2017 O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 Picks & Predictions: Favorites, Contenders & Sleepers: The NASCAR XFINITY Series returns from a one-week hiatus with a trip to Texas Motor Speedway. Like the first race at the speedy 1.5-mile oval, Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 will be a companion event with the Cup Series, so there is no shortage of big names in the field.
That being said, this race is part of the XFINITY Series playoffs, so the series regulars have added incentive to bring their best because a win Saturday means an automatic spot in the championship race at Homestead in a few weeks.
With that in mind, here is a closer look at my top picks to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, as well as some potential longshots who could surprise.
2017 XFINITY Series Picks & Predictions: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 Favorites, Contenders & Sleepers
The Favorites
He might be out of the running for the Cup Series crown, but Kyle Larson could easily walk away with the win in the XFINITY Series this weekend. Not only is he the defending winner of this weekend’s race, but in his 10 XFINITY starts this season, Larson has eight top-five finishes, including three wins.
To say that Erik Jones runs well at Texas in the XFINITY Series would be an understatement. His win in the spring race here earlier this year added to his impressive resume, and he now has five top-five finishes in five starts at the track, including a pair of wins. In those five starts, Jones has compiled a series-leading 2.4 average finish.
Whenever Ryan Blaney races in the XFINITY Series, he is a threat to reach victory lane. He has made 11 starts in the series this year, winning twice and logging 10 top-five finishes. Blaney also owns an impressive 3.8 average finish in four starts at Texas, and he was the runner-up here back in the spring.
The Contenders
He is currently making a run at the Truck Series title, but that hasn’t stopped Christopher Bell from making his mark in the XFINITY Series. In just his fifth start in the series, he went to victory lane at Kansas a couple of weeks ago. Texas shares a similar 1.5-mile layout with Kansas, so the Joe Gibbs Racing driver should have a chance to be a factor once again.
Although he doesn’t have a win at Texas, Austin Dillon always seems to be in the mix at the track. In 10 XFINITY starts here, he has compiled a 5.4 average finish, and he has never finished worse than eighth. Dillon also has six top-five finishes at Texas, including a fourth-place run in the spring.
Believe it or not, Cole Custer has been the top performer at the 1.5-mile tracks this year among the series regulars. In the nine races at mile-and-a-half tracks, he leads all full-timers with six top-10s, 326 points scored, 90 laps led and a 9.0 average finish. Custer finished fifth in his Texas debut back in April, and a trip to victory lane is a real possibility this weekend.
He has been one of the top series regulars all year, and Justin Allgaier has really taken his performance at the 1.5-mile tracks to another level late in the year. He has three top-five finishes in the last four races at mile-and-a-half tracks, including a win at Chicagoland. For the year, his four top-five finishes at 1.5-mile tracks lead all XFINITY regulars.
The Sleeper
He has been flying under the radar all season, but Brennan Poole has quietly gotten better as the season has progressed. He has really shown some muscle at the 1.5-mile tracks recently, logging two top-five finishes in the last three races and posting a 6.3 average finish in that span. Poole finished second at Kentucky a few weeks back, and he is a dark horse candidate to steal a win Saturday.
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Odds To Win Nascar Xfinity OReilly Auto Parts 300
8:45 PM
60331 Austin Dillon – – +1200
60332 Brennan Poole – – +4000
60333 Christopher Bell – – +1200
60334 Cole Custer – – +2500
60335 Daniel Hemric – – +3000
60336 Elliott Sadler – – +1200
60337 Erik Jones – – +500
60338 Justin Allgaier – – +1000
60339 Kyle Larson – – +200
60340 Matt Tifft – – +2500
60341 Ryan Blaney – – +300
60342 Ty Dillon – – +3000
60343 William Byron – – +1000
60344 FIELD (Any Other Driver) – – +1500
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