BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 26, 2019) – – Justin Allgaier used bold strategy and fresh tires to top the field in the Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Allgaier, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, gave up the lead under caution with less than 50 laps to go to put on four fresh tires while his main rivals remained on the track. Methodically picking his way through the field, Allgaier had a thrilling side-by-side battle with Daniel Hemric before pulling away and clinching postseason advancement after taking the checkered flag in the debut race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs.
“I’m speechless – we won Bristol,” said Allgaier, who led a race-high 110 laps, collected his second Bristol victory, third win of the season and 22nd of his Xfinity Series career. “This team has done such an amazing job at this racetrack. The fans were unbelievable.
“The pit strategy – coming down pit road all by myself was nerve-wracking.” Winning owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., making his first Bristol start since 2017, also had an eventful night, leading 47 laps and thrilling thousands of fans before a mechanical issue caused a fire under the hood and a hole in his firesuit.
“Somehow or another the shifter caught on fire,” said the NASCAR Hall of Famer, who finished 30th. “I smelled it and said hopefully that’s not me. My uniform was burning up. We were going to finish top 5 or top 10.
“I had a blast and Justin wins. Thanks to all the fans. We had a great crowd tonight. It makes me want to do it more.”
Hemric was 1.695 seconds behind as the runner-up, followed by fellow championship contenders John Hunter Nemechek in third, Cole Custer (109 laps led) in fourth and rookie Chandler Smith in fifth.
“Clean air was king,” Hemric said. “We had just enough race car there and once the top [groove] came in I had to live with it. [Allgaier’s] tires were just too much at the end. We came a long way from the drop of the green flag to the checkered flag.”
Hot tempers flared throughout, as is typical at Bristol. What was unusual was they stemmed from not-so-friendly-fire incidents between teammates in championship contention, with JR Motorsports drivers Josh Berry and Sam Mayer bumping on Lap 166 and Richard Childress Racing’s Sheldon Creed tapping Austin Hill along the frontstretch on Lap 216.
Hill finished 33rd while Mayer wound up 35th and Berry placed 36th. Among other playoff contenders, Sammy Smith finished ninth, Creed placed 11th and Parker Kligerman was 31st.
Allgaier averaged 85.521 mph around the .533-mile concrete oval at The Last Great Colosseum, completing the 300 laps in 1 hour, 52 minutes and 11 seconds. Six caution periods took up 48 laps, with 14 drivers finishing on the lead lap and five drivers exchanging the lead eight times.
“The pit stops were amazing,” Allgaier said. “I don’t know if this is shots fired for the playoffs but it feels good.”
RACE SCHEDULE The remaining NASCAR Playoff Weekend schedule includes:
Saturday, Sept. 16: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (6:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio).
FAN ACTIVITIES Off-track activities for the weekend include: Saturday, Sept. 16: Kenny Wallace and John Roberts host Trackside Live (Food City Fan Zone Stage, 3 p.m.) Saturday, Sept. 16: Midland concert (4:15 p.m.) Saturday, Sept. 16: BMS tradition-rich driver intros with host Michael Buffer (5:45 p.m.) See a full entertainment schedule on www.BristolMotorSpeedway.com.
TICKETS To purchase tickets, visit www.BristolMotorSpeedway.com or call (866) 415-4158.
● Cole Custer (3rd with 2,069 points, 39 points above the top-eight cutoff) ● Riley Herbst (13th with 705 points)
SHR Race Notes:
● Custer earned his 11th top-five of the season and his third top-five in seven career Xfinity Series starts at Bristol. ● Custer has only finished outside the top-10 twice at Bristol in the Xfinity Series. ● Custer won Stage 1 to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point. He finished second in Stage 2 to earn nine more bonus points. ● Custer led two times for 109 laps to increase his laps-led total at Bristol to 140. ● Herbst earned his 12th top-10 of the season and his fourth top-10 in five career Xfinity Series starts at Bristol. ● Herbst has only finished outside the top-10 once at Bristol in the Xfinity Series. ● This is Herbst’s fourth straight top-10 at Bristol. He finished fifth last September, third in 2021, and 10th in 2020. ● Herbst finished eighth in Stage 2 to earn three bonus points.
