The 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is nearing an end and the drama couldn’t be any higher. Cole Custer, Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, and John Hunter Nemechek will all fight for a championship as each driver deals with the enemies that have been made along the way. One driver will earn their first Xfinity Series title at Phoenix Raceway this weekend.
It is now time to predict who will be the 2023 Xfinity Series champion. First, the previous experience at Phoenix will be an important factor to look at because the results are heavy across the board. Starting with Nemechek, the spring race didn’t go according to plan with a sixth-place finish; however, Nemechek has never finished lower than ninth place in six races.
As for other drivers, Allgaier has by far the most experience at Phoenix. Allgaier has led at least 20 laps in nine of the last 13 races while securing two victories. In fact, the driver of the No. 7 car swept the first two stages in the spring before wrecking. Allgaier is an outstanding driver at Phoenix and should be one of the favorites this weekend.
Next, Custer has run well at Phoenix in the past with two straight top-4 finishes before his return to the Xfinity Series in 2023. Custer finished in 12th place in March but led 38 laps, which is a career-high at the venue. It is not one of his best tracks but still decent. The spring race should provide some hope for the No. 00 team.
JUSTIN ALLGAIER WINS AT MARTINSVILLE! What a finish. pic.twitter.com/Ug5iLjGfLn
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) October 28, 2023
Finally, Mayer is the driver with the least success at Phoenix over the years. The JR Motorsports driver has a best finish of 11th place but did run better in March. It was Mayer’s best overall performance at the race track yet but his championship hopes likely lie in his development. Mayer has been fast with two wins during the playoffs and looks to carry that momentum into the finale.
While Mayer has the momentum and improvement, he doesn’t have the experience of the other three drivers. Sometimes, the talent of a driver overrides the lack of experience but the gap is pretty significant in this situation. Therefore, the pick is between Nemechek, Allgaier, and Custer as all three have shown great speed at Phoenix in the past.
Ultimately, the prediction is that Nemechek will cap off a career year with eight victories and a championship. In the Xfinity Series, Joe Gibbs Racing has won three of the last four races at Phoenix and Nemechek should benefit from their success. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been the best competitor all season long and that success will carry over into the Championship 4 event.
It has been a very fun year of Xfinity Series racing as the level never fails to put on a show. Any four of these drivers would be a worthy champion and that is what will make this race so much fun.
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