The Xfinity Series continues on Saturday with the Boyd Gaming 300, but the qualifying event has been canceled. The NASCAR Xfinity Twitter account revealed that inclement weather had been the cause. There is currently heavy rain pouring on the track, making it impossible for the drivers to finish their qualifying laps.
#XfinitySeries qualifying has been cancelled due to inclement weather. @MyattSnider will lead the field to the green in the #BoydGaming300 per the rule book. pic.twitter.com/FlgYZHg9Sy
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 22, 2020
While the heavy rain did force the cancellation of Saturday’s qualifying laps, the actual race is expected to proceed as planned. The weather is supposed to clear up around 3 p.m. ET and remain so for the remainder of the day.
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If the weather clears in time, the driver introductions should still take place at 3:30 p.m. ET. The start of the race may still be affected depending on the wetness of the racing surface. The green flag is currently scheduled to be waved at 4:16 p.m.
The Boyd Gaming 300 runs 200 laps as the drivers race around the 1.5-mile oval at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The competition can be watched on FS1.
Entering Saturday’s race, there will be no clear favorite to win in the Xfinity Series race. There are no Cup Series drivers in the list of competitors and there are no previous Las Vegas winners. The last six races have been won by a Cup Series driver, including Kyle Busch securing the win in 2019.
The favorites in the Boyd Gaming 300 are Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, and Chase Briscoe. Allgaier has never won at Las Vegas, but he has five top-five finishes at the oval. This includes two second-place finishes, the most recent of which came in 2018.
Gragson, however, is looking for his second consecutive Xfinity Series race after securing the win at the NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona. The youngster is amid his second full Xfinity Series season and is looking to increase his lead in the standings. Gragson finished third in 2019’s Las Vegas race.
Finally, Briscoe is viewed as a potential contender for the top spot. He has three previous starts at Las Vegas, including an eighth-place finish. Briscoe finished the NASCAR Racing Experience 300 in fifth place, but he was in contention for the victory until crossing the finish line.
(Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
