History of NASCAR Xfinity Series in Timeline

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NASCAR Xfinity Series

The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is NASCAR's second-tier stock car racing series, serving as a feeder for the premier Cup Series. Races are typically held the day before a Cup Series event, providing a weekend of racing action for fans. The Xfinity Series features up-and-coming drivers and established veterans, offering a platform for developing talent and showcasing competitive racing.

4 hours ago : Our Motorsports Shuts Down NASCAR Xfinity Team Mid-Season, Driver Replacement Confirmed

Our Motorsports is ceasing NASCAR Xfinity operations after Dover. The team is shutting down mid-season. A full-time driver was lost after Sonoma, and a replacement has been confirmed.

1948: NASCAR's First Series

In 1948, the Modified and Roadster series were formed, becoming NASCAR's first series.

1949: Strictly Stock Series

In 1949, the Strictly Stock Series was formed, making it one of NASCAR's early series.

1950: Formation of NASCAR's Sportsman division

In 1950, NASCAR's Sportsman division was formed as NASCAR's short track race division.

1968: Late Model Sportsman Series

In 1968, the series became the Late Model Sportsman Series.

1971: Teams were switching to General Motors

In the early 1980s, teams were switching from the General Motors 1971–77 X-Body compact cars with 311-cubic inch engines.

1982: Touring Format Inception

By the inception of the touring format in 1982, the series used older compact cars.

1982: Budweiser sponsorship of Late-Model Sportsman Series

In 1982, Anheuser-Busch sponsored a newly reformed late-model sportsman series with its Budweiser brand, leading to the formation of the modern-day Xfinity Series.

1982: J. Ingram

In 1982, J. Ingram.

1982: Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series

In 1982, the series was called the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series.

1982: Teams were using General Motors

Later, teams were using General Motors 1982–87 G-body cars.

1983: S. Ard

In 1983, S. Ard.

1983: Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series

In 1983, the series was called the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series.

1984: NASCAR Busch Grand National Series

From 1984, the series was called the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series.

1984: S. Ard

In 1984, S. Ard.

1985: J. Ingram

In 1985, J. Ingram.

1986: L. Pearson

In 1986, L. Pearson.

1987: L. Pearson

In 1987, L. Pearson.

1988: T. Ellis

In 1988, T. Ellis.

1989: Rule Change for Body Styles

In 1989, NASCAR changed rules requiring cars to use current body styles, similar to the Cup cars.

1989: R. Moroso

In 1989, R. Moroso.

1990: C. Bown

In 1990, C. Bown.

1990: Increased Race Coverage

Starting in 1990, more Xfinity races began to be shown, leading to full coverage by the mid-1990s.

1991: B. Labonte

In 1991, B. Labonte.

1992: J. Nemechek

In 1992, J. Nemechek.

1993: S. Grissom

In 1993, S. Grissom.

1994: D. Green

In 1994, D. Green.

1995: J. Benson Jr.

In 1995, J. Benson Jr.

1995: Changes in Vehicle Specifications

In 1995, the series switched to V-8s with a compression ratio of 9:1 and the vehicle weight with driver was set at 3,300 pounds.

1996: R. LaJoie

In 1996, R. LaJoie.

1997: R. LaJoie

In 1997, R. LaJoie.

1998: D. Earnhardt Jr.

In 1998, D. Earnhardt Jr.

1999: D. Earnhardt Jr.

In 1999, D. Earnhardt Jr.

2000: J. Green

In 2000, J. Green.

2001: Fox Sports Coverage

From 2001, Fox Sports covered the entire first half of the Busch Grand National season.

2001: K. Harvick

In 2001, K. Harvick.

2002: G. Biffle

In 2002, G. Biffle.

2002: Daytona Race on TNT

In 2002, the opening race at Daytona aired on TNT due to NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics.

2002: NASCAR Busch Grand National Series

In 2002, the series was called the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series.

2003: NASCAR Busch Series

From 2003, the series was called the NASCAR Busch Series.

2003: B. Vickers

In 2003, B. Vickers.

2003: Grand National Dropped

In 2003, the "Grand National" name was dropped from the series' title as part of NASCAR's brand identity changes.

2004: M. Truex Jr.

In 2004, M. Truex Jr.

2004: Daytona Race on NBC

In 2004, the opening race at Daytona aired on NBC due to NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics.

March 6, 2005: First Race Outside United States

On March 6, 2005, the series held its first race outside the United States, the Telcel-Motorola 200, in Mexico City, Mexico, won by Martin Truex Jr.

2005: M. Truex Jr.

In 2005, M. Truex Jr.

July 29, 2006: Unleaded Gasoline Test

On July 29, 2006, NASCAR conducted a three-race test of unleaded gasoline in the Busch Series, beginning with a race at Gateway International Raceway.

