Written by Bailey Defoor
Aric Almirola wins in dominant fashion after taking the lead narrowly in Stage 1 at Martinsville. It was predicted that this race was going to be filled with chaos, and with 12 cautions, Martinsville certainly lived up to the expectations, so let's dive into it.
As it unfolded
Parker Retzlaff started on pole followed by Antony Alfredo and playoff-contender Chandler Smith. C. Smith passed Alfredo on the first lap, and Alfredo continued to fall back throughout the stage.
Cole Custer had a strong start, making up places quickly in the opening laps.
On lap 16, AJ Allmendinger crashed. Custer went to pass Allmendinger in the corner, and Riley Herbst went on the inside. Herbst pushed Custer and Allmendinger wide and, ultimately, into the wall. Allmendinger had to retire due to the damage.
Allmendinger has already secured his place in the championship after winning in Las Vegas.
Back to green flag racing on lap 19, and C. Smith took the lead.
The next caution came on lap 37 when Matt Snider was tagged from behind by R. Sieg. Many of the drivers pit, including C. Smith from the lead.
Some of the leading cars pit under the caution, so Retzlaff cycled back to the front with Custer and Sam Mayer behind. The race went back to green flag racing on lap 44, and Custer took the lead by the end of the lap.
Another caution came out after Blane Perkins tagged Leland Honeyman. Honeyman had to retire from the race.
In the next restart on lap 54, Custer had a good getaway and started to pull away from the rest of the pack, but not before yet another caution was called by the end of the lap
The outside line had bunched up behind Retzlaff, and Mayer rode against Retzlaff’s bumper. This lifted his back tyres and pushed Retzlaff into the wall. Retzlaff had to retire due to the damage.
There was a one-lap shootout for the stage points between Custer and Almirola. It was a photo finish with Almirola coming out on top.
[I wanted to find a picture of the photo finish but I couldn't find one]
Stage 1 Results:
No. 20 - Aric Almirola
No. 00 - Cole Custer [PLAYOFFS]
No. 7 - Justin Allgaier [PLAYOFFS]
No. 81 - Chandler Smith [PLAYOFFS]
No. 2 - Jesse Love [PLAYOFFS]
No. 98 - Riley Herbst
No. 11 - Josh Williams
No. 8 - Sammy Smith [PLAYOFFS]
No. 18 - Sheldon Creed
No. 27 - Jeb Burton
After the cycle of pitstops, Almirola led C. Smith past the green flag on lap 71.
A small tussle between Allgaier and Love had Allgaier going wide and Love giving the place back.
C. Smith took the lead on lap 81.
There was a slight contact between Love and Herbst. In this battle, Sheldon Creed benefitted, passing both of them.
The fight at the front had Almirola taking back the lead in lap 90.
Lap 101 brought another caution as Mason Maggio spun on his own. Most of the driver pit, cycling Ryan Sieg, Brennan Poole, and Snider to the front of the field.
When they went back to green flag racing on lap 111, Poole and Snider fell through the field with newer tyres. R. Sieg held the lead until Almirola reclaimed it on lap 120 and ended Stage 2 on top.
Stage 2 Results:
No. 20 - Aric Almirola
No. 28 - Ryan Sieg
No. 18 - Sheldon Creed
No. 8 - Sammy Smith [Playoffs]
No. 7 - Justin Allgaier [Playoffs]
No. 81 - Chandler Smith [Playoffs]
No. 00 - Cole Custer [Playoffs]
No. 98 - Riley Herbst
No. 19 - William Sawalich
No. 44 - Brennan Poole
The final stage of the race had Almirola leading Custer and C. Smith on lap 131. S. Smith did not have a good start as he fell back.
Lap 133 brought another caution as William Sawalich spun after locking his tyres and getting tagged by Alfredo. Swalich had to retire from the race.
The race went back to the green flag on lap 142, Almirola still leading. There was a battle between Almirola and Creed, switching back and forth for the lead.
Almiola took the lead again on lap 150 when Creen went wide and fell into the clutches of Custer.
