Race 33 of 33: NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway
Track Specs: 1-mile oval / 200 laps
Race Winner: Riley Herbst
Allgaier’s finish: 2nd
Zilisch’s finish: 4th
Mayer’s finish: 11th
Smith’s finish: 15th
Jones’ finish: 18th
Justin Allgaier
Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet, captured the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship in dramatic fashion on Saturday evening at Phoenix Raceway. Starting the race from the rear of the field due to an incident in practice, Allgaier fought through adversity throughout the 200-lap event before charging his way to the front of the Championship 4 heading into NASCAR’s version of overtime. Thwarting all challengers, Allgaier held strong over the final two laps before securing the first championship of his NXS career. The Illinois native now sits as the 34th champion in NXS history and the fourth to do so behind the wheel of a JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
“I’m at a loss for words. I’m just so thankful to Dale (Earnhardt Jr.), Kelley (Earnhardt Miller) LW (Miller), Rick (Brandt) and everyone at JR Motorsports and BRANDT Professional Agriculture. This is a moment that you always dream of and is something I am going to cherish forever. Everyone on this No. 7 team fought hard all season long, and to have that culminate with a championship is just truly unbelievable. I’m just so appreciative and thankful to everyone who has helped make this become a reality.”
Connor Zilisch
Connor Zilisch battled at the front of the field in the closing laps of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway before eventually finishing fourth in just his fourth career NXS start. The young driver spent the first stage sorting out his No. 88 Chevrolet, alternating between tight and loose conditions, before finding the handle in the later stages and charging forward. He challenged for the lead in the final run to the checkered flag, including on the final green-white-checkered finish, thanks to strategy calls from crew chief Andrew Overstreet and guidance from spotter T.J. Majors on the short oval layout. The young driver finished the year with a win and three top-five finishes, averaging a stellar 5.25 placement in his starts.
“We had a really fast Jarrett Chevrolet today, but it was up-and-down for a while in the first two stages. I just couldn’t get comfortable at times with the handling, but Andrew (Overstreet) and T.J. (Majors helped me get it to where we were fast and racy. Another fourth-place finish was a good way to end the season and prepare for next year’s full NXS run. Congratulations to Justin and JRM for the championship!”
Sam Mayer
Sam Mayer, driver of the No. 1 10X Health Chevrolet, set out to have a solid final run with JR Motorsports and the No. 1 team as he put his Chevrolet Camaro eighth in line to start the final race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Mayer held on strong in the top 10 for the majority of his day, scoring seventh- and eighth-place finishes in Stages One and Two. After restarting fifth in the final stage, the driver wasted no time in his charge to the front and slid up to third on the opening lap. A flurry of cautions started to fall that allowed crew chief Mardy Lindley to bring his driver down pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and a slight adjustment. In NASCAR’s version of a double overtime, the driver of the No. 1 10X Health Chevrolet drove hard in his last laps of the season and ultimately ended his day 11th at Phoenix Raceway.
“We had a super-fast No. 1 10X Health Chevrolet today and I am super proud of all the work this team has put in all year long. I can’t thank JR Motorsports enough for all they have done for me over the last several years. Super happy for Justin and the organization on the Championship and I wish them all the best in the future.”
Sammy Smith
Sammy Smith, driver of the No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet, closed out the 2024 season at his favorite track, Phoenix Raceway. The season finale tested the resilience of the entire JR Motorsports crew, starting off with two back=up cars being unloaded and an engine change during Friday afternoon’s practice session. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort from all five teams to get the three cars back in racing condition. With few practice laps, Smith laid down a 15th-quick qualifying lap for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race. Smith struggled at the start of the 200-lap event with a free car and was looking for crew chief Phillip Bell to set him up for a long run. The team searched for different lines and setups to get the car in a good place, but after two overtime restarts, Smith settled into a 15th-place finish to wrap up his first season with JR Motorsports.
Brandon Jones
Brandon Jones, driver of the No. 9 Menards/Klearvue Cabinetry Chevrolet, was forced to start the NASCAR Xfinity Series finale from the rear after and on track incident during practice required him to switch to a backup car. Within the first half of Stage One, Jones made quick work of the field and found himself in the top 20. He continued to battle the handling of his Camaro throughout the remaining laps while maintaining his position in the front half of the field. After avoiding multiple on-track incidents, the race went into NASCAR’S version of overtime. After the first failed attempt at a green-white-checkered the field lined up once more for the final three laps where the 27-year-old Georgia native would take his final checkered flag of the season in the 18th position.
“We had to overcome a lot of adversity this weekend, but I am so thankful for everyone across the organization who worked so hard to make sure our Menards/Klearvue Cabinetry Camaro was ready to race this evening. We were so close to coming home with that top 10 but unfortunately our strategy didn’t play out like we hoped. I feel very fortunate for my time at JRM and the opportunity to work with some really great people and I wish them all the best in the future.”
