Top-10 Runs Derailed by Late Race Incidents at Charlotte

JR Motorsports | 5/29/2021

Bass Pro Shops Black Rifle Coffee Camp4Heroes Charlotte Motor Speedway Josh Berry Justin Allgaier Michael Annett News Noah Gragson Pilot Flying J Race Report Tire Pros TrueTimber Unilever

After working hard to gain speed all day, Annett, Allgaier and Gragson were all running inside the top 10 before getting caught up in late cautions. Allgaier (11th) scored the highest finish for JRM..

Race Results | Xfinity Series Points

Race 12 of 33: Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Track Specs: 1.5-mile quad oval / 200 laps      
Weather: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees
Race Winner: Ty Gibbs

Allgaier's Finish: 11th

Annett's Finish:  24th

Gragson's Finish: 27th

Berry's Finish: 32nd

 


Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 Unilever United for America Camp4Heroes Chevrolet, rallied back from an unscheduled pit stop late in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway to improve 11 positions and take the checkered flag in 11th. The JR Motorsports driver ran inside the top 10 for much of the day and scored valuable stage points in Stage Two before earning his eighth top-15 result of the season.

Stage One Finish: 16th 

Taking the green flag for the 200-lap event from the 26th position, Allgaier immediately charged forward, improving 10 positions over the opening 20 laps to take the scheduled competition caution in 16th on lap 20. While under caution, Allgaier reported to crew chief Jason Burdett that the Unilever United for America Camp4Heroes Chevrolet was tight while rolling through the corner. Although not handling to his liking, Allgaier continued his ascent up the leaderboard on the ensuing restart, as the JRM driver raced up to 11th before the field was again slowed by a caution at lap 26. Allgaier continued to fight for position following the lap-31 restart, despite the tight-handling condition worsening. However, as the condition persisted, Allgaier was shuffled back outside of the top 15 in the closing laps of the stage and ultimately took the green-and-white checkered on lap 45 in the 16th position.

Stage Two Finish: 8th

During the stage-ending caution, Burdett made the call to bring the Illinois native to pit road for four tires and a chassis adjustment in the hopes of improving the tight-handling condition. A strong stop by the JRM pit crew saw Allgaier improve four positions to take the lap-52 restart from 12th. Once back under way, the driver of the Unilever United for America Camp4Heroes Chevrolet again mounted a charge, utilizing the caution-free second stage to race into the top 10 and up to the eighth position by the time the green-and-white checkered was displayed to end Stage Two on lap 90. With the strong result in the stage, Allgaier earned the No. 7 team an additional three points for the afternoon. 

Final Stage:

The driver of the Unilever United for America Camp4Heroes Chevrolet returned to pit road prior to the beginning of the final stage of the day for four tires and another round of adjustments. Entering the track in 10th following the stop, Allgaier took advantage of the outside line to quickly work his way back to the seventh position before the first of a flurry of caution flags fell on the final stage on lap 98. Lining up in seventh for the lap-103 restart, Allgaier would hold steady and maintain his track position until the field was slowed once again on lap 119. Opting for the outside line for the lap-124 restart, Allgaier improved to sixth, but was quickly shuffled back to 10th as the cars ahead of him in his lane did not get up to speed as well as the inside line.

Despite the setback on the restart, Allgaier again methodically moved forward, as the driver of the Unilever United for America Camp4Heroes Chevrolet drove back up to seventh over the green-flag run that followed and held steady there until the field was again slowed by the caution flag on lap 144. While under caution, Burdett made the call to bring Allgaier back to pit road with the majority of the race leaders for four tires and fuel. However, due to a variety of pit strategies, Allgaier returned to the track for the lap-150 restart in 10th, but quickly worked his way into the top five and up to fifth after narrowly avoiding a multi-car incident as the field exited Turn 2. Lining up in fifth for the lap-159 restart, Allgaier battled hard for position as a long green-flag run began to develop. Then, on lap 179, Allgaier reported to Burdett that he felt like something was wrong with the rear end of the car as it navigated through the corners.

A timely caution just two laps later provided Burdett with the opportunity to bring Allgaier to pit road so the crew could diagnose the issue. Following the four-tire stop, it was discovered that the right-rear tire had developed a slow leak over the course of the green-flag run, causing the tire to lose air and begin to go flat. With the issue resolved, Allgaier returned to the track scored in the 22nd position for the lap-186 restart and quickly rejoined the top 20 after narrowly avoiding a multi-car incident heading into Turn 1. Utilizing a never-give-up attitude, Allgaier lined up in 15th for the final restart of the afternoon on lap 193 and gained four positions over the final seven laps to come home with an 11th-place finish.

The result is the eighth top-15 finish of the season for Allgaier and keeps the JRM driver fifth in the championship standings, just 25 markers out of fourth.

Justin Allgaier, driver No. 7 Unilever United for America Camp4Heroes Chevrolet team

“We battled hard all day long with our Unilever United for America Camp4Heroes Chevrolet and kept fighting all the way to the end. I can’t thank Jason (Burdett, crew chief) and all the guys on this No. 7 team enough for all of their hard work throughout the weekend. This is a strong group that never gives up and we will be ready to go again next weekend at Mid-Ohio.”


