2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 Preview
Photo: TOYOTA
September is here and while the leaves might be falling, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will be speeding into Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Coverage for the ‘Focused Health 250’ begins at 3PM EST on USA.
Last year’s race was won by John Hunter Nemechek, after Justin Haley and Daniel Hemric failed to work together on the final lap.
Austin Hill +275 | Top 5 -250
Austin Hill enters this weekend as the favorite, having won at the new Atlanta configuration in three of his five starts. His last win came at this track in February, where Hill only led 2 laps en route to that victory. Hill enters -98 from the regular season points leader, Justin Allgaier, with winning being his only option to close the gap and earn extra points for the Playoffs.
Jesse Love +550 | Top 5 -125
Jesse Love has earned one victory this year at a superspeedway style race track in Talladega. He finished 12th in the February race, where he led a race high 157 laps. It’s been a rough Summer stretch for Love, only two Top 5 finishes in his last twelve races. He finished 6th last weekend at Darlington, a much needed finish heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Sheldon Creed +1000 | Top 5 +130
Last weekend’s race at Darlington perfectly sums up Sheldon Creed’s luck. He had that one taken from him after a late caution, combined with a bad pit stop, costed him the win. Despite that, Creed moved into 5th in the points standings heading into the weekend. He finished 4th in February and has been consistently up front in these superspeedway style races. Expect Creed up front again.
Ryan Truex +1200 | Top 5 +155
Ryan Truex won in his most recent start at Daytona, his third win since joining Joe Gibbs Racing on a part time schedule. He finished 9th earlier this year in Atlanta, with his best finish being 3rd from 2022 and 2023. Truex is still on the hunt for securing a full time ride, a win on Saturday night could be his ticket to a full time ride.
Parker Kligerman +1600 | Top 5 +180
Parker Kligerman was upset with himself after finishing 3rd in Daytona, expressing how frustrated he was about not getting a win for Big Machine Racing. Kligerman enters +44 points above the cut off line heading into Atlanta, where his best finish came in 2023 in 4th. Kligerman will have some serious speed to contend for the win this weekend.
Anthony Alfredo +3500 | Top 5 +450
Anthony Alfredo enters -149 points outside the cut off line, meaning he’ll need to win a race in order to make the Playoffs. He finished 7th in the February race earlier this year, his best finish in his sixth start at the 1.5 mile oval. If he can stay out of trouble, he’ll be in a good spot to punch his ticket to the Playoffs.