Race Notes:
● Justin Allgaier won the Food City 300 to score his 22nd career Xfinity Series victory, his third of the season and his second at Bristol. His margin over second-place Daniel Hemric was 1.695 seconds. ● There were six caution periods for a total of 48 laps. ● Only 14 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
Sound Bites:
“It was a good points day for the No. 00 team. I can’t believe that there weren’t many wrecks. I mean honestly, it was a pretty clean race which is great for the series. Overall, we were close to perfect on that second run. I felt like we had a really good No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang, and then we used that last set of tires and for whatever reason we just got way too loose. It was a solid day and our guys did a great job. I wish we could’ve gotten Kevin (Harvick) a win with this throwback scheme, but you know, it’s definitely a good sign that we’re moving in the right direction. We definitely wanted to win at Bristol, but we’ll move on to Texas.” – Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang
“I mean, it was a decent race for the No. 98 Monster Energy team. Last to eighth. I wish we hadn’t had to start in the back because I think we could’ve run up front and been able to make the adjustments needed to make the car better. Overall, proud of the team for that comeback. We’ll head to Texas and hopefully have another good day.” – Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. It is the second race of the Xfinity Series playoffs and the second race of the Round of 12. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
FOUR TOYOTA TOP-10S IN BRISTOL Nemechek expands his points lead with third-place finish
BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 15, 2023) – John Hunter Nemechek holds a 65-point advantage over the Playoff cutline leaving Bristol Motor Speedway after a third-place run. He was joined inside the top-10 by Trevor Bayne (seventh), fellow playoff contender Sammy Smith (ninth) and Kaz Grala (10th). Connor Mosack added a lead-lap 14th-place run as all five TRD-supported Toyota GR Supra teams scored top-15 runs.
Nemechek and Smith are both above the Playoff cutline heading to Texas Motor Speedway, while Grala scored back-to-back top-10 finishes for the first time this season.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR Xfinity Series Bristol Motor Speedway Race 27 of 33 – 159.9 miles, 300 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS 1st, Justin Allgaier• 2nd, Daniel Hemric* 3rd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK 4th, Cole Custer* 5th, Chandler Smith* 7th, TREVOR BAYNE 9th, SAMMY SMITH 10th, KAZ GRALA 14th, CONNOR MOSACK 38th, TIMMY HILL *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
How would you describe your finish tonight?
“We had a really fast Pye Barker Toyota GR Supra. We needed to be a little bit faster to be as fast as Xfinity 10 G, but overall, solid night. We raced smart. We have a 65-point lead, I think, to the cut off or something like that, so that’s good. Our goal coming into this first round was just to have solid finishes. If a win presented itself, a win presented itself. We have to race smart and keep advancing. That is all that matters.”
What do you look forward to next?
“We are going to Texas, one of my favorite race tracks. We just have to keep having really good runs. Our Pye Barker Toyota GR Supra – pbhiring.com, they are hiring technicians, so make sure you go to that website, but overall, solid night, and looking forward to next week.”
TREVOR BAYNE, No. 19 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 7th
Can you talk about your race as a whole?
“Yeah, early in the race we were charging. We got up to fifth and had a really good He Gets Us Supra. We were one of the first people to go to the top, so that was our advantage. Once the top rubbered in, I lost side-bite and we could free it up and I would lose drive or we would tighten it up and I would lose center. The corner was just a little bit too broken up for us, but overall, a good day of execution. If we were in the points, it would be a good points day, but we are not. All we care about is winning, and we didn’t do that. We are just going to keep fighting for it.”
SAMMY SMITH, No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 9th
A top-10 to start the Playoffs. How was your race?
“P9. Good points day, just frustrating because I feel like we missed a couple of opportunities to get some more points for this Pilot Flying J Toyota team, but good day and we will move on to Texas.”
KAZ GRALA, No. 26 Island Coastal Lager Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing
Finishing Position: 10th
Back-to-back top-10’s for the first time this season, and you came from 31st both times. How did you make it through the field?
“We are making it harder on ourselves than we need. It was a really fun day here at Bristol. Our CRUSH Tropical Punch Supra was really good in the second half of the race. We took a little bit of time in the beginning to get it dialed in – we went a lap down in the process, but we fought back. We got back to the lead lap, and had the speed when it mattered. I’m really proud of everyone at Sam Hunt Racing to score back-to-back top-10s for the first time this year. That is really cool. We came a long way on this thing. That just shows the fight of everybody over here, so I’m definitely excited about it. Bristol is the most bad-ass place in the world, so to have a good finish here is really cool.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.
Allgaier announces renewal in Victory Lane at Bristol Motor Speedway
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 15, 2023) – Following tonight’s victory at Bristol Motor Speedway, Justin Allgaier announced that both he and cornerstone partner BRANDT Professional Agriculture are returning to JR Motorsports in 2024 for the ninth season. As the second-longest tenured-partner for JRM, BRANDT will assume the role of primary partner for Allgaier and the No. 7 Chevrolet for 20 events during the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and receive associate placement on the remaining races.
“I can’t say enough about this team, Rick Brandt and everyone at BRANDT Professional Agriculture,” Allgaier said from Victory Lane. “This seemed like the perfect time to break the news that we’ll be back in the No. 7 Chevrolet in 2024. I’m just so grateful for everyone at JR Motorsports.”
Founded in central Illinois, BRANDT is a fast-growing, family-owned company and a leader in global agriculture. Specializing in innovative products and services to help growers get maximum crop yield, BRANDT supplies customers in 49 states and more than 80 countries.
“What a year!” said Rick Brandt, president and CEO of BRANDT. “As we cause a party here in Victory Lane, we are celebrating our 70th anniversary as a company, our founder, Evelyn Brandt Thomas’ 100th birthday, and our return to JRM for 2024. Let’s add one more celebration to the list: let’s go get that NASCAR Xfinity Championship.”
