PREVIEW: Up-and-coming drivers on the XFINITY side among the storylines for Gateway
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
IMAGE: AM Racing, @AMRacingNASCAR
Saturday, September 6, 2025 (Green Flag 7:40 P.M. ET, CW)
XFINITY Race 26 of 33
Regular Season Finale
Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blue Hog at World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway)
2010 Last-Place Finisher: Kevin Hamlin
ENTRY LIST
The XFINITY Series returns to Gateway for the first time in 14 years – my first season of covering the last-place finishers of the XFINITY and Truck Series. This time, the track will host the series’ regular season finale for 2025. After the withdrawal of two teams, the remaining 38 entrants will all qualify for the race.
WITHDREW: #5-Alpha Prime Racing
While the preliminary entry list showed Stefan Parsons entered in Alpha Prime’s new part-time entry, the #5, which debuted last month in Daytona, the team had already withdrawn at the time of the list’s publication.
DRIVER CHANGE: #11-Kaulig Racing
After mid-race suspension issues left SuperCars star Will Brown in the 35th spot in Portland, the #11 ride this week goes to Daniel Hemric, marking a reunion between driver and the Kaulig Racing team since the 2024 season finale at Phoenix, where Hemric completed his most recent full-time effort in Cup. This will be Hemric’s first XFINITY start since the 2023 finale, when he finished 21st in Kaulig’s #10, closing out a full-time campaign where he started in this #11. Action Industries is the sponsor.
RETURNING: #17-Hendrick Motorsports
The Hendrick team brings back Corey Day for his sixth start of 2025 and first since his 24th-place showing in Iowa, site of the team’s latest start. This will be Day’s first NASCAR national series start at Gateway.
DRIVER CHANGE: #19-Joe Gibbs Racing
Last week in Portland, Jack Perkins was on his way to a strong top-five finish before he ran off-course and broke down at Turn 11, leaving him a disappointing 31st. This week, the “all-star” JGR entry returns to Aric Almirola, marking his 11th series start of the year and first since a 24th-place showing last month in Daytona.
MISSING: #24-Sam Hunt Racing
Alon Day is not entered after he and the second SHR car claimed 6th on the starting grid en route to a 20th-place finish in the race.
DRIVER SWAP: #28-RSS Racing
DRIVER CHANGE: #53-Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen
After piloting the #53 last week for Joey Hand to run the #28 to a 19th-place finish, Kyle Sieg – 26th in Portland – returns to the #28 at RSS Racing. Joey Gase will run his own #53, his first start since a 21st-place run last month in Daytona, for what will be Gase’s 300th career XFINITY start.
DRIVER CHANGE: #32-Jordan Anderson Racing
The Gateway track is the home venue for longtime Jordan Anderson Racing sponsor Bommarito Automotive Group, where Jordan Anderson will return to the driver’s seat with Volpi as his primary backer. This will mark Anderson’s first series start since this year’s Daytona opener in February, where he finished 7th. He takes the place of road race ace Austin Green, who took 8th in Portland.
DRIVER CHANGE: #35-Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen
While the preliminary entry list showed no driver listed for the flagship entry at the Joey Gase team, one week after Takuma Koga struggled to a 29th-place finish in his NASCAR national series debut, that ride will return to Glen Reen. It was Reen who made his third and most recent series start at Watkins Glen, where he raced to a career-best 21st with this team.
DRIVER CHANGE: #45-Alpha Prime Racing
After he made his XFINITY debut at his home track in Dover, qualifying 22nd and finishing 28th, Lavar Scott returns for his second series start, replacing Portland last-place finisher Vicente Salas. Scott will again pilot Alpha Prime’s #45, this time with sponsorship from Foxxtecca.
WITHDREW: #74-Mike Harmon Racing
Also withdrawn from the first draft of this week’s entry list is the Harmon team, which had Dawson Cram entered.
NEW TEAM: #76-AM Racing
This year, Oregon native Kole Raz has made his first starts on ARCA’s national tour, beginning with a pair of 6th-place finishes in the opening rounds at Daytona and Phoenix. Running with the distinctive #76 in a font reminiscent of former NASCAR fuel supplier Unocal 76, Raz has driven for the same AM Racing effort that fields the #25 Ford in the XFINITY Series for driver Harrison Burton. This week, Raz will get to race Burton on track for the first time as AM Racing fields a second entry, again backed by Raz’ sponsor Cyclum Next Gen Travel Centers.
DRIVER CHANGE: #91-DGM Racing x JIM
Matt Mills hasn’t started a XFINITY Series race since September 9, 2023, when he finished 19th for the Joey Gase team in Kansas. Since then, he and sponsor J.F. Electric have turned most of their attention to the Truck Series, where Mills has steadily improved driving for Al Niece. This week, Mills returns for a one-off drive in place of Josh Williams, whose reunion with the Mario Gosselin team yielded just a 23rd-place finish in Portland.
DRIVER CHANGE: #07-SS-Green Light Racing
It was a difficult afternoon in Portland for Bobby Dotter’s #07 team, whose typically fast road racer Alex Labbe had to start last after missing qualifying, then only climbed one spot by the finish due to a mid-race fuel pump issue. Looking to improve this week is Nick Leitz, marking his ninth start of the 2025 season and first since a 33rd-place showing in Dover.
CUP INVADERS: None
Sunday, September 7, 2025 (Green Flag 3:05 P.M. ET, USA)
CUP Race 28 of 36
Round of 16: Race 2 of 3
Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway)
2024 Last-Place Finisher: Josh Berry
ENTRY LIST
Only the 36 full-time teams are entered this week for the 40 available starting spots, marking the 23rd short field in 28 races in 2025.
MISSING: #44-NY Racing Team
MISSING: #66-Garage 66
Both part-time teams from last week’s Southern 500 aren’t among this week’s entrants. This includes the NY Racing Team, whose driver Derek Kraus nearly made it to the checkered flag before a dead battery, then a fire reportedly caused by an overflow of brake fluid, ended their night in the 36th spot. Also missing is Carl Long’s Garage 66 effort which Timmy Hill brought home under power in 35th, but 13 laps down to the leaders.
Thursday, September 11, 2025
TRUCKS Race 20 of 25
Round of 10: Race 2 of 3
UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol
2024 Last-Place Finisher: Conner Jones
The Truck Series returns in less than a week to begin the action at Bristol.
TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (September 5, 1992): Bill Elliott picked up the 1st last-place finish of his NASCAR Busch Grand National Series career in the Gatorade 200 at Darlington when his #11 Budweiser Ford, fielded by team owner Charles Hardy, lost the engine after 35 laps. The finish came in only Elliott’s 22nd of 44 career starts in what is now the XFINITY Series.
