Race Results | Xfinity Series Points
Race 27 of 33: Alsco 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Track Specs: 1.5-mile tri-oval/ 200 laps
Weather: Clear; 93 degrees
Race Winner: Chase Briscoe
Gragson's finish: 2nd
Hemric's finish: 3rd
Allgaier's finish: 4th
Annett's finish: 7th
Noah Gragson
Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet, finished second in Saturday evening’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gragson started the race from the sixth position after the lineup was set by NASCAR’s mathematical formula based on the previous week’s finishing position, fastest lap and points standing. Gragson secured points in both stages and used a late-race yellow to secure a second-place finish and earn his 12th top five of the 2020 season.
Stage One Finish: 4th
Gragson lined up from the sixth position after the field was set earlier in the week by NASCAR’s new mathematical formula. From the drop of the green flag, Gragson showed speed as he entered the top five and was running fourth when the first caution flew on lap 7. The No. 9 chose the bottom for the ensuing restarted which moved him to the inside of the second row. The decision to restart on the bottom paid off as Gragson had raced his way up to third by the time the caution flag was once again displayed on lap 18. Utilizing the high-side for the final restart in Stage One, Gragson settled in to fourth where he ultimately crossed under the green-and-white checkered flag, earning seven stage points in the process.
Stage Two Finish: 2nd
The driver of the No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Camaro decided to pit for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment to alleviate a tight-handling Camaro following Stage One. Restarting outside of the fourth row, the 22-year-old gained four positions in the first 15 laps of Stage 2 and continued to climb from there, moving into the second position as his Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro began to handle to his liking.
Setting his sights on race leader Chase Briscoe, Gragson dove to the inside, pulling even with the No. 98 before lapped traffic slowed Gragson’s run. Despite not being able to gain the top spot, the Las Vegas native crossed the green-and-white checkered flag in second, adding a crucial nine stage points to bring his total to 16 between the two stages.
Final Stage:
The JRM driver was called to pit road during the final stage break for four tires, fuel and another air pressure adjustment to help loosen his Camaro up throughout the long run. Choosing the inside line, Gragson restarted from the inside of the front row and settled into second-place following the restart. Green flag stops began and as the counter ticked over to lap 146, Gragson brought the No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro to pit road for four tires and fuel. As green flag stops were cycling out, a loose tire made its way to the infield and the series was forced to throw the yellow flag on lap 154. Staying on track, Gragson chose to restart from the outside of row two. Using the momentum from the high-side, Gragson drove around and took over the third-position before the last caution period slowed the field on lap 185.
Crew chief Dave Elenz called Gragson to pit road for his last set of fresh tires and no adjustments as the No. 9 team was happy with the balance during the last stint. Choosing to restart inside of race-leader Briscoe, Gragson almost cleared the No. 98 on the exit of the second corner but the momentum from the high-side prevailed and Gragson settled into the runner-up position.
Gragson remained in second for the final laps, crossing the finish line for the final time on lap 200 and earn his 12th top-five finish of the 2020 season.
Noah Gragson, driver No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Camaro SS
“I was trying everything I could to get the win at my home track with my family and friends watching the race in the South Point suite but that wasn’t in the cards tonight. We had a really fast No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro and we ended up being the best of the rest as the No. 98 was in another zip code. It was a great points day and a finish that this team needed to add to the momentum we have and we will take this onto Talladega, a place where the JRM cars are always fast.”
Daniel Hemric
Daniel Hemric, driver of the No. 8 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet, made a strong three-wide move while battling inside the top five on the final restart of Saturday evening’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to earn a hard-fought third-place finish. The result is the second top five in the last three races for the No. 8 team, as well as Hemric’s second top five in his last four races dating back to the second leg of the doubleheader at Dover International Speedway at the end of August. The third-place finish also moves the No. 8 team to ninth in the owner standings, just one point behind the eighth and final playoff position with two races remaining in the Round of 12. Following the completion of the Oct. 10 event at the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the bottom four teams in the owner standings will be eliminated from playoff contention.