BRANDT has a long-standing presence in NASCAR, having first partnered with Allgaier in 2011. The pairing joined JRM for the 2016 NXS season, and Allgaier has been a consistent title contender, advancing to the Championship 4 in five of the last seven seasons and finishing a career-best second in the final standings in 2020.
“This is the best way possible to announce that Justin and BRANDT are coming back next year,” said JRM CEO Kelley Earnhardt Miller. “I’m so proud of the relationship that we’ve built with Rick (Brandt) and to be able to extend both BRANDT and Justin is a testament to all the hard work of everyone at JR Motorsports.”
With tonight’s victory in Bristol, Allgaier becomes the first driver to advance into the Round of 8 in the NXS Playoffs, doing so for the eighth consecutive season.
ABOUT BRANDT: A leading agricultural company, BRANDT serves growers and farmers around the globe. Founded in 1953 by Glen Brandt and his sister Evelyn Brandt Thomas to help Illinois farmers adopt new and profitable technologies, the company has experienced aggressive growth under the leadership of President and CEO Rick Brandt. BRANDT’s focus is providing the products and services that give growers the best opportunity for maximum return while building a stronger, healthier and more abundant food supply. For more information, visit BRANDT on the web at www.brandt.co.
ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS: JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 22nd year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also races in Late Model competition and owns five championships in regional Late Model divisions and added a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.
Live betting, also known as in-play betting, has revolutionized the way enthusiasts engage with sports wagering. This dynamic form of betting allows punters to place bets in real-time as events unfold. The GullyBet app is a leading platform that offers a seamless live betting experience. In this guide, we’ll delve into the pros and cons of live betting, providing you with valuable insights before you embark on your betting journey with the GullyBet app.
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Conclusion
Live betting offers an electrifying dimension to sports wagering, and the GullyBet app provides a top-tier platform for this dynamic form of betting. By understanding the advantages and disadvantages of live betting, you can approach it with a strategic mindset. Remember, responsible gambling is paramount, so always bet within your means and savor the experience responsibly. Embrace the thrill of live betting with the GullyBet app! Happy betting!
In the dynamic world of online betting, understanding the various betting markets is essential for making informed wagers. Whether you’re a seasoned bettor or just starting out, the Khelo24Bet app offers a rich array of markets to explore. This guide aims to walk you through the diverse betting options available, ensuring you have a comprehensive understanding before placing your bets.
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Download and Install the App: Start by downloading and installing the Khelo24Bet app on your mobile device and it is compatible on Android and iOS platforms.
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Conclusion
With its diverse range of betting markets and user-friendly interface, the Khelo24Bet app opens up a world of possibilities for bettors. By understanding the various markets available, you’re better equipped to make informed and enjoyable wagers. Remember, responsible gambling is crucial, so always wager within your means and savor the experience responsibly. Happy betting!
Betting is an exhilarating pastime that combines strategy, intuition, and a touch of luck. For beginners, navigating the world of betting can be overwhelming, especially when faced with unfamiliar terms like odds. This guide aims to demystify odds, providing you with a solid foundation to kickstart your betting journey. And what better way to begin than by leveraging a user-friendly platform like the Jeetwin app?
I. The Basics: What Are Odds?
At its core, odds represent the probability of an event occurring. In betting, odds are used to calculate potential payouts based on your wager. They come in different formats – fractional, decimal, and American. The Jeetwin app conveniently offers all three formats, allowing you to choose the one that you find most intuitive.
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Navigating the Jeetwin app is a breeze, even for beginners. With its intuitive interface and user-friendly design, you can swiftly locate your preferred sports events and betting options.
Download the Jeetwin App: Begin by downloading and installing the Jeetwin app on your mobile device. It’s available for both Android and iOS platforms.
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Navigating the Jeetwin app is a seamless process, even for newcomers. With its intuitive interface and user-friendly design, you can swiftly locate your preferred sports events and betting options.
Download the Jeetwin App: Begin by downloading and installing the Jeetwin app on your mobile device. It’s available for both Android and iOS platforms.
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Conclusion
Embarking on a betting journey can be both thrilling and rewarding, especially when equipped with the right knowledge. By understanding the fundamentals of odds and exploring the diverse betting options available on the Jeetwin app, you’re well on your way to making informed and enjoyable bets. Remember, responsible gambling is key, so always wager within your means and enjoy the experience responsibly. Happy betting!
Justin Allgaier commenced the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs in dramatic fashion by dominating and making a late charge back to the front amid a late pit stop for four fresh tires to outduel Daniel Hemric amid a late battle and win the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, September 15.
