Justin Allgaier Scores Record Victory in Daytona Slugfest

Race 23 of 33: WaWa 250 at Daytona International Speedway
Track Specs: 2.5-mile tri-oval / 100 laps
Race Winner: Justin Allgaier

Allgaier’s finish: 1st
Berry’s finish: 17th
Mayer’s finish: 19th
Jones’ finish: 36th

Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier scored the 21^st victory of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career on Friday evening, capturing the checkered flag at the historic Daytona International Speedway in a finish that turned out to be tied for the fourth closest margin of victory in series history. With tonight’s win, Allgaier moves into a tie for 14^th on the all-time wins list with Harry Gant and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt. Additionally, Allgaier’s triumph moves the driver of the Hellmann’s Chevrolet into second in the NXS Playoff Grid, just 27 points out of the series lead with two races remaining in the regular season.

Race Rundown

Allgaier qualified in the 12^th position for Friday night’s main event, but was forced to drop to the tail-end of the field and serve a pass-through penalty following the green flag due to an issue during Thursday afternoon’s technical inspection.
Despite the inopportune way to begin the 100-lap event, Allgaier held firm, as the driver of the Hellmann’s Chevrolet ran in a five-car pack throughout the caution-free opening stage to remain on the lead lap when the green-and-white checkered flag was displayed on lap 30.
Now allowed to catch up to the leaders during the stage-ending caution, crew chief Jim Pohlman called the JR Motorsports driver to pit road for four fresh tires and a chassis adjustment, sending Allgaier back out for the start of Stage Two in the 22^nd position.
Allgaier quickly went on the attack once back underway, drafting into the top 10 for the first time on lap 52 before climbing up to the top five on lap 54. However, as the laps clicked off in the second stage, the Illinois native found drafting help to be scarce, as Allgaier was shuffled outside the top 10 in the final laps of Stage Two before taking the green-and-white checkered flag in 12^th on lap 60.
Prior to the start of the third and final stage, Pohlman called the driver of the Hellmann’s Chevrolet to pit road for fuel only, catapulting Allgaier up the running order and sending the veteran out in the fourth position for the lap-66 restart.
Going green with 34 laps remaining, Allgaier methodically battled for position, utilizing the inside lane to remain inside the top 10 before finding himself paired with JRM teammate Sam Mayer. Once together, the duo charged forward, as Allgaier pushed Mayer out to the race lead on lap 82 before taking to the top spot himself for the first time on lap 85.
Allgaier traded the point over the seven laps that followed before a lap-92 caution period saw the No. 7 Camaro scored in second. Taking the lap-98 restart from the inside of the front row, Allgaier emerged with the race lead before a quick caution for a multi-car incident as the pack exited the tri-oval set up NASCAR’s version of overtime.
Lining up atop the leaderboard for the first overtime attempt, Allgaier held on to the lead as the field was again slowed before the white flag was displayed.
Taking the final restart of the night on lap 108, Allgaier quickly powered his way clear of the pack. However, as the field thundered down the backstretch for the final time, Sheldon Creed mounted a charge on the outside that saw the pair battle wheel to wheel off the fourth corner.
Racing side-by-side all the way to the line, Allgaier utilized the side draft to his advantage as he was able to take the checkered flag in first by a margin of .005 seconds, tying for the fourth closest finish in NXS history.
With tonight’s win, Allgaier moves into a tie for 14^th on the NXS all-time wins list and moves within 27 points of the series lead with two races remaining in the regular season.

Justin Allgaier, driver No. 7 Hellmann’s Chevrolet team

“Man, this is special. To win at Daytona is just an unbelievable feeling. Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and all the guys on this No. 7 team gave me an unbelievable Hellmann’s Chevrolet. To be able to bring this win home for everyone at JRM, for everyone at Hellmann’s and Unilever, and on Evelyn Brandt Thomas’ 100^th birthday celebration, is just incredible. I can’t thank everyone enough and we’re ready to go try to get back-to-back next week in Darlington.”

