Xfinity: Elliott Sadler Survives Wreck-Filled Chase Opener at Kentucky

Survive and advance. That’s what Elliott Sadler did on Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway, winning to move on in the Xfinity Series Chase.

Following closely in the style and excitement of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the Xfinity Series kicked off their first championship hunt in the Bluegrass State. With some new asphalt and some desperate drivers, Elliott Sadler would conquer a crazy race, filled with most cautions seen at Kentucky Speedway.

Grip and car control were at a premium throughout the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 on Saturday night, as both Chasers and not were hanging on for dear life. More than half the twelve drivers in the Chase grid would experience problems during the race, and two of the favorites would not see the checkered flag.

Throughout the night, Erik Jones and Ty Dillon were the class of the field, combining to lead the most laps at Kentucky. However, with less than fifteen laps to go, the two would crash together, ending their nights and putting them into a potential must-win scenario in the next two weeks before the Round of 8.

Jones and Dillon were not the only Chase drivers to have problems, however. Justin Allgaier would tangle with Sam Hornish Jr. and receive some damage, while Brandon Jones wrecked earlier and would spend time back in the garage. Brendan Gaughan, too, would have to battle throughout the night, hitting the wall multiple times.

Here are the full results from the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway (Chase drivers in italics):

1. Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, JR Motorsports
2. Daniel Suarez, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
3. Ryan Blaney, Ford, Team Penske
4. Sam Hornish Jr., Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
5. Matt Tifft, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
6. Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
7. Ryan Reed, Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
8. Darrell Wallace Jr., Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
9. Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, JR Motorsports
10. Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
11. Blake Koch, Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing
12. Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, Jeremy Clements Racing
13. Josh Berry, Chevrolet, JR Motorsports
14. JJ Yeley, Toyota, Tri-Star Motorsports
15. Justin Marks, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
16. Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, RSS Racing
17. Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, JD Motorsports
18. Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, JGL Racng
19. Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, JD Motorsports
20. Ray Black Jr., Chevrolet, SS Green Light Racing
21. B.J. McLeod, Ford, McLeod Motorsports
22. Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, Obiaka Racing
23. Dexter Bean, Chevrolet, King Autosport
24. Mike Harmon, Dodge, Harmon Racing
25. Todd Peck, Ford, Rick Ware Racing
26. Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
27. Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
28. Erik Jones, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
29. Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, Derrike Cope Racing
30. Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, JD Motorsports
31. Joey Gase, Chevrolet, Means Racing
32. Jeff Green, Toyota, Tri-Star Motorsports
33. David Starr, Chevrolet, RSS Racing
34. Timmy Hill, Toyota, MBM Racing
35. Blake Jones, Ford, Rick Ware Racing
36. Matt Waltz, Chevrolet, Obiaka Racing
37. Josh Williams, Chevrolet, King Autosport
38. Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Shepherd Racing Ventures
39. John Jackson, Chevrolet, MBM Racing
40. Mike Bliss, Toyota, Tri-Star Motorsports

Related Story: Five Drivers Most Likely to Win Sunday in New Hampshire

With the exciting VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 now in the books, the Xfinity Chase grid gets a major shakeup heading into the second race of the Round of 12. Here are the standings heading into the next race at Dover:

1. Elliott Sadler, advanced into Round of 8
2. Daniel Suarez
3. Brendan Gaughan
4. Ryan Reed
5. Darrell Wallace Jr.
6. Justin Allgaier
7. Brennan Poole
8. Blake Koch
9. Erik Jones
10. Ryan Sieg
11. Brandon Jones
12. Ty Dillon

The second part of the Round of 12 for the Xfinity Series Chase gets underway in one week from the Monster Mile. Watch NASCAR’s young guns race from Dover International Speedway on Saturday, October 1, live on NBCSN.