Michael Annett

Michael Annett was in position to record a top-10 finish on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway when he was caught up in a multi-car accident just 12 laps from the finish of the Alsco Uniforms 300 for NASCAR Xfinity Series cars. Annett drove his damaged Pilot Flying J Chevrolet back to the pits for repairs, losing a lap to the leaders in the process, but recovered to finish the 200-lap event in the 24th position.

Stage One Finish: 14th     

For the second straight race, the series qualified for starting positions, and Annett lined up 19th for the start of the 200-lap event. Over the first 20 laps, Annett sorted out the handling on his Pilot Flying J My Rewards Plus Chevrolet until the competition caution waved. He reported to crew chief Mike Bumgarner that his car was solid in Turns 1 and 2, but the front end was plowing over the bumps at the other end of the track. When racing resumed, Annett jumped from 19th to 15th just five laps into the run, just prior to a caution period for a single-car crash in Turn 1. Over the remaining laps of the 45-lap Stage One, Annett stayed solidly in the middle of the second 10 and crossed the line in 14th position at the green-and-white checkered flag. On the pit stop, Bumgarner called for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to help Annett’s front turn in Turns 3 and 4 and the Pilot Flying J pit crew gained their driver a position in the order with a fast stop. The Iowa driver returned to the track in 13th position for the start of Stage Two.

Stage Two Finish: 13th     

When Stage Two got under way, Annett jumped two spots up the standings on the first lap, but got caught in a pack of traffic, falling five positions over the next nine laps. As the laps wound down toward the end of the stage, Annett was able to work into a rhythm and began moving back up the order despite a front end that he described as numb entering Turn 3. He cracked the top 15 with 10 to go in Stage Two and improved two positions to 13th at the green-and-white checkered flag that ended it. On pit road, Annett took four more tires and fuel and the pit crew again made up positions, sending Annett back out in 10th place for the 110-lap final segment.

Final Stage:

When the race went back under the green flag, Annett settled in to 11th place and stayed in the top 12 until lap 121, when the caution flag waved for a spin in Turn 4. Annett told Bumgarner that he fired off too free at the beginning of the stage and he couldn’t hold the throttle down as some of his competitors could. Bumgarner called him down pit road again for tires and an adjustment. The pit crew again gained positions for their driver, sending Annett into ninth place once the stops cycled out. Annett stayed in the top 10 until lap 131, but remained in the top 12 until lap 146, when the yellow came out again for debris. Bumgarner decided to bring Annett back down pit road for fuel and the team’s final set of sticker tires at the point, sending him back to the track in 11th position. On the restart at lap 150, race leader Ryan Sieg spun off Turn 2 in the low line and stacked the field before snapping to the right and up into traffic. JR Motorsports teammate Josh Berry had nowhere to go and slammed into the spinning Sieg, whose car narrowly missed collecting Annett’s when it snapped back into the racing line.

When the race resumed at lap 159, Annett was ninth in the order and would stay in the top 10 until the caution waved yet again for a spin by Chase Briscoe. Staying on track, Annett lined up for the restart on the top line in eighth position. As the field roared into Turn 1 on lap 187, cars began bouncing off each other on the way to the outside wall. Annett, riding the high line, had no place to go and was swept into the melee, sliding down the track to collide with another car. The impact did significant damage to the body of the No. 1 Camaro, and he was forced to pit road for repairs. In the process of making those fixes, Annett did not leave pit road in time to stay on the lead lap, falling to 24th position. Over the remaining seven laps, Annett was able to maintain 24th and finished the race there.

Ty Gibbs won the race, with Austin Cindric, Harrison Burton, Brandon Brown and Tyler Reddick the remainder of the top five.

Michael Annett, driver No. 1 Pilot Flying J My Rewards Plus Chevrolet team

“There wasn’t much I could do there at the end. They started crashing ahead of us and beside us and I didn’t have anywhere to go. It’s a shame. We were in a good position for a solid top-10 finish in our Pilot Flying J My Rewards Plus Camaro. We’ll go on to Mid-Ohio and do it again next week.”


Noah Gragson

A late-race chain-reaction accident ended Noah Gragson’s chances of winning Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 for NASCAR Xfinity Series cars at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The young Nevada driver was collected in a multi-car crash in Turn 1 with just 12 laps remaining, doing terminal damage to his No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet and relegating him to a 27th-place finish.