Another caution on lap 174 saw Preston Pardus turned around from contact by Kyle Sieg. Many of the cars pitted under the caution, but Almirola still came out on top.
The green flag flew on lap 183, but not for long as Dawson Cram spun, bringing out the next caution.
Lap 191, we were back to racing speed. Almirola held off Custer again as there was slight contact between Mayer and S. Smith behind them.
The next caution on lap 195 saw Josh Williams graze the wall as he, Perkins and Creed went three wide into the corner. They went back to racing fairly quickly after on lap 203.
Another caution came out on lap 220 as Brendon Jones was tagged from behind by Creed.
Amirola and C. Smith led the field to the green flag on lap 226, but on the restart, smoke was coming from Mayer’s car. Then, R. Sieg spun into a wall with Shane Van Gisbergen. In the chaos, S. Smith jumped up to third after C. Smith and Custer went wide.
Mayer had to retire, ending his championship run.
On this restart, Almirola led from the inside, and Allgaier chose to go behind Almirola rather than the outside. S. Smith took this position, and when they went back to racing on lap 235, S. Smith took second place from Allgaier. Allgaier did not have a good restart either as he fell back behind C. Smith.
S. Smith and C. Smith were both in a must-win situation for their championship contention. S. Smith was right on Almirola’s bumper through the end of the race, but it was Almirola’s day.
Provisional Results:
No. 20 - Aric Almirola (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 8 - Sammy Smith (JR Motorsports) [Eliminated]
No. 81 - Chandler Smith (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Eliminated]
No. 00 - Cole Custer (Stewart-Haas Racing) [Playoffs]
No. 7 - Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports) [Playoffs]
No. 18 - Sheldon Creed (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 5 - Anthony Alfredo (Our Motorsports)
No. 48 - Parker Kligerman (Big Machine Racing)
No. 27 - Jeb Burton (Jordan Anderson Racing)
No. 91 - Matt Snider (SS-Greenlight Racing)
No. 98 - Riley Herbst (Stewart-Haas Racing)
No. 2 - Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing) [Eliminated]
No. 44 - Brennen Poole (Alpha Prime Racing)
No. 21 - Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing) [Playoffs]
No. 28 - Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing)
No. 38 - Matt DiBenedetto (RSS Racing)
No. 11 - Josh Williams (Kaulig Racing)
No. 43 - Ryan Ellis (Alpha Prime Racing)
No. 29 - Blaine Perkins (RSS Racing)
No. 15 - Dylan Lupton (AM Racing)
No. 39 - Kyle Sieg (RSS Racing)
No. 53- Mason Maggio (Joey Gase Motorsports)
No. 07 - Patrick Emerling (SS Green Light Racing)
No. 50 - Preston Pardus (Pardus Racing)
No. 92 - Dawson Cram (DGM Racing)
No. 14 - Greg Van Alst (SS-Greenlight Racing)
No. 51 - Jeremy Clements (Jeremy Clements Racing) -1 lap
No. 97 - Shane Van Gisbergen (Kaulig Racing) -1 lap
No. 9 - Brandon Jones (JR Motorsports) [DNF]
No. 1 - Sam Mayer (JR Motorsports) [Eliminated] [DNF]
No. 26 - Bubba Pollard (Sam Hunt Racing) [DNF]
No. 45 - Garrett Smithley (Alpha Prime Racing) [DNF]
No. 19 - William Sawalich (Joe Gibbs Racing) [DNF]
No. 74 - Logan Bearden (Mike Harmon Racing) [DNF]
No. 42 - Leland Honeyman Jr (Young’s Motorsports) [DNF]
No. 31 - Parker Retzlaff (Jordan Anderson Racing) [DNF]
No. 35 - Carson Ware (Joey Gase Racing) [DNF]
No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing) [Playoffs] [DNF]
After the race, Custer and C. Smith had a heated conversation in the pitlane that ended with C. Smith throwing a punch at Custer and the two being pulled away from each other.
The championship next week in Phoenix is set. Who will come out on top?
Your contenders:
No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger
No. 21 - Austin Hill
No. 7 - Justin Allgaier
No. 00 - Cole Custer
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