Josh Berry

On a night where several multi-car crashes slowed the racing, Josh Berry fought a loose Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet to a 17^th-place finish in Friday night’s Wawa 250 for NASCAR Xfinity Series cars at Daytona International Speedway. Berry ran as high as sixth during the event, but fell victim to a late-race spate of multi-car crashes. Berry remains sixth in series points and well inside the playoff field.

Race Rundown

Starting the scheduled 100-lap event from the 13^th position, Berry felt out his Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Camaro in the opening laps and reported that his car was extremely loose. Experimenting with different lines, Berry fell to 17^th just 10 laps into the race and stayed there for the remainder of the 30-lap Stage One.
Under caution, Berry told crew chief Taylor Moyer that the car was too loose and very snappy, saying the front end was on the splitter. On pit road at the end of the stage, Moyer took a big swing at adjustments to get Berry some security while changing four tires and adding fuel.
After the first few laps of Stage Two, the changes seemed to take hold, as Berry drove from 17^th on the restart to 12^th on the first lap of green-flag racing. Two laps later, Berry was inside the top 10, and four laps later was up to sixth, using the draft and the low line to move forward.
Soon after, however, Berry began to fall back, sitting ninth at lap 47 when the yellow waved for a huge crash just off the tri-oval. Coming back to pit road, Moyer gave his driver four more tires after Berry had reported he might have a left rear going flat. The team also looked under the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet to see if anything else was amiss.
Over the remaining laps of the stage, Berry slowly fell back through the field to again finish 17^th. At the stage break, Berry told Moyer that the car was still loose but the balance was better, making it hard to maneuver in traffic. Returning to pit road, Berry took fuel only as well as further adjustments, gaining 10 positions with the strategy.
Starting the final segment from eighth, Berry maintained his position in the top 10 for the next several laps until the loose condition returned. Dropping to 22^nd, Berry remained near the middle of the field until lap 93, when a multi-car crash slowed the field yet again. Berry was forced to drive down pit road to avoid the incident.
Under the caution, Berry came back to pit road for four tires, an air-pressure adjustment and fuel to the end, returning to the track in 21^st position. On the restart, another crash ahead of him allowed Berry to gain positions up to 13^th as the race went into overtime.
Restarting from the top line, Berry maintained 13^th position and ran there until another crash in the tri-oval saw the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet collected in the melee, sustaining damage to the right front. Another trip to pit road for repairs put the Tennessee native 22^nd for the restart.
Over the final two laps, Berry raced to 17^th despite getting collected in yet another crash as the checkered flag waved. He would finish 17^th on the night.
Despite the difficult night, Berry remained sixth in the standings heading to Darlington next weekend.

Josh Berry, driver No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet team

“We were just so loose all night. We gave it everything we had, but our Bass Pro Shops Camaro was just too loose to do much moving around. We managed a lot of that, but it came back to bite us at the end. It was crazy out there as the laps counted down, and we got caught in it twice in the final laps. It’s disappointing, but we’ll bounce back next week at Darlington. We need a good run to get ready for the playoffs, and I know this No. 8 team can get it done.”

Sam Mayer

Sam Mayer, driver of the No. 1 Tim McGraw Standing Room Only Chevrolet succumbed to a 19^th-place finish after a hard-fought battle inside the top 10 throughout the night, due to a late-race incident that collected the young driver and sent the team to battle repairs through the closing laps at Daytona International Speedway. The Franklin, Wis. native and No. 1 Jr Motorsports team was able to hold the Chevrolet together for a top-20 finish and keep their fifth-place position in the NASCAR Xfinity series point standings with two races remaining in the regular season.