Stage One Finish: 8th
Hemric took the green flag for the opening race in the 2020 NXS Playoffs from the 14th position after the starting lineup was set via NASCAR’s new formula earlier in the week. After two early caution periods delayed Hemric’s ascent up the leaderboard, the driver of the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet marched into the top 10 for the first time following a lap-23 restart, ultimately moving up to the eighth position by the completion of lap 34. Hemric held steady in eighth throughout the remainder of Stage One despite reporting to crew chief Taylor Moyer that he had developed a tight-handling condition rolling through the corner. Although not handling to his liking, Hemric was able to come away with three valuable stage points once the green-and-white checkered flag was displayed to end Stage One on lap 45.
Stage Two Finish: 8th
During the stage-ending caution, Moyer called the driver of the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet to pit road for four tires and a chassis adjustment in the hopes of improving the tight-handling condition. Returning to the track for the beginning of Stage Two in 11th, Hemric needed only one lap to rejoin the top 10. The 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year continued his climb forward from there, taking advantage of the caution-free second stage to move up to the eighth position on lap 71. The JR Motorsports driver held steady in eighth for the final 19 laps of Stage Two, ultimately netting the No. 8 team an additional three stage points, giving the team a total of six additional points on the evening.
Final Stage:
Prior to the beginning of the third and final stage of the evening, the Kannapolis, N.C. native returned to pit road for four tires and another round of adjustments. Lining up in the 11th position following the pit stop, the driver of the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet quickly marched back into the top 10, needing just two laps to gain two positions to ninth. Hemric continued to push forward throughout the green flag run that followed, racing into eighth on lap 125 and maintaining that position despite reporting to Moyer that his JRM Camaro had shifted toward the loose-side. Despite the handling woes, Hemric continued to pace in the eighth position until the lone round of green flag pit stops got underway on lap 145. Hitting pit road for four tires and another round of adjustments, Hemric returned to the track in 12th but ultimately cycled back to the seventh position as the green flag stops drew to a close just before a lap 154 caution period.
Opting to take advantage of the new choose rule, Hemric lined up on the inside of the third row for the lap-160 restart, propelling the driver of the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet solidly into the top five and up to fourth. From there, Hemric traded positions with JRM teammates Michael Annett and Justin Allgaier over the ensuing 25 laps before the field was slowed for what turned out to be the final caution period of the evening on lap 186.
During this caution, Moyer made the call to bring Hemric back to pit road for the final set of fresh tires. A strong stop by the South Point Hotel & Casino crew saw Hemric leave pit road in the fifth position as the field prepared for a nine-lap shootout to the finish. Lining up on the inside of the third row, Hemric charged forward on the restart, utilizing the middle lane to make it three-wide through Turns 1 and 2 and race into third position.
The driver of the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet remained in third for the final eight laps to secure his fourth top-five finish of the 2020 season and the second in his last four starts.
The result also moves the No. 8 team to ninth in the owner standings, one point behind the eighth and final playoff position with two races remaining in the Round of 12.
Daniel Hemric, driver No. 8 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet team
“We executed tonight and I can’t thank everyone on this JR Motorsports team and everyone at South Point Hotel & Casino enough for their hard work and support. It feels good to come here and have the kind of solid night we had, especially given the fact that this No. 8 team is fighting for that owner’s championship. That makes a run like this even better when we were able to put some extra chips in that basket to make a run at that championship. We’ll keep building from this and be ready to get after them next week in Talladega.”
Justin Allgaier
Justin Allgaier and the No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture team earned a hard-fought fourth-place finish in Saturday’s opening race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The result was the fourth consecutive top-five finish for Allgaier and his ninth on the season. He heads to Talladega Superspeedway next weekend fourth in the playoff standings, just 42 points behind the leader.