The 37-year-old Allgaier from Riverton, Illinois, led three times for a race-high 110 of 300-scheduled laps in an event where he started 10th and battled up towards the front as he collected stage points during both stage break periods, all while leading for the first time in Lap 109. Amid late on-track chaos, Allgaier and crew chief Jim Pohlman rolled the dice by surrendering the lead and pitting for fresh tires during a late caution period with 50 laps remaining. Restarting within the top 15 during the final restart with 44 laps remaining, Allgaier methodically carved his way back to the front before engaging in a fierce battle with Daniel Hemric for the lead with 20 laps remaining. Allgaier then succeeded in reassuming the top spot from Hemric following a bold pass with 12 laps remaining and managed to pull away to win for the third time in the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and become the first Xfinity Playoff contender to transfer from the Round of 12 to 8.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Playoff contender Cole Custer claimed pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 122.341 mph in 15.684 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Josh Berry, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 122.123 mph in 15.712 seconds.
Prior to the event, the following names that included Derek Kraus, Anthony Alfredo and Riley Herbst dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective entries. Jeb Burton also dropped to the rear of the field in a backup car after wrecking his primary car during Friday’s practice session.
When the green flag waved and the race started, Custer rocketed ahead as he then transitioned his No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang from the outside lane to the inside lane to retain the lead through the first two turns. Behind, rookie Chandler Smith made his way into second over Berry followed by John Hunter Nemechek as Daniel Hemric and rookie Sammy Smith followed suit. As the field jostled for early positions amid two lanes, Custer proceeded to lead the first lap.
Through the second to fifth lap, the field running in the middle of the pack fanned out to as high as three lanes while most of the front-runners ran in a single file line behind the leader Custer. In the process, Berry, who nearly got loose while battling Nemechek for third place through Turn 2, slowly began to lose spots as he dropped out of the top five due to being stuck on the outside lane. Berry’s misfortunes allowed Nemechek, Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones to move into the top five behind Custer and Chandler Smith.
Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Custer was leading by more than a second over Chandler Smith followed by Nemechek, Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier while Brandon Jones, Berry, Daniel Hemric, Trevor Bayne and Ryan Sieg were in the top 10. By then, Playoff newcomer Parker Kligerman was in 11th ahead of Sam Mayer, Jeremy Clements, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and rookie Parker Retzlaff while Sheldon Creed and Austin Hill were mired in 19th and 20th. Meanwhile, Jeb Burton was mired back in 31st.
Ten laps later, Custer continued to lead by two seconds over Nemechek followed by Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith and Allgaier. Behind, Berry lost a spot to eighth place over Brandon Jones and Bayne while Kligerman cracked the top 10 as he was in 10th ahead of Mayer and Hemric. Meanwhile, Earnhardt Jr. was in 13th while teammates Creed and Hill were still mired in 18th and 19th, respectively. In the process, Burton gained three spots to 28th as Custer’s lead decreased to a second over Nemechek by Lap 25.
At the Lap 35 mark, Custer stabilized his lead by a second over Nemechek while Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Chandler Smith continued to run in the top five. Behind, Brandon Jones, Bayne, Berry, Ryan Sieg and Mayer completed the top 10 while Kligerman, Hemric, Earnhardt Jr., Jeffrey Earnhardt and Retzlaff trailed in the top 15. Meanwhile, Hill and Creed were in 17th and 18th while Jeb Burton was in 25th. Custer’s lead would increase again to more than two seconds over Nemechek at the Lap 40 mark.
By Lap 50, Custer’s advantage stabilized to more than two seconds over the new runner-up competitor, Allgaier, while Nemechek fell back to third in front of Jones and Sammy Smith. By then, Playoff contenders Chandler Smith, Mayer and Kligerman were in the top 10 while Berry and Hemric trailed in 11th and 12th in front of Earnhardt Jr. In addition, Hill was in 16th, teammate Creed trailed in 19th and Burton, who would lose a lap to the leaders, was in 23rd.
Fifteen laps later, Custer extended his lead by nearly three seconds over Allgaier while Nemechek, Jones and Sammy Smith were scored in the top five. With Bayne, Chandler Smith, Mayer, Kligerman and Ryan Sieg running in the top 10, Earnhardt Jr. moved up to 11th in front of Hemric, Berry, Retzlaff and Riley Herbst. Custer would proceed to stretch his advantage to more than two seconds over Allgaier just past the Lap 75 mark.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 85, Custer claimed his sixth Xfinity stage victory of the 2023 season. Allgaier settled in second as he trailed by more than a second while Brandon Jones, Nemechek, Bayne, Chandler Smith, Kligerman, Mayer, Earnhardt Jr. and Sammy Smith were scored in the top 10. By then, Playoff contenders Hemric, Hill, Berry, Creed and Burton were mired within the top 20 on the track, but they did not claim the first round of stage points. In addition, 16 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap.
Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Custer pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Custer retained the lead after exiting first while Allgaier, Jones, Nemechek, Earnhardt Jr. and Bayne followed suit.
The second stage started on Lap 95 as Custer and Allgaier occupied the front row. At the start, Custer rocketed ahead and retained the lead from the outside lane while Jones and Allgaier battled for second through Turns 1 and 2. Then in Turn 3, Allgaier nearly got loose after battling dead even and making slight contact with Jones. Their contact allowed Earnhardt Jr. to close in from fourth before Jones would succeed and clear Allgaier for the runner-up spot. Amid the battles, Custer proceeded to lead by the Lap 100 mark as Nemechek settled in fifth.
