Overview

The first race of the round of 12 for the Xfinity Series hits Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile asphalt oval that can be compared to Kansas Motor Speedway. The drivers will turn 201 laps for 302 miles in a race that saw the top four race finishers lead the most laps in the Spring with A.J. Allmendinger (44 laps led), Daniel Hemric (74), Brandon Jones (28), and Austin Cindric (43) finishing first through fourth. Track position is key here in Vegas and this will be a hotly contested race. I’m going to switch up the format here a bit in an attempt to make it easier for you all to make some tough decisions.

Most comparable tracks: Kansas

*Note: all pricing is DraftKings focused

Top Drivers

These are my favorite drivers to roster whether they’re dominator contenders, place differential targets, or drivers that could be both with a chance to win.

Austin Cindric ($10,200)

On the pole is Cindric and the Cup Series rookie-to-be has finished second, sixth, and fourth in his last three trips to LVMS. Cindric has also led at least 39 laps in two of those three races and with that all-important track position on the pole he’s an early dominator contender. His price makes him a popular play and his overall performance here makes him a top contender to win.

Justin Allgaier ($10,000)

I was surprised to see that Allgaier, the short-track-weapon has had a good track record (no pun intended) here at LVMS. In his 14 races here at the Xfinity level Allgaier has six top-five finishes. He’ll start third and he’s a dominator contender who will be looking for his first career win at LVMS.

Daniel Hemric ($9,600)

Hemric has had a great under-the-radar season with an average finish of 12th and 15 top 10’s under his belt. The one thing he hasn’t done yet is win. I mean, never. Hemric has never won an Xfinity series race but he’s been very strong at LVMS. In six races here Hemric has logged three top 10’s and two top-fives. His last two finishes (second and third) have been his best finishes and there’s no better time for Hemric to contend for a win. Hemric starts seventh on Saturday night.

Noah Gragson ($10,700)

Gragson is back home at LVMS and he’s treated the track like it’s his backyard. Gragson has finished 3rd, 6th, 4th, 2nd, and 5th in his last five races here and with two wins under his belt he can afford to get a little risky in driving for the win. The aggressive nature of Gragson can be great at times (see Darlington) or it can be tormenting at times. Noah will start 9th.

Dominators

These are the drivers that we can typically expect to, you guessed it, dominate the race. When we think dominator we are looking for guys that will be in a position to lead a hefty amount of laps as well as be able to turn over fastest laps.

A.J. Allmendinger (9,800)

• Dinger led 44 laps and won this race in the Spring and started 10th. on Saturday night he’ll start second.
• He’s not so much just a road course racer at all at this point as Allmendinger has improved dramatically at the intermediate tracks.

Ty Gibbs ($11,000)

• Gibbs has been dominant all year when he’s raced at this level. In 14 races at this level Gibbs has an average finish of ninth with three wins. Gibbs’ talent is at an elite level even at this young age and the equipment he has at his hands is next level driving the number 54 machine for his grandfather, Joe Gibbs. Ty starts sixth and will be a threat to dominate and win as the highest-priced driver

Place Differential Targets

This is where the focus should be and where the money is going to be made. Finding the drivers with place differential that can stay out of trouble and see this race to the end is paramount.

Ty Dillon ($8,600)

• Driving for Jordan Anderson in the 31 car, Dillon will start 28th with some good P.D. upside. Although he doesn’t have the best equipment at his disposal Dillon should be a popular P.D. target.

Landon Cassill ($7,300)

• Cassill continues to be adequate in the 4 car and was solid earlier this year at Las Vegas with a 21st-place finish. He’ll start 37th on Saturday night and has an average finish of 23rd on the season.

Value Place Differential Plays:

Jeffrey Earnhardt ($5,200)

Dylan Lupton ($5,800)

Blaine Perkins ($5,900)

Speedy Notes

Driver(s) I have most exposure to: Austin Cindric

Driver I’m fading that worries me: Brandon Jones

Driver(s) I have zero interest in: Brandon Jones

GOOD LUCK!!