Allgaier Tops JRM Finishers in Wild NXS Talladega Tussle

Race 11 of 33: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway
Track Specs: 2.66-mile tri-oval / 113 laps
Race Winner: Austin Hill
Allgaier’s finish: 4^th
Kvapil’s finish: 17^th
Zilisch’s finish: 27^th
Smith’s finish: 31^st

Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 Hellmann’s Chevrolet, scored a solid fourth-place finish on Saturday afternoon in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Talladega Superspeedway. Allgaier held strong in the lead pack throughout the 113-lap event. Drafting into the race lead with just three laps remaining before ultimately taking the checkered flag in fourth in a mad scramble to the finish. With today’s result, Allgaier has now finished fifth or better in eight of the opening 11 races, the most of anyone in the NXS. Additionally, the JR Motorsports driver remains the point leader, 79 markers ahead of second.

“Our Hellmann’s Chevrolet was strong all day today. We were able to make our way up to the lead there in the closing laps and I thought we had a shot at the win, but in the end today was a good day for us and we will take a top-five as we get ready to head to Texas next weekend.”

Carson Kvapil

Carson Kvapil, driver of the No. 1 First Bank of Alabama Chevrolet, took the green flag in the 20^th position for the 113-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series feature at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday afternoon. While the race ran green through the first 50 laps, Kvapil held onto the draft and battled for position within the top 20. After restarting the final stage in 17^th, the 21-year-old rookie slowly worked his way toward the front and, after avoiding the first on-track a=incident of the day, broke into the top 10. From there, Kvapil held strong, drafting all the way up to third before falling out of line and being shuffled backward. Due to another incident on the final lap, Kvapil was not able to work his way back into the top 10, ultimately taking the checkered flag in 17^th. With this finish, Kvapil moved up one more spot in the point standings and now sits in fifth.

“Talladega is such an unpredictable place and while I am glad we stayed out of the mess, I wish we would have been able to stay up front at the end. This No. 1 team gave me a really fast First Bank of Alabama Chevrolet capable of moving through the field and our finish doesn’t reflect that. We are going to take what we learned this weekend and use it to be better when we come back in the fall, but for now our focus is on Texas.”

Connor Zilisch

Connor Zilisch was in contention to win Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, leading on the final lap when contact from behind send the JR Motorsports driver hard into the inside retaining wall. Zilisch, who started 13^th on the day, held his own in Stage One, recording a 14^th-place finish when the segment ended on lap 25. Stage Two was a bit more eventful for Zilisch. He worked the draft to his advantage in the closing laps of the segment, surging from 21^st to sixth over the final four laps to end the stage. Zilisch made a pit stop for right-side tires and fuel on lap 53 and was running inside the top 10 when he made his final stop of the race for fuel only on lap 71. He restarted 11^th on lap 85 and grabbed the lead for the first time on lap 92. From there, he stayed at the front of the pack until the final lap his day was brought to an untimely and abrupt conclusion. In the end, Zilisch was scored with a 27^th-place finish.

“I’m OK. Very grateful to drive safe JR Motorsports race cars. Our WeatherTech Chevrolet was fast, and we were in the right spot. Maybe I stay up top there down the back, but on the last lap at Talladega, you’re going to try and stay in the lead. It’s just part of this racing. We’ll move on to Texas next week and get after it again.”

Sammy Smith

Sammy Smith, driver of the No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet, beat the rain Friday afternoon as he qualified 14^th for the Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway. Throughout the 113-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series race, Smith gained stage points, led the field and defended his eighth-place position in the point standings. Smith ran strong for much of the afternoon until an on-track incident at the halfway point caused damage to the left side of his JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The Pilot team worked tirelessly to get the car repaired, sending Smith back out to ultimately cross the finish line in 31^st position.

In Stage One, Smith made his way toward the top 10, but got shuffled back in the final laps of the opening 25-lap stint. Riding it out to keep the nose clean, the strategy set Smith up for a good start to Stage Two by taking only left-side tires during the pit stop. The No. 8 Chevrolet gained five spots off pit road to start 13^th in the second stage. Smith ran inside the top five for most of the next 25 laps before taking the green-and-white checkered flag in fifth to earn six stage points on the afternoon.

Heading into the final 63 laps of the NXS matinee, Smith restarted sixth and was still in the top 10 when he made a green-flag stop for fuel only. The Iowa native made it almost another 10 laps before getting caught up in an on-track incident that forced him down pit road immediately with a flat tire and body damage. Smith made several more trips to pit road for repairs to keep the No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet on track to earn as many points as possible. He ended up taking the checkered flag in 31^st.

“It wasn’t our day today., but I’m happy with the speed this No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet showed at the beginning of the race and that we were able to gain stage points. I appreciate the team fighting until the end of keep us in it. We’ll shake it off and prepare for Texas next weekend.”