Not long after, the battle for the lead intensified between Custer and Allgaier, who reclaimed the runner-up spot from teammate Jones during Lap 101 before using the inside lane to gain ground on Custer. After a brief dueling match, Allgaier gained the lead from the inside lane by Lap 109. With Allgaier leading, Custer, who remained on the outside lane, retained second in front of Earnhardt Jr. Behind, Jones, who had a small tire rub towards the left-rear fender of his No. 9 Menards Chevrolet Camaro, was in fourth in front of Nemechek while Sammy Smith, Herbst, Chandler Smith, Bayne and Mayer were in the top 10 by Lap 115.
At the Lap 125 mark, Allgaier was leading by a second over Custer while Earnhardt Jr., Jones and Nemechek continued to trail in the top five. Behind, Sammy Smith was in sixth ahead of Herbst, Bayne, Chandler Smith and Mayer while Hill, Kligerman, Hemric, Berry, Jeb Burton and Creed were in 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 18th and 21st, respectively. Allgaier would continue to lead by more than a second over Custer by Lap 135. By then, Jones regained third place from Earnhardt Jr. while Nemechek retained fifth in front of teammate Sammy Smith.
On Lap 146, the caution flew when Joe Graf Jr. got bumped by Connor Mosack before he spun exiting the frontstretch and through Turn 1 as he nearly collected Custer, Jones and Earnhardt Jr. while spinning towards the Turn 1 outside wall before he spun below the apron and proceeded. The incident occurred laps later after Playoff contender Kligerman took his No. 48 Spiked Light Coolers Chevrolet Camaro to the garage due to a wheel bearing issue.
During the caution period, a bevy of names that included Jones, Earnhardt Jr., Bayne, Herbst, Mayer, Chandler Smith, Hemric and Berry pitted while the rest led by Allgaier remained on the track.
When the race restarted on Lap 153, Allgaier fended off Nemechek to retain the lead as the field jostled for positions. Seven laps into the restart, Allgaier was leading by a tenth of a second over Custer followed by Hill, Bayne and Earnhardt Jr. while Nemechek was battling Hemric for sixth place. By then, Jones was in ninth ahead of Herbst while Berry was in 11th and Sammy Smith was back in 15th.
Then on Lap 166, the caution flew when Berry, who was battling teammate Mayer in the top 10, raced up the track in Turn 1 and clipped Mayer’s No. 1 Huck’s Market Chevrolet Camaro, with the ensuing contact resulting with Mayer spinning and slapping the outside wall while Berry got hit and collided into the outside wall by teammate Jones, thus knocking out three JR Motorsports competitors from contention and hindering Mayer and Berry’s start to the Playoffs, as Ryan Sieg also spun and collided into Jones’ No. 9 Menards Chevrolet Camaro from the carnage. The caution for the multi-car wreck was enough to conclude the second stage period scheduled to conclude on Lap 170 under caution as Allgaier claimed his ninth Xfinity stage victory of 2023. Custer settled in second followed by Hill, Earnhardt Jr. and Bayne while Nemechek, Hemric, Herbst, Chandler Smith and Jeffrey Earnhardt were scored in the top 10.
During the stage break, various pit strategies ensued as Earnhardt Jr., Bayne, Chandler Smith, Parker Retzlaff and Herbst remained on the track while the rest led by Allgaier and Custer pitted.
With 121 laps remaining, the final stage commenced as Earnhardt Jr. and Chandler Smith occupied the front row. At the start, Earnhardt Jr. and Chandler Smith dueled for the lead for a full lap until Earnhardt Jr. rocketed his No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet Camaro ahead of Smith and clear of the field with both lanes to his control. With Earnhardt Jr. leading, Bayne moved his No. 19 He Gets Us Toyota Supra into second as Allgaier would follow suit a few laps later. The caution, however, would return with 116 laps remaining after Jeremy Clements and Joe Graf Jr. wrecked in Turn 1. Following the incident, Jeb Burton ran into the side of Jeffery Earnhardt to express his displeasure over being put into the wall by Earnhardt prior to the caution period.
During the ensuing restart with 110 laps remaining, Earnhardt Jr. retained lead and moved from the outside to the inside lane to fend off teammate Allgaier. By then, Bayne trailed closely along with Herbst, Chandler Smith and Nemechek as Earnhardt Jr. continued to lead.
With 100 laps remaining, Earnhardt Jr. was leading by a second over Bayne followed by Allgaier, Custer and Nemechek while Herbst, Hill, Ryan Sieg, Sammy Smith and Chandler Smith were in the top 10. By then, Creed and Hemric were mired in the top 15.
Fifteen laps later, Earnhardt Jr. continued to lead by more than a second over Custer while Allgaier, Nemechek and Bayne trailed in the top five ahead of Ryan Sieg, Sammy Smith, Hill, Creed, Herbst, Chandler Smith, Hemric, Retzlaff, Jeffrey Earnhardt and Derek Kraus as Jeb Burton followed suit in 16th.
