A final lap move for the win is a recurring theme at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and that’s precisely what landed JR Motorsports driver Sammy Smith in Victory Lane on Saturday. It was the one lap he led all day but it surely was adequate to win Saturday’s United Leases 250 extra time thriller and earn Smith an computerized berth into the following spherical of the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence Playoffs.
It was an enormous flip of fortune for the 20-year outdated Iowa native, who got here into the race ranked final among the many 12 Playoff drivers and winless on the season. He began his No. 8 JRM Chevrolet twenty seventh in Saturday’s 38-car subject, however moved ahead quickly from the autumn of the inexperienced flag, working close to the entrance many of the day, avoiding a number of multi-car accidents and making the transfer to the checkered flag when it counted most.
.@sammysmithSS holds them off to win it! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/FjjXPG05VR
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) October 5, 2024
“It’s been a very powerful 12 months,’’ stated Smith. “It’s been some time and it’s been a battle, however I’m very completely happy to be right here and searching ahead to getting higher on these ovals and street programs.”
It was high-stakes efficiency for the younger expertise, whose solely different victory got here final April on the Phoenix Raceway one-miler. Simply this week with Playoff elimination a risk, he piqued his group proprietor’s mind for recommendations on racing on the Talladega 2.66-mile excessive banks — his group proprietor being Dale Earnhardt Jr., who received six NASCAR Cup Sequence races at Talladega together with an unprecedented 4 in a row.
“We sat down Wednesday,’’ Smith stated. “It wasn’t a complete lot, however asking him what he would do in sure conditions [on the big track]. Feels actually good to win once more.”
Smith beat RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg to the road by a slight 0.177s with a three-wide battle on observe proper behind that includes Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith who rounded out the highest 5.
Herbst was main with a lap remaining solely to get handed in an enormous push ahead that included a run by Chandler Smith – in the end each shedding out to Sammy Smith and Ryan Sieg. Annoyed, after the race Herbst instantly walked over to Chandler Smith’s automotive and had phrases with the younger driver.
“I used to be simply telling him, he had his teammate behind him and was in the most effective spot you wish to be in and I informed him he made a proper transfer however within the unsuitable place,’’ Herbst stated. “He would have received the race and all he did was kill his run, my run and his teammate’s run and let the No. 8 [Sammy Smith] get away.”
Polesitter, rookie Jesse Love led a race greatest 28 of the 98 laps within the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet ending sixth in a race marked with six cautions, a short pink flag, 11 race leaders and 28 lead modifications.
Though comparatively calm by means of the early goings – Chandler Smith received the opening stage and RCR’s Austin Hill received the second stage – the ultimate laps lived as much as Talladega expectation. Solely three of the 12 Playoff drivers managed to keep away from being caught up – to various levels – in accidents on the afternoon.
Two perennial championship favorites and present Playoff drivers, Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger and JR Motorsports Justin Allgaier have been amongst people who led laps – as anticipated – however have been additionally collected in multi-car accidents.
Allmendinger nonetheless rallied to an eleventh place displaying after his No. 16 Chevy suffered minor injury in a 12-car accident with three laps remaining that triggered a virtually 10-minute pink flag stoppage and compelled extra time. Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet suffered extra injury within the crash and he completed twenty sixth.
Reigning sequence champion, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer was additionally caught up within the accident and completed twenty seventh. Fellow Playoff competitor, Kaulig Racing’s Shane Van Gisbergen – a three-race winner this season — was part of a multi-car accident earlier, with 18 laps remaining, and completed thirty sixth.
Jeb Burton completed seventh with David Starr, Brennan Poole and Kyle Sieg rounding out the highest 10.
Subsequent week’s race on the Charlotte ROVAL will resolve which eight drivers advance within the Playoffs. With Smith’s win immediately, three positions will likely be determined subsequent weekend. Chandler Smith now holds a powerful 57-point edge on the cutoff factors place with Hill, Custer, Creed, Love, Herbst and Sam Mayer rounding out the highest eight.
Mayer holds a slim 10-point benefit within the last switch place over Allmendinger and he’s 18 factors up on his JRM teammate Allgaier.
Van Gisbergen, who has received three street course races already this 12 months, goes into the Charlotte street course-oval hybrid 21 factors again. Parker Kligerman, who completed twelfth Saturday regardless of being collected in a number of wrecks, is 26 factors off Mayer for that last switch place.
The NASCAR Xfinity Sequence returns to competitors subsequent week on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Street Course for Saturday’s Drive for the Remedy 250 Offered by Blue Cross and Blue Defend of North Carolina (4 p.m. ET, CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Mayer is the defending the race winner.
