The NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs will begin on September 24 when drivers tackle Texas Motor Speedway for the first event of the Round of 12. However, drivers participated in the yearly Playoffs Media Day before the first race.
Let’s dive into the most notable events that took place on Tuesday afternoon.
NASCAR playoff drivers tackle questions on Reddit
NASCAR playoff drivers in the Xfinity Series were sent to this Reddit post to answer questions from fans and some of them were quite interesting and fun to read as the day went forward.
Brandon Jones was specifically asked about his opinion on cheese, which prompted Jones to say, “It’s got a lot of protein, so I’m not mad at it.” That answer created some laughs with Jones’ final line.
Some drivers have taken their dogs to victory lane after winning races which made someone ask A.J. Allmendinger if he would take his cat to victory lane. Needless to say, Allmendinger said it wouldn’t happen because it is a cat.
Speaking of Allmendinger, he was asked if the option of going to the NASCAR Cup Series is appealing to him. The 40-year-old said he would do whatever Matt Kaulig asks of him and would be open to a return if it is presented.
Allmendinger’s teammate Daniel Hemric was asked about his contract situation for the 2023 season and stated that he has been told not to worry about it for next year.
Hemric also said he would feel good about his odds if there was a mega brawl between every single playoff driver to be the last one standing. It might be smart to not get on the defending champion’s bad side.
All 12 NASCAR playoff drivers answered the question of whether you would have one big lasagna or two lasagnas if you took two separate lasagnas and combined them together.
Eight of the drivers said it would be one big lasagna while three of them said it would be two separate lasagnas. Noah Gragson said he doesn’t even eat lasagna, so that’s one vote toward “no lasagna.”
One of the last notable questions came when NASCAR drivers were asked if pineapple belongs on pizza. Riley Herbst was the only driver to give a response, but it was the correct answer of “absolutely not.”
Related: Noah Gragson earns third straight Xfinity win in Bristol shootout
A.J Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs ‘trash talk’ back and forth
One of the most amusing points of the day came when Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs took playful shots at each other. It started when Allmendinger was asked about mentoring young drivers in the series.
Allmendinger said the following while making sure Gibbs could hear what he is saying during his availability.
“Yeah, (Ty Gibbs) is a pain in the ass.”
A.J. Allmendinger joking about Ty Gibbs
The driver of the No. 16 then directed a question toward Gibbs. “Is your hair getting lighter?” Allmendinger said. The 19-year-old called out Allmendinger for the obsession with his hair during Media Day.
“You’ve been talking about my hair the whole time we’ve been here,” Gibbs responded. Allmendinger continued with, “I know, it’s just like a cloth. Like, what is going on? Can we get a little gel in that?”
“I just got a little gel. I don’t want to be wearing a hat or anything, so I’ve been trying to grow it out,” Gibbs said. Allmendinger presumably liked that answer and followed with an interesting statement.
“It’s like you’re trying to start a boy band again. Like, it’s got that NSYNC blond going to it,” said Allmendinger. It was definitely the most interesting exchange of the day but it didn’t stop there.
Allmendinger and Gibbs both enjoy golf, but this is what he had to say about it involving the young driver.
“(Ty Gibbs) keeps trying to talk me into it, but I don’t like his face until the season’s over.”
A.J Allmendinger on golfing with Ty Gibbs
The two will get the opportunity to pursue their first career NASCAR Xfinity Series championship starting this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway where they hope to not tangle and engage in real controversy.