Shortly after, the caution flew when Creed slid up the track and made contact with teammate Hill entering the frontstretch as Hill, the 2023 Xfinity regular-season champion, spun and hit the inside wall. The damage to the No. 21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet Camaro was enough to terminate Hill’s run late in the event. During the caution period, a majority of the field led by Earnhardt pitted while Allgaier, Ryan Sieg, Hemric, Jeffrey Earnhardt and Jeb Burton remained on the track.
With the race restarting under green with 76 laps remaining, Allgaier and Hemric dueled for the lead until Allgaier pulled ahead through Turn 2 as Ryan Sieg closed in while in third place. Behind and in the ensuing laps, Earnhardt Jr. overtook Jeb Burton for fourth as Nemechek and Custer followed suit.
With 60 laps remaining, Allgaier retained the lead by two-tenths of a second over Hemric while Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Sieg and Nemechek were in the top five. Behind, Custer was in sixth ahead of Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith, Bayne and Herbst while Creed was back in 12th ahead of Jeb Burton.
Following another caution period eight laps later after Josh Bilicki got sideways off the front nose of Rajah Caruth and wrecked on the frontstretch, select names that included Allgaier, Jeb Burton and Retzlaff pitted while rest led by Hemric remained on the track.
With the race restarting with 44 laps remaining, Hemric fended off Nemechek to lead from outside lead while Custer and Earnhardt Jr. battled for third. Though Nemechek led Lap 257 by a hair, Hemric regained momentum from the outside lane to reassume the lead in his No. 10 Cirkul Chevrolet Camaro. As Hemric worked to retain lead from Nemechek, Earnhardt Jr. trailed closely in third while Custer and Chandler Smith were in fourth and fifth.
With 30 laps remaining and amid a four-car battle for the lead, Hemric was leading by two-tenths of a second over Nemechek while Custer and Earnhardt Jr. were under seven-tenths of a second as they joined the battle. Shortly after, Earnhardt Jr. fell off the pace and pitted under green before he then parked his No. 88 Chevrolet in Nemechek’s stall as smoke and fire started to billow inside of the car. Despite his event coming to a late closure, Earnhardt Jr. was able to emerge unscathed and the race remained under green flag conditions as the safety crew put out the fire and towed Earnhardt Jr.’s car back behind the wall.
With Earnhardt out of contention, Hemric retained the lead by a tenth of a second over Allgaier followed by Nemechek, Custer and Chandler Smith with less than 25 laps remaining. Shortly after and with 20 laps remaining, the battle for the lead intensified as a side-by-side battle ensued between Hemric and Allgaier. Despite being pressured by Allgaier on the inside lane, Hemric, who nearly lost the lead after getting briefly held up by Kligerman, remained on the outside lane to retain the lead.
With 15 laps remaining, Hemric was still leading by a tenth of a second over Allgaier as both continued to challenge one another amid the turns for the lead. Then three laps later, Allgaier muscled his No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro ahead from the inside lane. He would then clear Hemric through Turn 2 to assume the lead and continue to lead with 10 laps remaining as he had both lanes under his control.
Down to the final five laps of the event, Allgaier stretched his advantage to nine-tenths of a second over Hemric while third-place Nemechek trailed by more than two seconds ahead of Custer and Chandler Smith.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Allgaier remained as the leader by more than a second over Hemric. With Hemric unable to close the deficit amid lapped traffic, Allgaier was able to navigate his way around the 0.533-mile oval circuit for a final time and cycle back to the frontstretch to claim the checkered flag and win for the third time this season by more than a second over Hemric.
Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.
With the victory, Allgaier notched his 22nd career win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, his third of the season, his first since winning at Daytona International Speedway in late August and first at Bristol since 2010, where Allgaier had claimed his first Xfinity career victory. The victory, which also marked the fifth of the season for JR Motorsports, automatically transferred Allgaier, crew chief Jim Pohlman and his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro team a spot into the Round of 8 in the 2023 Xfinity Series Playoffs.
During his victory celebration, Allgaier, who gave his father and team owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., a ride across the side mirrors of his race-winning car to Victory Lane, broke the news that he will remain as a full-time Xfinity Series competitor for JR Motorsports for the 2024 season.
“How cool was it that I got to battle with the bossman, Dale Jr.,” Allgaier said on USA Network. “Just cannot say enough for this team. This team has done such an amazing job at this racetrack since I started at JR Motorsports. We led a lot of laps and the monkey was definitely on our back. The pit strategy there, man, coming down pit road all by myself, that was nerve racking. I’m speechless, man. This place, Jim Pohlman and I circled this place on our calendar when we started the year, before we ever even took the green flag lap. We said we want to win Bristol. Man, we won Bristol! It’s Bristol, baby! Let’s go!”
Hemric, who was announced to be driving for Kaulig Racing for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season earlier in the day, settled in second place for the third time this season and the 13th time in his career. Despite falling one spot shy of claiming his second Xfinity victory, Hemric was left satisfied with his result as he is currently ranked in sixth place in the Playoff standings while 12 points above the top-eight cutline.
