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Bailey Defoor
Oct 205 min read

Xfinity Series: Allmendinger wins in thrilling Las Vegas race

Written by Bailey Defoor


Credit - Sean Gardner / Getty Images

AJ Allmendinger wins the first race in the Round of 8, locking in his place for the championship in Phoenix, but it did not come easy. 


As it unfolded


Brandon Jones started on pole alongside playoff contender Cole Custer. Chandler Smith lined up behind and jumped Custer by the end of lap 1. Sam Mayer was also not so lucky, losing 10 positions at the start.


The first caution came on lap 5, with Leland Honeyman and JJ Yeley making contact with the wall. Custer retook second place, Sammy Smith jumped up to third, and C. Smith fell to fourth.


We went back to green flag racing on lap 8 with B. Jones leading the charge. He was quickly swallowed up by the pack, falling to fourth by the end of the lap. S. Smith takes the lead, followed by Custer.


A few laps later, Custer took the lower line and snatched the lead on lap 14. On the same lap, C. Smith, Allgaier, and Allmendinger scrap for positions, going three wide into a corner and causing damage to C. Smith.


On lap 34, Shane van Gisbergen’s engine failed,  forcing him to retire the car.


The second caution of the race came toward the end of Stage 1 when Dylan Lupton grazed the wall. Front runners Custer, Allgaier, and Mayer all pitted under this caution. This move would eventually pay off massively for Custer and Allgaier.


We went back to green flag racing on lap 35, being led by B. Jones, but Riley Herbst took control into turn 1. 


By lap 44, Custer had weaved his way through the crowd and took the lead, with Allgaier following behind. Custer took the win for Stage 1, Allgaier and Herbst rounding out the top three.


Stage 1 Results:

  1. No. 00 - Cole Custer [Playoffs]

  2. No. 7 - Justin Allgaier [Playoffs]

  3. No. 98 - Riley Herbst [Playoffs]

  4. No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger [Playoffs]

  5. No. 18 - Sheldon Creed [Playoffs]

  6. No. 28 - Ryan Seig

  7. No. 2 - Jesse Love [Playoffs]

  8. No. 21 - Austin Hill [Playoffs]

  9. No. 9 - Brandon Jones

  10.  No. 1 - Sam Mayer [Playoffs]


During the cycle of pitstops, Aric Almirola was given a penalty for cutting into B. Jones’ space in pit road, so he started stage 2 from the back of the field. 


Stage 2 began on Lap 52 and had Custer leading the way, but Allgaier snatched it way as Custer struggled to fire up his tyres. Sheldon Creed and Ryan Sieg followed through, pushing Custer down to fourth.


Custer and Allgaier did not pit between the stages, and both saw struggles throughout this stage. Custer’s tyres began falling off, which sent him further back in the field, and around lap 82, Allgaier reported vibrating in the car.


Regardless, neither stopped for maintenance, and Allgaier took the win for Stage 2.


Stage 2 Results:

  1. No. 7 - Justin Allgaier [Playoffs]

  2. No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger [Playoffs]

  3. No. 28 - Ryan Sieg

  4. No. 9 - Brandon Jones

  5. No. 81 - Chandler Smith [Playoffs]

  6. No. 00 - Cole Custer [Playoffs]

  7. No. 20 - Aric Amirola

  8. No. 2 - Jesse Love [Playoffs]

  9. No. 98 - Riley Herbst

  10. No. 19 - Taylor Gray


All drivers pitted between the stages, and Allgaier lost a spot to Allmendinger in a pitstop race.


The green flag flew on lap 96, and a caution was thrown immediately. The inside line bunched up on the restart and caused Taylor Gray to spin out, damaging Austin Hill, Jesse Love and S. Smith in the process.


After cleaning the debris, Allmendinger led the field alongside Allgaier, closely followed by C. Smith and Custer.


Allgaier reported having an electrical issue around lap 126 and pitted, starting a round of pitstops for the field.


By lap 152, Allmendinger was back in the lead. Shortly after, S. Smith ran out of fuel and limped back to the pits. This gave the crew time to assess the damage to the front of S. Smith’s car from the accident with Gray, Hill, and Love.


