back in action this weekend in Martinsville after a week off for the Easter holiday. Last time out in Richmond, rookie Chandler Smith earned his first career Xfinity Series win. John Hunter Nemechek and Josh Berry rounded out the top three.
Now, the Xfinity Series heads to Martinsville for the Call811.com Before You Dig 250. Here’s what you need to know about the odds for this weekend’s race:
Tight Group at Top of the Odds
The favorite for this weekend’s Xfinity Series race in Martinsville is Nemechek at +350. Nemechek is currently third in the Xfinity standings, 18 points behind championship leader Austin Hill. Aside from a 27th-place finish in Austin, Nemechek has been one of the most consistent drivers in the Xfinity Series. He’s finished no lower than eighth with one win and two other podiums.
Throughout his Xfinity Series career, he’s performed best at short tracks, on average, and his team, Joe Gibbs Racing, has won three of the last five events in Martinsville. Consistency, track performance, and the team could make for a winning combination this weekend.
Justin Allgaier is next at +450. Though not as consistent as Nemechek, Allgaier’s notched four top-five finishes in seven races this season so far, including three podiums. But he hasn’t reached the top step yet. Historically, he’s performed well in limited running in Martinsville. Five races translated to four top-10 finishes. Like Nemechek, he’s got a good team behind him, too. JR Motorsports is the only other Xfinity Series team to win in Martinsville since it rejoined the calendar in October 2020.
Allgaier’s teammate Josh Berry is close behind at +500. He’s the only prior winner in this top group with his win in April 2021. But besides that win, Berry’s struggled in Martinsville. The second Martinsville race in 2021 saw him start 29th and finish 28th.
In 2022, he finished 19th in the spring race and 20th in the fall race. Berry’s been in good form since the season opener in Daytona by finishing at least eighth in each race. He has a winning team behind him, like Allgaier, but is coming to a track that is far from his best.
Rookie Sammy Smith (+550) rounds out that top group. He was one of the youngest race winners in Xfinity Series history earlier this season in Phoenix. Outside of that win, Smith has just one finish inside the top 15 (fourth in Austin). His only race in Martinsville was an 18th-place finish in last season’s penultimate round. Another win would be a surprise.
Two Drivers Off The Top Group
Cole Custer (+650) and Chandler Smith (+700) are a bit behind that main group but ahead of most other runners for Saturday’s race. Custer’s had an up-and-down 2023 so far with a pair of top 10 finishes in Daytona and Richmond but 27th and 32nd in Fontana and Austin, respectively.
His best result in Martinsville came back in his Camping World Truck Series days. The fourth-place result then is a lot better than the 18th-place he’s averaged in five Xfinity Series races. A win for him would be a big surprise.
Chandler Smith’s coming off his first career Xfinity Series win. That highlights a successful first Xfinity season for the 20-year-old. A trio of top-five finishes in addition to the win has him fourth in the standings with some momentum. Kaulig Racing’s never won in Martinsville and we haven’t seen consecutive wins by any Xfinity Series driver this season. Both could change come Saturday.
Longer Shots for A Win in The Call811.Com Before You Dig 250
Brandon Jones (+1400) is the only active driver in the Xfinity Series Odds who’s won in Martinsville. He won the spring race there last season for Joe Gibbs Racing. In his other three races there, he’s finished ninth, fifth, sixth, and 23rd last time out in October. He took the pole in that last event and led 98 laps before contact with then-teammate Ty Gibbs took him out of contention. He’s not that risky of a choice with the chance for a great payout.
Hill is leading the championship on the back of three wins in seven races. Excluding his 37th-place finish in Austin, he’s either won or finished in the top 10 of every race this season. But he’s sitting at +1800 for a win on Saturday. Given his track record this season and solid racing in lower levels (including a podium in the 2021 Camping World Truck Series), he’s worth it for a big payout.
Call811.Com Before You Dig 250 Predictions
Martinsville is one of the newer races on the Xfinity Series calendar. This will be just the sixth race there since it returned to the schedule. That means many drivers aren’t as familiar with it as upcoming tracks like Talladega, Dover, or Darlington.
Nemechek is the best choice for the top group of favorites. Team success, momentum, and a solid track record make for a solid combination. For a better payout, look to Brandon Jones to get back on the top step again at a track he excels at.
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