“It’s been a hell of a day,” Hemric said. “I just want it so bad for these guys. Everybody at Kaulig Racing deserves it, so proud of our effort, though. We came a long way over the course of 300 laps there.”
Nemechek, Custer and Chandler Smith finished in the top five, thus joining Allgaier and Hemric as Playoff contenders to notch top-five results in the Playoff opener. Ryan Sieg, Trevor Bayne, Herbst, Sammy Smith and Grala completed the top 10 in the final running order.
Notably, Playoff contenders Sheldon Creed and Jeb Burton ended up 11th and 13th, Kligerman concluded his long night in 31st, 54 laps down, and Hill, Mayer and Berry were the three Playoff contenders who failed to finish the first Playoff event. In addition, Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended up 30th after his late ignition issues prevented him from finishing the event.
There were eight lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 48 laps. In addition, 14 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Results.
1. Justin Allgaier, 110 laps led, Stage 2 winner
2. Daniel Hemric, 33 laps led
3. John Hunter Nemechek, one lap led
4. Cole Custer, 109 laps led, Stage 1 winner
5. Chandler Smith
6. Ryan Sieg
7. Trevor Bayne
8. Riley Herbst
9. Sammy Smith
10. Kaz Grala
11. Sheldon Creed
12. Derek Kraus
13. Jeb Burton
14. Connor Mosack
15. Parker Retzlaff, one lap down
16. Brett Moffitt, one lap down
17. Rajah Caruth, two laps down
18. Ryan Ellis, two laps down
19. Stefan Parsons, two laps down
20. Josh Williams, two laps down
21. Kyle Sieg, two laps down
22. Brennan Poole, three laps down
23. Kyle Weatherman, three laps down
24. Jeremy Clements, three laps down
25. Anthony Alfredo, four laps down
26. Joe Graf Jr., five laps down
27. Josh Bilicki, six laps down
28. Blaine Perkins, six laps down
29. Chad Finchum, 24 laps down
30. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – OUT, Ignition
31. Parker Kligerman, 54 laps down
32. Jeffrey Earnhardt – OUT, Brakes
33. Austin Hill – OUT, Dvp
34. Brandon Jones – OUT, Suspension
35. Sam Mayer – OUT, Accident
36. Josh Berry – OUT, Accident
37. BJ McLeod – OUT, Power
38. Timmy Hill – OUT, Rear gear
*Bold indicates Playoff competitors
Playoff standings
1. Justin Allgaier – Advanced
2. John Hunter Nemechek +65
3. Cole Custer +39
4. Austin Hill +21
5. Chandler Smith +18
6. Daniel Hemric +12
7. Sammy Smith +5
8. Sheldon Creed +4
9. Jeb Burton -4
10. Sam Mayer -14
11. Parker Kligerman -22
12. Josh Berry -24
With the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs underway, the postseason battle for the title continues next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, for the second Round of 12 event. The event is scheduled to occur on Saturday, September 23, at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.
The conclusion of the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, September 15, saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. stand outside of the care center and managing a small smile as he watched his JR Motorsports’ driver, Justin Allgaier, win the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff opener.
It occurred not long after the 15-time NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver and two-time Xfinity Series champion from Kannapolis, North Carolina, was forced to retire due to a late ignition issue that sidelined him from a potential top-five finish in an event where he ran upfront and was battling amongst the front-runners for the victory prior to his late retirement.
Making his first of two scheduled Xfinity Series starts while driving his own-operated No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet Camaro, Earnhardt Jr. rolled off the starting grid during Friday night’s event at Bristol from 15th place. He managed to crack the top 10 at the first stage’s conclusion by Lap 85 and collect a handful of stage points while scored in ninth. Restarting sixth at the start of the second stage period on Lap 85, Earnhardt Jr. made his way into the top five as he was running third by Lap 125. Amid a handful of on-track incidents that wiped out his drivers, Josh Berry, Sam Mayer and Brandon Jones, Earnhardt Jr. managed to dodge the carnage and collect more stage points by finishing fourth at the conclusion of the second stage period on Lap 170.
Electing to remain on the track prior to the start of the final stage period and amid mixed strategy, Earnhardt Jr., who inherited the lead, led the field back to green flag competition with 121 laps remaining. He would proceed to fend off rookie Chandler Smith to clear the field, assume both lanes under his control and lead a total of 47 laps before pitting amid a caution period within 80 laps remaining. During the ensuing restart with 76 laps remaining, Earnhardt Jr. quickly carved his way up to fourth and would survive another late restart with 44 laps remaining to move up to third as he continued to mix up the competition amongst the Xfinity Series regulars.
Then while running in fifth place with 30 laps remaining, Earnhardt Jr. fell off the pace and directed his No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro to pit road before coming to a stop inside John Hunter Nemechek’s pit stall as smoke and fire were seen billowing inside the cockpit due to an ignition issue. Though Earnhardt Jr. was able to escape his smoking car, the ignition issue was enough to terminate his strong race on pit road and out of the race as he ended up in 30th place in the final running order.
