For Saturday’s XFINITY Series Rinnai 250, there are 43 cars entered. As a result, three teams will fail to qualify.
As is the norm these days with the eligibility rules, there are a number of changes. At Chip Ganassi Racing, Kyle Larson is out of the No. 42 Chevrolet and John Hunter Nemechek will make his XFINITY Series debut. He’ll have sponsorship from Fire Alarm Systems, a company that has backed him off and on in the Camping World Truck Series over the past couple of years.
Austin Cindric‘s ride switcheroo begins this weekend as he steps into Team Penske’s No. 12 Ford with sponsorship from Fitzgerald Glider Kits. Meanwhile, the No. 60 that Cindric drove at Daytona will be occupied by Chase Briscoe. Briscoe will be making his XFINITY Series debut in the Roush Fenway Racing Ford with factory backing.
Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon will hand off the No. 3 Chevrolet to his younger brother Ty. Red Kap and ALSCO will co-sponsor the car in place of Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s.
For Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Benjamin will return to the team and drive the No. 18 Toyota with backing from Peak. Last weekend, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Benjamin will only have two races with the team in 2018. They will be Atlanta and the July race at Iowa.
A couple of the smaller squads are executing multiple driver changes. At RSS Racing, Ryan Sieg and JJ Yeley are switching cars for Atlanta, a crucial home race for the team. Sieg will be back in the No. 39, while Yeley will be in the No. 93. Jeff Green remains in the No. 38.
At BJ McLeod Motorsports, Tommy Joe Martins returns to the team to drive the No. 8 in place of Caesar Bacarella. Team owner BJ McLeod will drive the No. 78 in place of Ryan Ellis. The team’s No. 99 is also entered, but currently does not have a driver listed. Ray Black Jr. attempted to qualify for Saturday’s PowerShares QQQ 300 in the No. 99, but failed to make the field.
As previously announced, Matt Mills will make his season debut with JD Motorsports with Gary Keller. However, the team announced a number switch on Tuesday. As a result, Mills will make his season debut in the No. 0 Chevrolet. Garrett Smithley, fresh off of a career-best fifth-place finish on Saturday, will drive the No. 15.
Entry List: 2018 Rinnai 250
| Team | Driver | Sponsor | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 - Stewart-Haas Racing | Cole Custer | HAAS Automation | Ford |
| 01 - JD Motorsports with Gary Keller | Vinnie Miller | JAS Trucking | Chevrolet |
| 0 - JD Motorsports with Gary Keller | Matt Mills | teamjdmotorsports.com | Chevrolet |
| 1 - JR Motorsports | Elliott Sadler | OneMain Financial | Chevrolet |
| 2 - Richard Childress Racing | Matt Tifft | TBA | Chevrolet |
| 3 - Richard Childress Racing | Ty Dillon (i) | Red Kap/ALSCO | Chevrolet |
| 4 - JD Motorsports with Gary Keller | Ross Chastain | teamjdmotorsports.com | Chevrolet |
| 5 - JR Motorsports | Michael Annett | Pilot Flying J | Chevrolet |
| 7 - JR Motorsports | Justin Allgaier | Rinnai | Chevrolet |
| 8 - BJ McLeod Motorsports | Tommy Joe Martins | TBA | Chevrolet |
| 9 - JR Motorsports | Tyler Reddick | Nationwide Children's Hospital | Chevrolet |
| 11 - Kaulig Racing | Ryan Truex | Bar Harbor/SeaWatch International | Chevrolet |
| 12 - Team Penske | Austin Cindric | Fitzgerald Glider Kits | Ford |
| 15 - JD Motorsports with Gary Keller | Garrett Smithley | teamjdmotorsports.com | Chevrolet |
| 16 - Roush Fenway Racing | Ryan Reed | Drive Down A1C Lilly Diabetes | Ford |
| 18 - Joe Gibbs Racing | Kyle Benjamin | Peak Coolant & Antifreeze | Toyota |
| 19 - Joe Gibbs Racing | Brandon Jones | Menards | Toyota |
| 20 - Joe Gibbs Racing | Christopher Bell | Ruud | Toyota |
| 21 - Richard Childress Racing | Daniel Hemric | South Point Hotel & Casino | Chevrolet |
| 22 - Team Penske | Joey Logano (i) | Discount Tire | Ford |
| 23 - GMS Racing | Spencer Gallagher | Allegiant | Chevrolet |
| 24 - JGL Racing | Kaz Grala | Marlow's Tavern | Ford |
| 28 - JGL Racing | Dylan Lupton | thinQ Technology Partners | Ford |
| 35 - Go Green Racing | Joey Gase | DonateLifeGeorgia.org/Sparks Energy | Chevrolet |
| 36 - DGM Racing | Alex Labbe | Can-Am/Wholey/Cyclops Gear | Chevrolet |
| 38 - RSS Racing | Jeff Green | RSS Racing | Chevrolet |
| 39 - RSS Racing | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet |
| 40 - Motorspots Business Management | Chad Finchum | Smithbilt Holmes | Toyota |
| 42 - Chip Ganassi Racing | John Hunter Nemechek | Fire Alarm Systems | Chevrolet |
| 45 - JP Motorsports | Josh Bilicki | Prevagen | Toyota |
| 51 - Jeremy Clements Racing | Jeremy Clements | RepairableVehicles.com | Chevrolet |
| 52 - Jimmy Means Racing | David Starr | TBA | Chevrolet |
| 55 - JP Motorsports | Stephen Leicht | Jani-King | Chevrolet |
| 60 - Roush Fenway Racing | Chase Briscoe | Ford Mustang | Ford |
| 66 - Motorsports Business Management | Timmy Hill | TBA | Dodge |
| 74 - Mike Harmon Racing | Mike Harmon | TBA | Chevrolet |
| 76 - SS-Green Light Racing | Spencer Boyd | Grunt Style | Chevrolet |
| 78 - BJ McLeod Motorsports | BJ McLeod | TBA | Chevrolet |
| 89 - Shepherd Racing Ventures | Morgan Shepherd | Visone RV | Chevrolet |
| 90 - DGM Racing | Josh Williams | StarTron | Chevrolet |
| 93 - RSS Racing | JJ Yeley | RSS Racing | Chevrolet |
| 98 - Biagi-DenBeste Racing | Kevin Harvick (i) | Hunt Brothers Pizza | Ford |
| 99 - BJ McLeod Motorspots | TBA | TBA | Chevrolet |
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.
Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.