Autoweek - January 23_ 2017 magazine-pdf.org

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, FEB. 25
FS1, 3:30 p.m.
Daytona Beach, FL
SATURDAY, JUNE 10
FOX, 1 p.m.
Pocono, PA
SUNDAY, AUG. 27
NBC, 3 p.m.
Elkhart Lake, WI
SATURDAY, MARCH 4
FS1, 1:30 p.m.
Atlanta
SATURDAY, JUNE 17
FS1, 1:30 p.m.
Brooklyn, MI
SATURDAY, SEPT. 2
NBCSN, 3:30 p.m.
Darlington, VA
SATURDAY, MARCH 11
FS1, 4 p.m.
Las Vegas
SATURDAY, JUNE 24
FS1, 8:30 p.m.
Newton, IA
FRIDAY, SEPT. 8
NBCSN, 7:30 p.m.
Richmond, VA
SATURDAY, MARCH 18
FOX, 4 p.m.
Phoenix
FRIDAY, JUNE 30
NBCSN, 7:30 p.m.
Daytona Beach, FL
SATURDAY, SEPT. 16
NBCSN, 3:30 p.m.
Joliet, IL
SATURDAY, MARCH 25
FS1, 4 p.m.
Fontana, CA
FRIDAY, JULY 7
NBCSN, 8 p.m.
Sparta, KY
SATURDAY, SEPT. 23
NBCSN, 8 p.m.
Sparta, KY
SATURDAY, APRIL 8
FOX, 1:30 p.m.
Fort Worth, TX
SATURDAY, JULY 15
NBCSN, 4 p.m.
Loudon, NH
SATURDAY, SEPT. 30
NBCSN, 3 p.m.
Dover, DE
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
FS1, 12:30 p.m.
Bristol, TN
SATURDAY, JULY 22
NBCSN, 3:30 p.m.
Indianapolis
FRIDAY, OCT. 6
NBCSN, 8 p.m.
Charlotte, NC
SATURDAY, APRIL 29
FS1, 12:30 p.m.
Richmond, VA
SATURDAY, JULY 29
NBC, 3:30 p.m.
Newton, IA
SATURDAY, OCT. 21
NBC, 3 p.m.
Kansas City, KS
SATURDAY, MAY 6
FOX, 1 p.m.
Talladega, AL
SATURDAY, AUG. 5
NBCSN, 2 p.m.
Watkins Glen, NY
SATURDAY, NOV. 4
NBCSN, 8:30 p.m.
Fort Worth, TX
SATURDAY, MAY 27
FS1, 1 p.m.
Charlotte, NC
SATURDAY, AUG. 12
NBCSN, 3:30 p.m.
Lexington, OH
SATURDAY, NOV. 11
NBC, 3:30 p.m.
Phoenix
SATURDAY, JUNE 3
FS1, 1 p.m.
Dover, DE
FRIDAY, AUG. 18
NBCSN, 7:30 p.m.
Bristol, TN
SATURDAY, NOV. 18
NBCSN, 3:30 p.m.
Homestead, FL
Spotlight on the Future
NASCAR MOVES TO LIMIT CUP
DRIVERS IN LOWER SERIES
NASCAR HAS
an abundance of
emerging stars currently
residing in the Xfinity
Series but has struggled
to spotlight them.
Why? For one, the
schedule has largely
become a carbon copy
of Cup, which, in turn,
has invited drivers from
that tour to moonlight
and steal most of the
wins away from those
actually competing for
the championship.
The sanctioning body
is working to move away
from that with a series of
changes for 2017. Drivers
with more than five
years of full-time Cup
experience will be limited
to 10 races annually in
the Xfinity Series and
seven in the Camping
World Truck Series.
Those same Cup
Series drivers can’t
compete in the Xfinity
Dash 4 Cash events
or the Xfinity/Trucks
playoff races.
While it’s a relatively
small change, the hope
is NASCAR will institute
wider restrictions over
the next few seasons.
It’s not uncommon
for Cup drivers to win
over 70 percent of the
races and for championship
contenders to
get buried outside the
top five behind the
Cup veterans.
This is a way for
NASCAR to maintain
“Names are Made Here”
as more than just a
slogan. -MATT WEAVER
BOLD PREDICTION
Daniel Hemric
wins multiple races in his
first season with Richard
Childress Racing, despite
going winless in Camping
World Trucks with Brad
Keselowski Racing.
2017 CHAMPION:
William Byron, Kyle
Busch Motorsports
ON THE RISE:
Blake Koch,
Kaulig Racing
NEXT BIG
THING: Daniel
Hemric, Richard
Childress Racing
OUR PICKS
Byron
LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC (3)
NASCAR wants to give rising stars like Daniel
Hemric, left, more of the spotlight in 2017.
For more Xfinity previews, including further
bold predictions and preseason news,
along with race coverage during the season,
go to autoweek.com/racing/nascar-xfinity
and follow us on Twitter @AutoweekUSA.
JANUARY 23, 2017 AUTOWEEK 21