On lap 170, another caution was brought out by Kyle Sieg, who spun on the grass after attempting a pass. Most of the leaders who had sticker-wall tyres pitted. In this pitstop, Allgaier lost another two places.


Back to green flag racing on lap 176, Allmendinger led the charge with R. Seig on the outside. C. Smith took second by the end of the lap, only for it to be reclaimed by R. Seig on lap 181.


As it reached the closing stages of the race, R. Sieg fought with Allmendinger for the lead on lap 192, briefly taking first but losing control of his car and falling back to second.


Lap 194 brought out the final caution of the race as S. Smith slowed down on the track, reporting a voltage issue. He was able to restart the car on his own, so there was no need for a recovery vehicle.


The final restart on lap 200 had Allmendinger leading, and R. Sieg on the outside once again for a one-lap shootout. R. Seig attempted a couple of times, but he was too far back. Allmendinger defended against R. Seig perfectly and took the checkered flag, guaranteeing his place in the championship.


Provisional Results:

  1. No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing) [Playoffs]

  2. No. 28 - Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing)

  3. No. 7 - Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports) [Playoffs]

  4. No. 81 - Chandler Smith (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

  5. No. 48 - Parker Kligerman (Big Machine Racing)

  6. No. 2 - Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing) [Playoffs]

  7. No. 98 - Riley Herbst (Stewart-Haas Racing)

  8. No. 00 - Cole Custer (Stewart-Haas Racing) [Playoffs]

  9. No. 18 - Sheldon Creed (Joe Gibbs Racing)

  10. No. 21 - Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing) [Playoffs]

  11. No. 26 - Corey Heim (Sam Hunt Racing)

  12. No. 10 - Daniel Dye (Kaulig Racing)

  13. No. 20 - Aric Almirola (Joe Gibbs Racing)

  14. No. 1 - Sam Mayer (JR Motorsports) [Playoffs]

  15. No. 11 - Josh Williams (Kaulig Racing)

  16. No. 38 - Matt DiBenedetto (RSS Racing)

  17. No. 9 - Brandon Jones (JR Motorsports)

  18. No. 51 - Jeremy Clements (Jeremy Clements Racing)

  19. No. 5 - Anthony Alfredo (Our Motorsports)

  20. No. 91 - Kyle Weatherman (DGM Racing)

  21. No. 44 - Brennen Poole (Alpha Prime Racing) 

  22. No. 31 - Parker Retzlaff (Jordan Anderson Racing)

  23. No. 07 - Matt Snider (SS-Greenlight Racing)

  24. No. 27 - Jeb Burton (Jordan Anderson Racing)

  25. No. 14 - JJ Yeley (SS-Greenlight Racing) -2 Laps

  26. No. 39 - Kyle Sieg (RSS Racing) -2 Laps

  27. No. 15 - Dylan Lupton (AM Racing) -3 Laps

  28. No. 43 - Ryan Ellis (Alpha Prime Racing)  -3 Laps

  29. No. 45 - Garrett Smithley (Alpha Prime Racing)  -3 Laps

  30. No. 53 - Joey Gase (Joey Gase Motorsports) -3 Laps

  31. No. 29 - Blaine Perkins (RSS Racing) -3 Laps

  32. No. 8 - Sammy Smith (JR Motorsports) [Playoffs] -4 Laps

  33. No. 19 - Taylor Gray (Joe Gibbs Racing) -4 Laps

  34. No. 74 - Ryan Vargas (Mike Harmon Racing) -4 Laps

  35. No. 35 - Akinori Ogata (Joey Gase Racing) -5 Laps

  36. No. 92 - Dawson Cram (DGM Racing) -8 Laps

  37. No. 42 - Leland Honeyman Jr (Young’s Motorsports) [DNF]

  38. No. 97 - Shane van Gisbergen (Kaulig Racing) [DNF] 


Now, that Allmendinger has secured his place in Phoenix, the playoff grid is as follows:


Provisional Playoff Grid:

  1. No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger WIN

  2. No. 7 - Justin Allgaier +32

  3. No. 00 - Cole Custer +16

  4. No. 81 - Chandler Smith +8

Playoff Cut Line

  1. No. 21 - Austin Hill -8

  2. No. 2 - Jesse Love -13

  3. No. 1 - Sam Mayer -23

  4. No. 8 - Sammy Smith -53

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