NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona: Start time, entry list, drivers to watch

When the NASCAR Xfinity Series starts its season Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, young NASCAR star Austin Cindric will be hungry to defend his NASCAR championship.

He will have an appetizing start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the uniquely named Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300. The Xfinity Series is scheduled to take the green flag at 5 p.m. at Daytona International Speedway.

It's been a long offseason, but the #XfinitySeries is back on Saturday at 5 PM ET on FS1 at @DAYTONA! pic.twitter.com/xICidq0nY4

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 11, 2021

Who are the favorites in the NASCAR Xfinity Series?

Cindric, a development driver for Team Penske, will be looking to win a second straight championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series before moving to the NASCAR Cup Series next season. Cindric won six races and had 19 top-fives and 26 top-10 finishes last year to claim the championship.

Veterans Justin Allgaier and Justin Haley each won three races and advanced to the championship race last year, finishing second and third, respectively. Also keep an eye on Noah Gragson, who finished fifth in the standings, and Harrison and Jeb Burton, cousins and the sons of former NASCAR Cup Series stars Jeff and Ward Burton.

Who are the NASCAR Xfinity Series favorites at Daytona?

The days of NASCAR Cup Series drivers stealing the show in the Xfinity Series at Daytona are over. Now it’s all about the NASCAR Xfinity Series stars. That means Cindric, Haley, Allgaier and the rest.

It also means JR Motorsports will be one of the teams to beat. JRM Teammates Noah Gragson and Michael Annett will be trying to give Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s NASCAR Xfinity Series teams three straight wins at Daytona.

Joe Gibbs Racing will have four cars in the race and all four should be a factor. Regular JGR drivers Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones and Harrison Burton will run the full schedule, while former Cup Series driver Ty Dillon is in the part-time No. 54 car at Daytona. Dillon, who just missed making the Daytona 500, was fastest in the first NASCAR Xfinity Series practice.

He's off to a fast start with @JoeGibbsRacing! @tydillon tops the speed chart in #Beef300 practice Friday. pic.twitter.com/7yoQBVwXIG

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 12, 2021

Two of the few Cup Series drivers in the race could also be a factor. Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who won the Daytona Xfinity race in 2018, is in the race, as is former Cup driver AJ Allmendinger, who is driving the full season for Kaulig Racing.

Also See: Daytona 500 weather forecast

NASCAR Xfinity Series Daytona Entry List

0 Jeffrey Earnhardt JD Motorsports Chevrolet

1 Michael Annett JR Motorsports Chevrolet

2 Myatt Snider Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

02 Brett Moffitt Our Motorsports Chevrolet

03 Tyler Reddick Our Motorsports Chevrolet

4 Landon Cassill JD Motorsports Chevrolet

5 Matt Mills B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet

6 Ryan Vargas JD Motorsports Chevrolet

7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet

07 Joe Graf Jr SS Green Light Racing Chevrolet

8 Josh Berry JR Motorsports Chevrolet

9 Noah Gragson JR Motorsports Chevrolet

10 Jeb Burton Kaulig Racing Bruce Chevrolet

11 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

13 TBA Motorsports Business Management Ford

15 Colby Howard JD Motorsports Chevrolet

16 A J Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

17 Cody Ware SS Green Light Racing Chevrolet

18 Daniel Hemric Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

20 Harrison Burton Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford

23 Jason White RSS Racing Chevrolet

25 Chris Cockrum ACG Motorsports Chevrolet

26 Brandon Gdovic Sam Hunt Racing Toyota

31 Jordan Anderson Jordan Anderson Racing

36 Alex Labbe DGM Racing Chevrolet

39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Ford

44 Tommy Joe Martins Martins Motorsports Chevrolet

47 Kyle Weatherman Mike Harmon Racing

48 Danny Bohn Big Machine Racing Chevrolet

51 Jeremy Clements Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet

52 Gray Gaulding Means Motorsports Chevrolet

54 Ty Dillon Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

61 Robby Lyons II Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota

66 Timmy Hill Danielle Long Ford

68 Brandon Brown Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet

74 Bayley Currey Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet

77 Ronnie Bassett Jr Bassett Racing

78 Jesse Little B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet

90 Caesar Bacarella DGM Racing Chevrolet

91 Mario Gosselin DGM Racing Chevrolet

92 Josh Williams DGM Racing Chevrolet

98 Riley Herbst Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

99 Stefan Parsons B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet