Two days after the NASCAR Cup Series reopened at Darlington Raceway, the Xfinity Series will resume competition with a 147-lap, 200-mile event at the fabled Lady in Black. Where Sunday’s Cup race was a grueling 400-miler on a green race track, Tuesday’s Xfinity contest will be a sprint around the 1.366-mile egg-shaped speedway.
Without qualifying to winnow the field, NASCAR expanded the number of possible spots in the race from 36 to 40. All told, 39 drivers signed up for the event. The three stages of the race—of 45, 45, and 57 laps, respectively—all can be run easily on one load of fuel, but not comfortably on one set of tires.
Xfinity teams will use the same tire codes Goodyear provided for the Cup race on Sunday, with six sets allocated per car. Given the abrasiveness of the Darlington asphalt, tire management and conservation will play an important role on Tuesday night, favoring veteran drivers whose crew chiefs happen to hit optimal setups without practice or qualifying before the race.