Stage One Finish: 7th

After qualifying 23rd earlier in the day, Gragson began the 200-lap race on the 1.5-mile quad oval with the idea of testing the layer of traction compound at the top of Charlotte’s 24-degree banking in the turns. Over the opening 20 laps before the competition caution waved Gragson did just that, moving from 23rd to 17th over that distance. Reporting to crew chief Dave Elenz under caution, Gragson said his Chevrolet was turning well in the center of the corners but needed help on the exit, though he could manage that with the throttle. In return, Gragson was told that other drivers were already moving into the traction compound. Over the remainder of the 45-lap Stage One, Gragson moved higher on the track and started picking up positions. He was ninth at lap 31 and gained two more spots to seventh before the green-and-white- checkered flag waved to end the stage, picking up four valuable stage points in the process. Gragson told Elenz he wanted to change the balance of his Camaro, and Elenz responded with four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment to help his driver do so. The Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee crew gained two positions on pit road, sending their driver back out for the restart in fifth.

Stage Two Finish: 3rd

When Stage Two got under way, Gragson began to march forward. In just three laps, the young driver moved up to fourth in the order and took third the next time under the flag stand. As the field strung out, Gragson held steady in his position and remained there for the duration of the caution-free Stage Two, banking eight more stage points in the process. Over that run, the balance change took effect and kept Gragson on the trail of the leaders, though the car swung to the neutral side as the laps wound down. Following the end of the stage, Elenz called Gragson back to pit road for four more tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, sending him back out one position better than he entered. Gragson would start the final segment from second position.

Final stage:

On the restart to kick off the final stage, Gragson did not get a great launch and fell back to fifth by the time the first lap of green-flag racing was complete. Just two laps later, the caution waved again for an accident, which caused Gragson to check up. When the race got back under way, Gragson dropped a spot to sixth but held there until the next caution came at lap 121. Gragson told Elenz that he was bit too free at that point and that he wanted it tightened up for the closing flurry. Along with most of the lead-lap cars, Gragson came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an adjustment, heading back to competition in second place. Once the race restarted, Gragson still had the loose feeling in his Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet and slid back to eighth position as the laps wound down. At lap 138, only Gragson and one other car were running the top side of the track. A caution flag for debris gave Elenz another swing at adjustments, and he made a chassis tweak and put on the final set of sticker tires to improve his driver’s handling.

Gragson restarted 13th and immediately began to move up the order, needing just one lap to improve to ninth. Another caution allowed Gragson to regroup, and by lap 172 he was knocking on the door of the top five. Maintaining sixth position, Gragson was on the move again before caution waved for a spinning Chase Briscoe. On the ensuing restart at lap 187, Gragson was in the top line when the field started to crash around him. Gragson was caught up in the melee and sustained terminal damage to the radiator. The accident ended his day in 27th at the finish.

Ty Gibbs won the race, with Austin Cindric, Harrison Burton, Brandon Brown and Tyler Reddick the remainder of the top five.

Noah Gragson, driver No. 9 Bass Pro Shop/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet team

“We had a good Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet today, and I hated having it end the way it did, in another crash. We fought handling issues all day long, but we were in position to have another top-five result. We’ll go on to Mid-Ohio and hopefully have a better day there.”


Josh Berry

Josh Berry, driver of the No. 8 Tire Pros Chevrolet, finished 32nd at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon. Berry spent much of the 200-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series race running in the top 15  before getting caught up in an accident on a restart with 50 laps to go. The damage from the incident with Ryan Sieg was too extensive to continue and Berry exited the Tire Pros Chevrolet and went to the garage scored in the 32nd position.

Stage One Finish: 17th

Berry took the green flag in the 18th position. Early in Stage One, the Tennessee native settled into 13th until the lap-20 competition caution. Berry reported that he was dealing with a tight race car, which continued to build when Stage One resumed. Ultimately, Berry was scored in the 17th position as the stage ended.

Stage Two Finish: 15th

During the stage break, crew chief Taylor Moyer called Berry to pit road so they could make an adjustment as they attempted to free up the car and give the No. 8 Tire Pros machine some more maneuverability. The driver of the No. 8 went back to work and was able to get back up to the 13th position early in Stage Two. Berry remarked, however, that the car was continuing to build tighter and began to struggle as the run went on, finishing 15th at the end of the stage.

Final Stage:  

Before taking the green flag for the final stage, Berry brought the No. 8 Tire Pros Camaro to pit road for another adjustment to try and free up the car. Moyer took a big swing this time and had the crew take its time to make sure they could get the car right. Berry came out of the pits in 19th and chose to begin the final stage on the inside row.

Berry was able to drive up to 13th and maintained his position there throughout the final stage, despite a pair of caution flags at laps 121 and 146. After the lap-146 caution, for debris, Berry came out of the pits in the 13th position. Hoping for clean air, Berry chose to restart on the inside lane. Just after the restart, leader Ryan Sieg spun off Turn 2, sliding around the bottom of the corner before snapping to the right and collecting Berry in the process. The damage to the No. 8 Tire Pros Chevrolet was severe, and Berry was unable to continue, ending the race early for him and the No. 8 crew.

Josh Berry, driver No. Tire Pros Chevrolet Camaro team

“We just really struggled today with our Tire Pros Chevrolet Camaro. We were kind of mired back in 12th-15th and could never break out of that little bubble there. I got stuck racing all day. At the end I thought the 39 (Sieg) was going to spin down and he didn’t. Unfortunately we got caught up in it.”

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