A.J. Allmendinger Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. — Day two at Phoenix Raceway will be highlighted by NASCAR’s second highest division, as the NASCAR Xfinity Series wraps up its 2024 campaign by crowning its newest champion – three of which would be a first-time series champion. Twelve championship hopefuls started the six-week march to the Valley of the Sun, with only four drivers left standing to duel it out in the Arizona desert on Saturday night. It all comes down to a battle between JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, Kaulig Racing’s A.J.Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C.—As Sam Mayer celebrated his drama-filled victory in Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, Parker Kligerman watched a replay of the whisker-close circumstance that knocked him out of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. In overtime, Mayer passed Kligerman in Turn 7 of the 2.280-mile, 17-turn circuit and pulled away to claim the victory that propelled him into the Playoffs’ Round of 8. But Mayer’s win was devastationRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – A clean sweep. Shane van Gisbergen lived up to expectations Saturday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, sweeping the pole positions for both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series races on the 2.28-mile, 17-turn road course. Piloting his No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet around the course in one minute, 22.704 seconds, the New Zealander jumped to the top of the board, but would have to wait out the threat from Tyler Reddick, who made a run at the top spot, butRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – The Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs comes down to this. There are numerous adjectives that can be used to describe this weekend’s race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course: unpredictable, volatile, treacherous, chaotic, etc. One thing is for sure, Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 is going to be a hell of a ride, with four drivers getting cut from the Cup Series Playoffs when the checkered flag waves. In an effort to spice things up back inRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor TALLADEGA, Ala. – Worst to first. Sammy Smith and the No. 8 JR Motorsports team are heading to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs after winning Saturday’s United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. Smith came into the day at the bottom of the Playoff standings, some 23 points below the cut-off line, but with his victory on Saturday, he’s the first of the championship contenders to advance to the next round. “Just a great team. My sponsors, everybody that has stuck withRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Introducing. … Connor Zilisch. The 18-year-old North Carolina native made his formal entrée into big time NASCAR racing with a major statement holding off the field on a pair of thrilling overtime restarts at the historic 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International road course to claim his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in his first career start. The Mission 200 at The Glen finished under caution with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sheldon Creed finishing runner-up – for a record 12th time –Read More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain won his first pole position of the 2024 season – and second of his career – Saturday afternoon at the historic Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International road course. Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet turned in a fast lap of 122.279 mph around the 2.45-mile, seven-turn course in upstate New York to edge former race winner Martin Truex Jr. for the top position by a mere .134-second. Ranked 15th of the 16 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers, it was an importantRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor HAMPTON, Ga. – Three things in life are certain: Death, taxes, and Austin Hill winning NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. For the fourth time in the last six races on the 1.5-mile superspeedway, native Georgian Hill was able to be victorious on his home turf, piloting his No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to victory, sweeping the season and banking his third win of the season. Saturday’s win also breaks a winless streak dating back to February when Hill was able to startRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Ladies and gentlemen, the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The fans in attendance for Saturday’s Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway certainly got their money’s worth in the return to the famous 2.5-mile oval for the first time in three years. What looked to be Cole Custer’s race down the stretch turned into a three-car battle royale, with Custer’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Riley Herbst and Aric Almirola joining the fray as the laps wound down. As the laps clicked away toward the finish, Herbst chewedRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service LONG POND, Pa. – Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer claimed his first win of the 2024 season Saturday beating his closest championship challenger Justin Allgaier to the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 checkered flag and giving Ford its first series win of the year. Custer’s No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang took the lead from Allgaier on a re-start with nine laps remaining and then held off the JR Motorsports Chevy by .670-second to secure his 14th career victory in a thrilling finishRead More