Photo Credit: Steven Muncie/OnPitRoad.com
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is known for having the largest and most competitive class of drivers battling for Rookie of the Year. 2018 is no different, with the first race of the season completed, lets take a look at this year’s Rookie of the Year class and how their first race went.
Tyler Reddick – Finished 1st
Tyler Reddick won last Saturday’s race at Daytona by .0001, beating new teammate Elliott Sadler in the closest finish in Xfinity Series history. Reddick is behind the wheel this season in the No. 9 for JR Motorsports. Prior to this season, Reddick spent the last three season in the Truck Series Driving for Brad Keselowski Racing where he won 3 races and had 25 top 5’s.
Kaz Grala – Finished 4th
Kaz Grala almost started his 2018 season the same as 2017. Last year, Grala turned a part time schedule in the Truck Series into a full season after winning the 2017 season opener at Daytona. While that was his only win of the season, Grala picked up 5 top 5’s and 14 top 10’s. Last weekend’s race was his debut in the Xfinity series. He will be driving the No. 24 this season for JGL Racing.
Vinnie Miller – Finished 20th
Relatively new to the top racing series of NASCAR, Vinnie Miller showed that he is worthy of racing at this level. Miller had a busy 2017, driving in the NASCAR K&N series and ARCA series, which included a top 5 and 6 top-10 finishes. He also made his debut in the Truck Series with a 7th place finish at Talladega and 29th place finish in his Xfinity Series debut at Chicagoland. He will drive the No. 01 for JD Motorsports this season.
Alex Labbe – Finished 23rd
Alex Labbe’s racing experiene showed last weekend as he was able to say out of trouble and finished the race in 23rd. He likely would have had a better finish but ran out of gas during the multiple green white checker attempts at the end of the race. Labbe had a dominating 2017 in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series. Where he won 5 races and had 11 top 5’s, leading to him securing the Championship. Labbe does have a familiar face with him In his move to the Xfinity Series. Mario Gosselin, who was Labbe’s Crew Chief in the Pinty’s Series is now the owner of the team he drives for and his Crew Chief. Labbe will drive the No. 36 for DGM Racing.
Spencer Boyd – Finished 25th
Spencer Boyd brought the No. 76 Chevrolet for SS-Green Light Racing to a 25th place finish last weekend, which is his best finish in the series. Boyd made his way into the Xfinity and Truck Series in 2016, with 5 starts.
Chad Finchum – Finished 28th
Short Track racer Chad Finchum announced earlier in the year that he plans to drive the No. 40 for MBM Motorsports this season. Finchum made 7 starts in the 2017 season for MBM Motorsports, with a best finish of 28th. Chad ran part time in the NASCAR K&N Series for 7 seasons, where he picked up a win at Bristol in 2016.
Christopher Bell – Finished 39th
Daytona wasn’t the start to the season that Bell was hoping for, where he got caught up in an accident early in the race. Bell will run the full season in the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing. Bell has shown success in his previous three season where he ran in the Truck Series. In his 53 starts in the series, Bell got 7 wins, 26 top 5’s and 41 top 10’s. He made 7 starts in the Xfinity Series in 2017, which included a pole at Iowa and a win at Kansas.
Austin Cindric – Finished 40th
The start to Cindric’s first full season in the Xfinity Series didn’t go as planned. Cindric finished 40th at Daytona in the No. 60 after getting caught up in a early wreck. He will attempt to win Rookie of the Year driving in three cars for two teams. He will split the season in the No. 60 for Roush Fenway Racing, and the No. 12 & No. 22 for Team Penske.
Matt Mills – Did not start at Daytona
Matt Mils will drive the No. 0 This weekend for JD Motorsports. Mills missed the season opener at Daytona due to not being approved. Mills has 10 starts in the Truck series with two top 20 finishes. He made his Xfintiy Series debut last season for JD Motorsports with three starts.
Josh Bilicki – Failed to qualify
Part time Sport Car driver turned full time NASCAR Xfinity driver Josh Bilicki already has an uphill battle this season. Bilicki didn’t make the race at Daytona due to failing to qualify by speed. He will drive this season for JP Motorsports in the No. 45. Unfortunately, with him driving for a new team with no points, he will be required to race his way in every weekend. Bilicki has made 9 starts in the Xfinity Series since 2016, with a best finish of 12th at his home track of Road America.