2006: NBC and TNT Coverage

From 2001 until 2006, NBC and TNT both aired races during the second half of the Busch Grand National season, with Turner Sports producing coverage for both networks.

2006: Cup Regulars Dominate

In 2006, 8 out of 10 top drivers were Cup regulars.

2006: K. Harvick

In 2006, K. Harvick.

August 4, 2007: Second Race Outside United States

On August 4, 2007, the series held its second race outside the United States, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, won by Kevin Harvick.

2007: Anheuser-Busch Sponsorship Ends

After the 2007 season, Anheuser-Busch ended its sponsorship of the series.

2007: ESPN Coverage Begins

From 2007, ESPN became the home of the renamed Nationwide Series.

2007: C. Edwards

In 2007, C. Edwards.

2007: Toyota joined the Xfinity Series

In 2007, Toyota joined the Xfinity Series and ran the Camry.

2007: Car of Tomorrow in Cup Series

In 2007, the NASCAR Cup Series began racing with the Car of Tomorrow, which led to the development of a new Nationwide Series car closer to the Cup car.

2007: NASCAR Busch Series

In 2007, the series was called the NASCAR Busch Series.

2007: Mandatory Unleaded Gasoline

Starting with the second weekend of the 2007 series, unleaded gasoline became mandatory in all series, with Daytona being the last race weekend using leaded gasoline.

July 2008: Nationwide Series Won't Return to Mexico City

In July 2008, NASCAR announced that the Nationwide Series would not return to Mexico City in 2009.

2008: NASCAR Nationwide Series

From 2008, the series was called the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

2008: C. Bowyer

In 2008, C. Bowyer.

2008: Nationwide Insurance Sponsorship Begins

In 2008, Nationwide Insurance took over the sponsorship of the series, renaming it the Nationwide Series with a reported $10 million commitment.

2008: Rain Tires Used in Race

In 2008, during the NAPA Auto Parts 200, rain tires were used for the first time after rain started to fall.

2008: ONE Broadcasting Begins

Network Ten's ONE began broadcasting races from the NXS live or near live during the 2008 season.

2009: Ky. Busch

In 2009, Ky. Busch.

2009: Nationwide Series Cancelled in Mexico City

In July 2008, NASCAR announced that the Nationwide Series would not return to Mexico City in 2009.

July 2010: Nationwide Series unveils "Car of Tomorrow"

In July 2010, the Nationwide Series unveiled its "Car of Tomorrow" (CoT) at the race at Daytona International Speedway.

2010: B. Keselowski

In 2010, B. Keselowski.

2010: Car of Tomorrow

In 2010, The Car of Tomorrow eliminates some of these commonalities.

2010: Debut of New Nationwide Series Car

The new Nationwide Series car, with a setup closer to the current Cup car, debuted in the 2010 Subway Jalapeño 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

2011: Rule Implementation

Beginning with the 2011 season, NASCAR implemented a rule stating that drivers could only compete for the drivers' championship in one of three national series of their choosing.

2011: Fox Sports Return

In 2011, Fox Sports made a return to the series, airing the Bubba Burger 250 at Richmond on Speed Channel due to programming conflicts with ESPN.

2011: R. Stenhouse Jr.

In 2011, R. Stenhouse Jr.

2011: Fully integrated "Car of Tomorrow"

In 2011, the "Car of Tomorrow" was fully integrated into the season, after being used in some races in 2010.

2012: Dodge pulled factory support

After 2012, Dodge pulled all factory support for the Challenger R/T model.

2012: Motors TV Broadcasts

In 2012, Motors TV began broadcasting all Xfinity races live, delayed, and highlights.

2012: Nationwide Series Won't Return to Montreal

In 2012, NASCAR announced that the Nationwide Series would not be returning to Montreal in 2013.

2012: NASCAR changes fuel delivery system

In 2012, NASCAR made a change to the Cup cars, switching the fuel delivery system from carburetion to fuel injection. However, NXS cars continued to use carburetors.

2012: R. Stenhouse Jr.

In 2012, R. Stenhouse Jr.

2013: Nationwide Series Cancelled in Montreal

In 2012, NASCAR announced that the Nationwide Series would not be returning to Montreal in 2013.

2013: A. Dillon

In 2013, A. Dillon.

2013: Reduction in Grid Size

Prior to 2013, the grid size was 43 cars per race; in 2013, it shrank to 40 maximum cars.

2013: SPEED Renamed Fox Sports 3

Since 2006, Fox Sports 3 (formerly called SPEED until 2013) carries live coverage of all events in most Latin American countries.

