After an eventful LiUNA! Last weekend, JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier was crowned the winner in Las Vegas. The Xfinity Series is heading into its sixth race of the season. Drivers are gearing up for the Hard Rock Bet 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This weekend’s race is fielding 38 drivers for the 300-mile road course on Saturday. The 1.5-mile rectangular oval has hosted the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 1995 and the Cup since 1999.
The 200-lap race is perhaps one of the most challenging on the roster this season. The track is notorious for its progressive banking, meaning its three lanes have varied banking at each turn. Homestead Miami is also considered one of the roughest, requiring drivers to make frequent pit stops for tire changes. The defending champion is No.21 Austin Hill, who won on October 26, 2024, over Cole Custer by 3.045 seconds. Can he uphold his title as reigning champion?
Brief Recap of the LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Last weekend, JR Motorsports drivers swept the field at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sammy Smith (P1), Carson Kvapil (P2), and Connor Zilisch (P3) took the top starting positions. An eager Smith held off Kvapil by 0.067 seconds to earn his first pole since 2023 and third of his career. However, it would be teammate No. 7 Justin Allgaier who would take the checkered flag.
The win was long overdue for Allgaier, who led for 130 laps in Phoenix but disappointingly finished in P5. Aric Almirola, who won the race for Joe Gibbs Racing, challenged him throughout stage three. Allgaier never wavered, but he was disappointed with his performance. He knew he had to do better in Las Vegas. What better way than sealing his first victory in 2025? Will he go all in for his second consecutive win of the season at Saturday’s Hard Rock Bet 300?
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Hard Rock Bet 300 Entries
Homestead-Miami Speedway |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Driver | No. | Veh Mfg. | Team |
| 1 | Sheldon Creed | 00 | Ford | Haas Factory Team |
| 2 | Carson Kvapil | 1 | Chevrolet | JR Motorsports |
| 3 | Jesse Love | 2 | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 4 | Parker Retzlaff | 4 | Chevrolet | Alpha Prime Racing |
| 5 | Kris Wright | 5 | Chevrolet | Our Motorsports |
| 6 | Justin Allgaier | 7 | Chevrolet | JR Motorsports |
| 7 | Patrick Emerling | 07 | Chevrolet | SS GreenLight Racing |
| 8 | Sammy Smith | 8 | Chevrolet | JR Motorsports |
| 9 | Daniel Dye | 10 | Chevrolet | Kaulig Racing |
| 10 | Josh Williams | 11 | Chevrolet | Kaulig Racing |
| 11 | Garrett Smithley | 14 | Chevrolet | SS GreenLight Racing |
| 12 | Christian Eckes | 16 | Chevrolet | Kaulig Racing |
| 13 | Kyle Larson | 17 | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 14 | William Sawalich | 18 | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 15 | Justin Bonsignore | 19 | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 16 | Brandon Jones | 20 | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 17 | Austin Hill | 21 | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 18 | Corey Heim | 24 | Toyota | Sam Hunt Racing |
| 19 | Harrison Burton | 25 | Ford | AM Racing |
| 20 | Dean Thompson | 26 | Toyota | Sam Hunt Racing |
| 21 | Jeb Burton | 27 | Chevrolet | Jordan Anderson Racing |
| 22 | Kyle Sieg | 28 | Ford | RSS Racing |
| 23 | Blaine Perkins | 31 | Chevrolet | Jordan Anderson Racing |
| 24 | TBA | 25 | Chevrolet | Joey Gase Motorsports |
| 25 | Ryan Sieg | 39 | Ford | RSS Racing |
| 26 | Sam Mayer | 41 | Ford | Haas Factory Team |
| 27 | Anthony Alfredo | 42 | Chevrolet | Young’s Motorsports |
| 28 | Brennan Poole | 44 | Chevrolet | Alpha Prime Racing |
| 29 | Brad Perez | 45 | Chevrolet | Alpha Prime Racing |
| 30 | Nicholas Sanchez | 48 | Chevrolet | Big Machine Racing |
| 31 | Jeremy Clements | 51 | Chevrolet | Jeremy Clements Racing |
| 32 | Mason Maggio | 53 | Ford | Joey Gase Motorsports |
| 33 | Taylor Gray | 54 | Toyota | Taylor Gray |
| 34 | Leland Honeyman | 70 | Toyota | Cope Family Racing |
| 35 | Ryan Ellis | 71 | Chevrolet | DGM Racing X JIM |
| 36 | Dawson Cram | 74 | Chevrolet | Mike Harmon Racing |
| 37 | Connor Zilisch | 88 | Chevrolet | DGM Racing X JIM |
| 38 | Myatt Snider | 91 | Chevrolet | DGM Racing X JIM |
| 39 | Matt DiBenedetto | 99 | Chevrolet | Viking Motorsports |
Hard Rock Bet 300 Schedule
- Practice—10:35-11:30 a.m. EST (Saturday, Mar. 22) (CW app)
- Qualifying—11:40 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EST (Saturday, Mar. 22) (CW app)
- Xfinity Series Race— 4:00 p.m. EST (Saturday, Mar. 22) (CW, MRN, SiriusXM, NASCAR Radio)
Where to Watch
Tune in for Xfinity Series practice and qualifying for the Hard Rock Bet 300 via the CW Network and stream through the CW App. Radio listeners can tune into the Hard Rock Bet 300 via NASCAR and SiriusXM Radio.
Final Thoughts
Xfinity drivers are preparing to return to Homestead Miami for the Hard Rock Bet 300. Yet, this doesn’t come without difficulties. The track is notorious for its rigorous terrain and complicated banking maneuvers. Defending champion Austin Hill vies to keep his championship title, but Justin Allgaier is eyeing another win.
Both are strong contenders, but JR Motorsports drivers have dominated the past two weeks in Phoenix and Las Vegas. Sammy Smith, Carson Kvapil, Connor Zilisch, and Justin Allgaier all qualified in the top ten. Who will take the checkered flag at the most difficult track on the NASCAR roster this season? Will Hill reign supreme, or will Allgaier win his second consecutive win of the season at the Hard Rock Bet 300? You be the judge.
