It was the primary NASCAR Xfinity Sequence trophy of the season for A.J. Allmendinger however the timing was on level. His Playoff win in Saturday’s Ambetter Well being 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway punched his ticket into subsequent month’s season finale Championship race.
The 42-year outdated Californian held off a hard-charging Ryan Sieg by a mere 0.156s to assert his 18th profession win – main a race finest 102 of the 201 laps in his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Allmendinger needed to out-run and out-negotiate Sieg within the closing laps, finally getting one of the best of the sector on a closing re-start on the 1.5-miler with two laps remaining.
An exuberant Allmendinger – who’s shifting to the NASCAR Cup Sequence subsequent yr — climbed out of his Chevrolet, elevating his arms to induce the group cheer and shouting congratulations to his crew and his crew proprietor Matt Kaulig, whose birthday was Saturday.
“I completely love these guys and women at Kaulig Racing. It’s been such up-and-down however what I really like about them is we stick collectively, we hold preventing,’’ Allmendinger mentioned earlier than turning towards his crew and shouting, “Glad Birthday Matt Kaulig. The boss’s birthday — I instructed you I used to be getting you a trophy. I really like you.’’
“What a solution to get to Phoenix after the yr we’ve had. Let’s go win a championship!”
For Sieg – who remains to be searching for his first win in 364 Xfinity Sequence begins – Saturday’s near-miss marked the fifth runner-up displaying of his profession and second in simply the final three races. He challenged Allmendinger mightily within the closing 30 laps – passing him with 9 laps to go, solely to get handed proper again the next lap.
“We had one of the best automobile on the longer run and I wanted a long term and we had been getting there,’’ the RSS Racing driver Sieg mentioned afterward. “I simply overdrove [Turn] 1 and misplaced a few of our observe place, however I used to be in a position to achieve it again. Simply sucks to complete second once more with an ideal automobile. One in all today it’s going to go our means.’’
Allmendinger’s fellow Playoff drivers, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chandler Smith completed third and fourth. Parker Kligerman, who was eradicated from the Playoffs simply final week, completed fifth.
Allgaier had a powerful No. 7 Chevrolet, successful Stage 2 and main 42 laps – second finest to Allmendinger. His work didn’t get him the automated Championship 4 berth however does put him atop the championship standings 32 factors to the great with races at Homestead-Miami Speedway subsequent week after which on the half-mile Martinsville, Va. observe to formally determine which 4 drivers transfer to the Nov. 9 season finale eligible to compete for the trophy.
“He did an ideal job and hats off to these guys to get a Chevrolet in victory lane,’’ Allgaier mentioned of Allmendinger. “Ryan [Sieg] did an ideal job too.
“Actually happy with this crew. Yesterday in follow we weren’t nearly as good as we needed to be, however they went to work and made good changes all day to place us in a great place.’’
“On the finish there, simply not in a position to get into soiled air like I needed to,’’ he mentioned, including, “Nice begin to the subsequent spherical and clearly obtained some good stage factors so we’ll transfer on to subsequent week.’’
.@ColeCuster was on the MOVE. 😮💨 #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Qj3ONwsYyQ
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) October 20, 2024
Richard Childress Racing rookie driver Jesse Love – a Playoff contender — was sixth, adopted by Stewart-Haas Racing teammates, defending race winner Riley Herbst and Playoff driver Cole Custer. JGR’s Sheldon Creed – additionally eradicated from Playoff rivalry final week – was tenth.
Playoff contenders RCR’s Austin Hill and JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer had been thirteenth and 14th, respectively, with JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith getting concerned in an early race accident and ending thirty second – final among the many Playoff eight.
The reigning collection champion Custer sits simply behind Allgaier within the factors standings – 16 factors to the great with Chandler Smith in that fourth place, eight factors to the great.
Hill (-8) is fifth adopted by Love (-13), Mayer (-23) and Smith (-53).
The collection strikes to the Homestead-Miami Speedway 1.5-miler for subsequent Saturday’s Credit score One NASCAR Amex Credit score Card 300 (4 p.m. ET, CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Mayer is the defending race winner.