“Somehow or another, the shifter tunnel caught on fire,” Earnhardt Jr. said on USA Network. “I saw some smoke in the car. I smelled it and I was like, ‘Hopefully, that’s not me’. That last lap, I saw a big fireball down in the tunnel in the car and I felt it. My uniform was burning up. I was like I can’t keep going. I gotta stop. I hate it. We were gonna finish in the top 10, maybe top five. We had a shot at winning it if the car was gonna run good at the end. I had fun.””
The result that left a small burnt mark on his fire suit, though, could not keep Earnhardt Jr. from smiling from both an owner and driver’s perspective amid his strong and “fun” run as he also celebrated Allgaier’s victory and automatic transfer to the Playoff’s Round of 8.
“I had a blast,” Earnhardt Jr. added. “Check that box. The Hellmann’s car was fast. We drove up there and led laps legitimately. I couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘Man, what’s going on?’ It makes me wanna do more, but I’m going to Homestead. I’ll see everybody there. We’ll have some fun at Homestead riding the fence.”
Friday night’s Xfinity event at Bristol marked Earnhardt Jr.’s 145th career start in the series and his first since competing at Martinsville Speedway in April 2022. It also marked his sixth Xfinity start since retiring from full-time Cup Series competition at the conclusion of the 2017 season, where he has notched three top-five results and five top-15 results since 2018. To go along with 26 career victories in the Cup circuit, including two Daytona 500s, Earnhardt Jr. is also a 24-time race winner in the Xfinity circuit, with his latest victory occurring at Richmond Raceway in April 2016.
With his first Xfinity Series scheduled start of this season at Bristol complete, Earnhardt Jr. will make his second and final series start of this season at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, October 21, with the event’s coverage slated to occur at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Christopher Bell won his third straight pole position of the season Friday and will start from the top spot in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Bell, driving the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, turned a lap of 126.997 mph (15.174 seconds) around the .533-mile concrete oval for his fifth pole position of the season and ninth of his career.
Bell, who won the Bristol Dirt Race this spring, has two top-5 and four top-10 finishes in seven Bristol Cup Series starts.
“I just have really, really great Camrys to drive,” Bell said. “This is my favorite race of the year – the Bristol Night Race. It’s the most intense race of the year. I tell everyone this needs to be on their bucket list.”
Bell and Denny Hamlin will make up the front row in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (6:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio). The race’s start time was bumped up one hour earlier Friday due to forecasted inclement weather late Saturday.
Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race is the centerpiece of The Last Great Colosseum’s NASCAR weekend, which marks the first time Bristol has hosted playoff rounds in all thee of NASCAR’s top series.
It’s also the first cutoff race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, with the number of championship contenders dropping from 16 to 12 following Saturday’s checkered flag.
With earlier playoff victories, Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick have already secured advancement to the Round of 12. Martin Truex Jr., the Cup Series’ regular season champion, is seven points below Kevin Harvick in 12th place, the last spot for advancement.
“We just had two terrible races,” said Truex, who will start fifth on Saturday. “You can’t afford to have two bad races. Hopefully [Saturday] night goes better. It’s a terrible spot to be in.”
Bubba Wallace is 19 points behind the final spot, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. trailing by 22 points back and Michael McDowell 40 points behind.
Among other championship contenders, William Byron will start third, Brad Keselowski will start sixth and defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano will start 28th.
Bell and defending Night Race champion Chris Buescher are 13 points above the cutline for advancement.
“This is my favorite race track,” said Buescher, who will start 20th. “Our cars are always competitive here. There’s a lot riding on this race. You have to go out and run 100 percent. We need to race up front and grab stage points early.
“[This race] hits a little different for me. The Bristol Night Race is at the top of my bucket list to me. Now that we got one, we want another one.”
Larson, who was quickest in practice, wobbled in the middle of a turn with a left rear tire issue and qualified last in 36th.
Bristol’s Cup Series qualifying record is held by Ryan Blaney, who turned a lap of 132.075 mph (14.528 seconds) in 2019. Blaney, also a championship contender, will start 11th on Saturday.
“We’re 25 points to the good,” Blaney said earlier this week. “Twenty-five points can go away just like that if you have an issue early in the race. I feel like you can never really be too safe.”
RACE SCHEDULE
The remaining NASCAR Playoff Weekend schedule includes:
Today: Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio) Saturday, Sept. 16: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (6:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio). FAN ACTIVITIES
Off-track activities for the weekend include:
Saturday, Sept. 16: Kenny Wallace and John Roberts host Trackside Live (Food City Fan Zone Stage, 3 p.m.) Saturday, Sept. 16: Midland pre-race concert (4:15 p.m.) Saturday, Sept. 16: BMS tradition-rich driver intros with host Michael Buffer (5:45 p.m.) See a full entertainment schedule on www.BristolMotorSpeedway.com.
