Power Rankings: Top 10 Xfinity Series title contenders in 2024
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NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top 10 Xfinity Series title contenders with the 2024 campaign right around the corner.
The series is set to deliver one of its most high-profile, electric seasons to date with a loaded field in 2024.
MORE: Xfinity Series set to thrill in '24
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10. Riley Herbst, No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
2023 key stats: 1 win, 10 top fives, 17 top 10s, 148 laps led
2023 standings finish: 13th
Comment: Despite being the lone 2023 full-time driver on this list who didn't make the '23 postseason, don't be surprised if/when Herbst makes this year's playoff field — and likely makes a deep run. After reeling off five straight top-eight finishes to open last year, Herbst's dubious finish to the regular season left him out of the playoffs ... only to regain said form and close the year with a ridiculous five straight top-four finishes, with a win at Vegas sprinkled in. If anything, his placement at No. 10 here is too low. Big things ahead for No. 98.
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9. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
2023 key stats: N/A (three national series starts in 2023 across Cup/Truck Series)
2023 standings finish: N/A
Comment: Another one that feels too low, it's entirely possible van Gisbergen comes in and runs roughshod over the series despite having literally zero starts in Xfinity Series equipment — not to mention just three total NASCAR starts to his name. The thing is: There might not be a more all-around talented driver in the sport, period. We've seen global superstars make a foray into NASCAR in the past to mixed results, but the early returns here are beyond encouraging, considering he won his debut Cup Series start (i.e. his first NASCAR start) in last year's Chicago Street Race. Even with how deep this year's talent pool is in NXS, SVG could make an immediate impact in good equipment. A Championship 4 appearance is on the table, for sure.
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8. Sammy Smith, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
2023 key stats: 1 win, 6 top fives, 15 top 10s
2023 standings finish: 6th
Comment: Fresh off back-to-back ARCA Menards Series East titles, Smith performed quite admirably in his maiden full-time national series campaign, nearly taking a strong No. 18 JGR Toyota to the Championship 4. Now in a No. 8 JRM ride that led to big things for the incumbent Josh Berry, Smith has a tremendous opportunity in front of him to take his '23 learnings and turn '24 into a powerhouse season.
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7. Sheldon Creed, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2023 key stats: 7 top fives, 15 top 10s, 190 laps led
2023 standings finish: 7th
Comment: You might've heard something about this, but Creed ... is now the pilot of the ride Smith vacated and looks to elevate his career to new heights after an unceremonious exit from RCR. Still in search of his first NXS win after compiling eight Craftsman Truck Series victories from 2020-21, it's possible this is Creed's best shot yet to establish himself as a NASCAR superstar, and the former Truck champ could add another big trophy to his case when all is said and done months from now.
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6. Sam Mayer, No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
2023 key stats: 4 wins, 13 top fives, 19 top 10s, 177 laps led
2023 standings finish: 3rd
Comment: Mayer was already on the cusp of really breaking through in 2022 when he also notched 19 top 10s, but it seemed like, as how these things tend to go, the floodgates really opened with his first NASCAR win at Road America at the end of July. He added another three from there and tied for second in the series with four wins, all collected from Race 20 to Race 31. Now firmly established at JRM, it's possible Mayer could really flex on the field and double that win amount en route to a title shot.
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5. Chandler Smith, No. 81 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2023 key stats: 1 win, 8 top fives, 13 top 10s, 318 laps led
2023 standings finish: 9th
Comment: Given he's been racing in NASCAR — quite well, at that — for several years at this point, it's hard to believe Smith won't even turn 22 until the midpoint of this season. Now making the move to perhaps his best opportunity yet, it's clear Smith — who admittedly did have the fewest top 10s among full-time '23 drivers on this list — should have a clear path to make a significant impact this year. We have him ranked fifth here (again, this series is as deep as an Olympic-sized swimming pool this year) but it almost feels off to have him not tentatively slated for a Championship 4 berth. He'll certainly make a compelling bid.
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4. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevolet
2023 key stats: 4 wins, 15 top fives, 20 top 10s, 643 laps led
2023 standings finish: 2nd
Comment: After yet another year in which the veteran mainstay of the series had his "best shot yet" to take it all the way, Denny Hamlin Justin Allgaier once again fell just short of that elusive first title. It would feel extremely short-changing if Allgaier — or Hamlin, honestly — winds up hanging up the fire suit without winning a championship. The good thing for Allgaier, who fell just short of the title last year at Phoenix, is that he's a perennial contender and the de facto leader of Chevy's best-performing NXS team. You can essentially pencil him in for the Championsip 4 once again and, wait for it, this could finally be his year.
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3. Cole Custer, No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
2023 key stats: 3 wins, 14 top fives, 21 top 10s, 586 laps led
2023 standings finish: 1st
Comment: After a handful of years in SHR's Cup division, Custer returned to the NXS ranks and was expected to clean up in the wins column — after all, his previous final year there netted a whopping seven victories as a 22-year-old. While he mustered just a (still respectable!) three wins, Custer ... did kind of unexpectedly claim the series title over the other favorites, which we're assuming he'd prefer over a few more regular-season wins in the column. The only question now is, as he looks to firmly reestablish himself as a future talent in the premier series, will he repeat? Hard to think he won't at least get to Phoenix, no?
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2. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
2023 key stats: 2 wins, 4 top fives, 5 top 10s, 81 laps led (five NXS starts)
2023 standings finish: N/A (full-time Cup Series driver)
Comment: Alright, here's where things get really interesting. After back-to-back near championships in 2021 and '22, Allmendinger tried his hand at full-time Cup racing once again in '23, saddling up as a dark horse title contender, considering how many road courses are now on the schedule. He did win one of them ... but it was during the playoffs, and he wasn't in 'em, finishing 21st in points. Now taking the leap back to NXS, will Allmendinger slot back in as a championship favorite? Is he the championship favorite? Our guesses: yes, and ... perhaps.
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1. Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
2023 key stats: 4 wins, 16 top fives, 24 top 10s, 346 laps led
2023 standings finish: 5th
Comment: This one might come as a surprise to some, but after, admittedly, way too much time spent mulling over this choice, the gut kept bringing it back to "Big Country." Everything just seems to line up extraordinarily well for Hill to topple the loaded JRM/JGR/SHR lineups and finish what he started as last year's Regular Season Champion. Hill likely should have made it to Phoenix to compete for the title had certain things gone a little differently late in the penultimate race at Martinsville, but alas. He's going to enter 2024 hungry and also notched three more top 10s than anybody else on this list last year. He'll certainly be the favorite to win the opener at Daytona as he's done each of the last two years and, in my mind — he's the favorite to win the closer, too.