Both the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series have seen enough twists and turns in 2024 to fill a Hollywood blockbuster. But it is the latter that will see its finale played out first, as the NASCAR circus heads to Phoenix for the final race of the season. Austin Hill, Cole Custer, Justin Allgaier and AJ Allmendinger are the drivers that made the Final Four, and each one has varying degrees of experience when it comes to a championship finale.
Hill Makes His First Final Four Against The Reigning Champion
For Hill, its been a remarkable season, battling hard against seasoned veterans who have been there, done that and got the t-shirt. This marks the first time Hill has made the Xfinity finale in his career, after he raced to his fourth win of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway in October. The Richard Childress Racing driver passing Cole Custer with 12 laps to go.
After that race, Hill said “a lot of people doubt me, but I wake up every day to prove everyone wrong. I deserve to be here. I deserve to race for a championship.” It was a remarkable turnaround for a driver who was below the cutoff line going into that race, but now has a big shot at one of American motorsports biggest prizes and a crucial step on the ladder to the NASCAR Cup series.
Cole Custer meanwhile is the reigning champion, and his Stewart-Haas Racing team will be looking for a fitting start to its finale weekend. The team is of course scaling back massively in NASCAR for 2025, but Custer has a great shot at making it back-to-back titles. Custer however may have to watch out for Allmendinger, having been caught up with the Kaulig Racing driver following a tangle at Martinsville last weekend.
Allmendinger’s Second Final Four In Two Seasons
This isn’t new territory for Allmendinger in 2024. This is the second time that he has made it to the Final Four, ahead of his return to full-time Cup Series competition in 2025, for the first time since 2023. It would however be his first championship in the series, and be the perfect way to launch himself back into the Cup Series.
Allmendinger has had a good if unspectacular year in the Xfinity series in 2024. He has won just a single race at Las Vegas, but that’s been enough to fire him into the fight for the championship. His best finish in the series so far has been fourth in 2021, and he is of course hoping he can go three positions better this time around. Speaking to the media ahead of the final round, Allmendinger said “being here as many times as I have and it’s not worked out, you just get this sense of peace of like, I’ve been here before and we’ve not been able to accomplish it, so change the game plan, go into it with a different mindset and we’ll see what happens.”
Justin Allgaier Is Seeking His First Xfinity Title
Allgaier is a driver who can sympathize with where Allmendinger is coming from. Its been a successful Xfinity career for the JR Motorsports driver, with two wins this season and he has reached the playoffs every year he has competed in the series. But he has yet to win the title, having finished runner up in 2020 and 2023 while he made this years Final Four with a solid drive to fifth at Martinsville. It shows just how hard the Xfinity series is to win, let alone securing yourself a Cup title.
What lies in store for our Final Four this year is anyone’s guess. Phoenix can throw up a few surprises, and controversy is never far around the corner. Every single one of the drivers who has made it into the finale with a shot at the championship will be a worthy winner, for different reasons. Thankfully, we don’t have long to find out who will be the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.
