Noah Gragson Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – A dream fulfilled. Daniel Hemric entered the night at Phoenix Raceway having never won a race in any of NASCAR’s three national series. Now he leaves the one-mile oval in the Arizona desert as champion. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who has seemed snake-bitten throughout his career, watching his chance for victory slip from his grasp time and time again, would not be denied this time around. When the chips were down, Hemric made it happen. While Austin Cindric looked to be theRead More

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 2021 campaign by crowning its newest 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. Austin Cindric will look to make it back-to back Xfinity titles before moving on to the Cup Series in 2022, while AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric,Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Austin Cindric “just happy” for a shot at a second straight NASCAR Xfinity title PHOENIX, Ariz. – In the NASCAR Cup Series, drivers seldom win consecutive titles. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the feat is almost commonplace. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are the only two Cup drivers in the last 25 years to earn consecutive championships—Gordon with titles in 1997-1998 and Johnson with a record five straight from 2006 through 2010. In the Xfinity Series, on the other hand, championshipsRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service MARTINSVILLE, Va. – To get to the Championship 4, you have to drive like a champion. That’s what Noah Gragson did on Saturday night in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff race Dead On Tools 250 at Martinsville Speedway. Faced with the necessity of winning the race to keep his NASCAR Xfinity Series title hopes alive, Gragson did just that, pulling off a dramatic pass of Daniel Hemric from the outside lane in the first attempt at overtime and holding off series leader Austin CindricRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Ty Gibbs continued his phenomenal NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie season on Saturday with his fourth victory of the year in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Gibbs passed reigning series champion Austin Cindric on Lap 190 and 200 and beat the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford to the finish line by .759 seconds to earn his ninth top-five finish in his 16th start. “He got a little bit free and kind of slowed down in (Turns) 3 and 4, andRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service John Hunter Nemechek overcame a late race pit penalty to rally through the field and take his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 at Texas Motor Speedway – the first of three Playoff events that will set the Championship Four field for the season finale. Nemechek, whose full-time job is contending for a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, is the third different driver to win an Xfinity Series race in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs RacingRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor CONCORD, N.C. – AJ Allmendinger cemented his place as the king of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250, winning his third straight race on the 2.28-mile, 17-turn road course. “I’m just proud of everybody at Kaulig Racing,” Allmendinger said amid cheers of ‘AJ! AJ! AJ!’ from the crowd. “The big picture is championship, but getting another win – three in a row here at the Roval, it means the world to me…What an awesome day. “It takes me back toRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service LAS VEGAS – Josh Berry seized opportunity and drove away from the competition Saturday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Tabbed to substitute for injured JR Motorsports driver Michael Annett, the Tennessee late model champion Berry earned his second win of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season claiming an impressive 4.396-second victory in the Playoff opener. Berry, 30, led a 1-2-3 JR Motorsports team sweep in the Alsco Uniforms 302 – besting his teammates Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson, whose second and third place finishesRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Noah Gragson led the final 14 laps – holding off the field on a pair of late race restarts- in Saturday’ Go Bowling 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway to earn his second win in as many weeks – celebrating the moment by wrapping himself in an American flag then climbing the front grandstand fence to a cheering crowd. Gragson, 23, was only three years old when the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks occurred, but the Las Vegas native was clearlyRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Fresh from the announcement of his return to JR Motorsports next year, Noah Gragson sped to victory at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, clinching a spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. After pre-race favorite Denny Hamlin was sent to the rear under penalty for an equipment violation during a pit stop under caution on Lap 139, Gragson grabbed the lead from Daniel Hemric on Lap 143 and held it the rest of the way. Gragson’s victory in the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help aRead More