September 3, 2014: Comcast Announced as New Title Sponsor

On September 3, 2014, Comcast announced that it would become the new title sponsor of the series via its cable television and internet brand Xfinity, renaming it the Xfinity Series.

2014: C. Elliott

In 2014, C. Elliott.

2014: NASCAR Nationwide Series

In 2014, the series was called the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

2014: ONE Broadcasting Ends

ONE continued to air highlights packages of each race until the end of 2014.

2014: ESPN Coverage Ends

Until 2014, ESPN was the home of the renamed Nationwide Series.

2015: C. Buescher

In 2015, C. Buescher.

2015: Toyota reconfigured the Camry

In 2015, Toyota reconfigured the Camry to resemble the current production model.

2015: Return to Fox Sports

In 2015, the NXS returned to Fox Sports during the first half of the season, with most coverage airing on FS1.

2015: NASCAR Xfinity Series

Since 2015, the series is sponsored by Comcast via its consumer cable and wireless brand Xfinity.

October 26, 2016: NASCAR Announces Cup Driver Participation Limits

On October 26, 2016, NASCAR announced plans to limit Cup participation in the lower series starting in 2017.

2016: D. Suárez

In 2016, D. Suárez.

2016: Implementation of Chase System

In 2016, NASCAR implemented a seven-race Chase system similar to the one used in the NASCAR Cup Series.

2016: Playoff Format Adoption

In 2016, the NXS and Truck Series adopted a playoff format similar to the NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the Championship, using a three-round format.

2017: W. Byron

In 2017, W. Byron.

2017: Cup Driver Participation Limits Implemented

Starting in 2017, Cup drivers with at least five years of experience in the series and competing for points in the Cup Series would be limited in their participation in NXS races.

2018: Challenger chassis were rendered ineligible

As a result of a rules change after the 2018 season, all Challenger chassis were rendered ineligible for competition.

2018: ARCA Menards Series

In 2018, NASCAR purchased the organization running the Busch East and Winston West series (which used the "Grand National" name) and rebranded them under the ARCA Menards Series banner.

2018: T. Reddick

In 2018, T. Reddick.

2018: Motors TV Ceases Operations

Motors TV broadcasts all Xfinity races live, delayed and highlights, until 2018 when the channel ceased operations.

2019: T. Reddick

In 2019, T. Reddick.

2019: Toyota replaced Camry with GR Supra

In 2019, Toyota announced they would be running the GR Supra, replacing the Camry, which had been run in the series since Toyota joined the Xfinity Series in 2007.

2019: Further Reduction in Grid Size

In 2019, the Xfinity race field was reduced to 38 cars.

2019: All Races on FS1

Until 2019, all races moved to FS1.

2020: A. Cindric

In 2020, A. Cindric.

2020: Cup Series Used Rain Tires

In 2020, the Cup Series eventually used rain tires at the Bank of America Roval 400

2020: Grid Size Adjustments Due to COVID-19

In 2020, the Xfinity race field was reduced to 36 cars, but temporarily increased to 40 cars again to accommodate part-time teams due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: NBC Sports Coverage

In 2020, the second half of the NXS season is televised by NBC Sports.

2021: D. Hemric

In 2021, D. Hemric.

2021: Cup Series Used Rain Tires Again

In 2021, the Cup Series eventually used rain tires at the Texas Grand Prix

2021: USA Network Coverage

Since 2021, USA Network has carried all races not aired on NBC or Fox Sports.

2022: T. Gibbs

In 2022, T. Gibbs.

2022: Cup Series switch to Next Gen car

In 2022, the Cup Series switched to the Next Gen car. Xfinity cars (as well as Truck Series vehicles) continued to use traditional five-lug steel wheels and centered door numbers. The Next Gen has an aluminum center lock wheel and numbers are placed behind the front wheel.

July 28, 2023: Xfinity Series to Move to The CW

On July 28, 2023, it was announced the Xfinity Series will move exclusively to The CW in 2025 as part of a seven-year deal.

2023: C. Custer

In 2023, C. Custer.

April 11, 2024: CW Move Begins Early

On April 11, 2024, it was announced that the move to The CW would begin a year early to broadcast the final eight races of the 2024 season.

2024: J. Allgaier

In 2024, J. Allgaier.

July 12, 2025: Figures correct as of Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250

On July 12, 2025, all figures are correct as of the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at the Sonoma Raceway.

2025: Return to Mexico City

In 2025 the Xfinity Series returned to Mexico City where Mexican native Daniel Suarez won.

2025: Full Move to The CW

In 2025, the Xfinity Series will move exclusively to The CW as part of a seven-year deal.

2025: Xfinity Sponsorship to Cease

It was announced that Xfinity will cease its sponsorship of the second-tier series after 2025, although it will remain a Cup Series Premier Partner.