Race Rundown

Mayer set the No. 1 Tim McGraw Standing Room Only Chevrolet to start 14^th in line at the 2.5- mile tri-oval in Friday afternoon’s qualifying event. After multiple cars were sent to the back, the young driver ended up rolling to the green flag in the seventh position to start the 100-lap battle. A quiet Stage One allowed Mayer to draft and figure out his line.
With 11 laps to go in the stage, Mayer made a move to the bottom that pulled him back to 16^th in line after not being able to hop back up top. The young driver played the side draft hard as he climbed back up the leaderboard for a 15^th-place Stage One finish. Crew chief Mardy Lindley called the No. 1 Chevrolet down pit road under caution for four tires, fuel and a slight adjustment.
The 20-year-old driver took the top and restarted in the 14^th position for the start of Stage Two. Mayer was put three-wide on the green-flag shuffle and drafted his way up to seventh. A lap-43 caution came out and Mayer reported “balance is perfect, let’s roll”. Once again, the No. 1 Chevrolet rolled up top for the restart where the Chevrolets took off. Mayer battled in the losing laps of Stage Two to put himself ninth in line to end the stage.
Lindley called the young driver down pit road for fuel only, allowing the team to pick up eight spots on pit road and line up first to lead the pack to the green at the start of the final stage. Mayer led the pack for multiple laps with the Chevys in line for support. The young driver battled to hold position as the drafting strategies picked up in the competition.
The fourth yellow flag of the night fell and the No. 1 Tim McGraw Standing Room Only Chevrolet held strong in the top five with eight laps to go. Mayer came over the radio to Lindley that he was feeling free but did not want to risk track position to pit.
A multi-car incident on the restart with three laps to go collected Mayer, causing damage to the right side. The No. 1 Chevrolet rolled down pit road for fresh tires and to repair the damage. Another caution put the pack into NASCAR’s version of overtime that sent Mayer down pit road again to patch up the damaged racecar and race to the finish. The young driver handled the closing laps well and the No. 1 Chevrolet crossed the line for a 19^th-place finish at Daytona.

Sam Mayer, driver No. 1 Tim McGraw Standing Room Only Chevrolet team

“We had a really fast No. 1 Tim McGraw Standing Room Only JR Motorsports Chevrolet today and I am disappointed we could not have the finish this car deserved. The car felt awesome all night and I am bummed to have it end this way but super happy for my teammate Justin (Allgaier) and we will pick our heads up and head to Darlington.”

Brandon Jones

Brandon Jones, driver of the No. 9 Menards/Fisher Nuts Chevrolet, raced inside of the top 10 after starting 17^th in Saturday evening’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Daytona International Speedway, before being involved in a multi-car incident on lap 43 that resulted in damage that proved too severe to continue and relegated Jones to a 36^th-place finish.

Race Rundown

Jones started in the 17^th position after Friday afternoon’s qualifying session set the lineup for the evening’s event. Ascending up the leaderboard using the draft, Jones drove inside of the top 10 on lap 10 before falling back to 15^th as he was caught on the inside lane while the top prevailed.
Able to get to the top lane in 11^th, Jones settled in and bided his time until the end of the stage before attempting a move up the leaderboard. With two laps remaining, Jones pulled the No. 9 Menards/Fisher Nuts Chevrolet to the bottom and gained four positions before the green-and-white checkered flag flew on lap 30 to earn four critical stage points to begin the evening.
Pitting during the stage break for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, Jones exited the pits in the eighth position and went on to restart from the bottom of row four. Battling three wide inside the top 15, a car from the inside moved up the track and caught the left front portion of Jones No. 9. The resulting contact sent the No. 9 up into the third groove, ultimately causing a multi-car incident. The damage was deemed to severe to continue and relegated Jones with a 36^th-place finish.

Brandon Jones, driver No. 9 Menards/Fisher Nuts Chevrolet team

“Obviously, this isn’t the result we were hoping for today especially with the playoffs coming in a few races. We have a couple good tracks with Darlington and Kansas coming up, so I am feeling pretty good about our chances. We know what we have to do now and that is win.”