Stage One Finish: 11th
Allgaier rolled off third in the BRANDT Camaro for the 200-lap race, but lost momentum after the start, falling back to sixth before the first caution of the race on lap 9. Just prior to the yellow flag, the JR Motorsports driver reported to the team that the BRANDT Chevy was good in Turns 1 and 2, but was up and out of the track in Turns 3 and 4. Opting not to pit, Allgaier lined up in the eighth position after utilizing to choose rule to restart in the outside line.
He continued to race inside the top 10 before another caution came out on lap 19. Staying out once again, Allgaier restarted in seventh, but dropped back as the run went on after the BRANDT Camaro began losing more grip. In the closing laps of Stage One, Allgaier was able to battle through the tough handling condition, advancing his position from 13th to 11th before the green-and-white checkered flag waved on lap 45.
Stage Two Finish: 9th
Under the stage-ending caution, crew chief Jason Burdett called Allgaier to pit road for four tires and fuel. The team also made multiple adjustments in an effort to improve the BRANDT Camaro’s handling. Allgaier took the green flag for Stage Two in 14th and steadily advanced his position on the track, moving into the top 10 on lap 72. The adjustments seemed to do their job as the Illinois native continued his march forward to end the caution-free Stage Two in ninth, collecting two coveted stage points in the process.
Final Stage:
Prior to the start of the final stage, Allgaier brought the No. 7 Chevy to pit road for another round of adjustments, four tires and more fuel. The veteran driver lined up just inside the top 10 and when the green flag waved to begin the final stage on lap 96, Allgaier wasted little time advancing his position, powering his way to fourth by lap 103.
Allgaier continued to run in that same spot as a long green-flag run ensued. On lap 147, Burdett called the JR Motorsports driver to pit road for a fast green-flag stop for four tires, fuel and an adjustment. Allgaier was running in the fifth position with one car left before the pit stops cycled through when a caution came out on lap 155. Staying out, Allgaier restarted inside the top five, but with some cars on fresher tires, he lost some ground and was scored in the eighth position when the final caution of the race came out on lap 187.
Under the yellow flag, the team took the opportunity to put on their last set of fresh tires, with another fast stop allowing Allgaier to gain a position on pit road. The driver of the No. 7 Camaro used the chose rule to restart on the outside line on lap 191. Allgaier battled hard in the closing laps, racing his way back inside the top five to bring home a fourth-place finish in the opening race of the NXS Playoffs.
Justin Allgaier, driver No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
“I’m really proud of this BRANDT Professional Agriculture team. They never gave up all night long. I felt like we were able to make good adjustments on the car and really get ourselves in better track position at the end there by the choose rule. These points are so important. Every position counts. As bad as we started the night off, I was getting a little flustered under the collar, but these guys rallied behind me and gave me the car that we needed at the end and we were able to get a solid top five.”
Michael Annett
For most of Saturday night’s Alsco 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Michael Annett was desperately searching for the best handle on his No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet. Over the final 50 of the 200-lap total, however, he was directly in the middle of the battle that decided the winner. Annett, who came into the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs tied for ninth in points, and crew chief Travis Mack nearly made their strategy pay off with a top-three finish, eventually settling for seventh on the night. Annett’s top-10 result is his 17th of the season and has the JR Motorsports driver just 10 points out of the eighth and final playoff position following the first of three events in the Round of 12.
Stage One Finish: 13th
Annett started from 13th position based on NASCAR’s formula for determining the starting lineup and stayed there through the opening nine laps when the first yellow flag of the evening was displayed. Under caution, Annett told Mack that his Camaro was snapping loose on the exit of Turn 2 and could not hook the bottom. Looking toward the competition caution at lap 20, Annett took to the high line on the restart and immediately made up three positions to 11th. The handle was still elusive and Annett experimented with his entry and exit to try and find some speed. His Pilot Flying J Chevrolet got tighter and tighter as the run went on and Annett was sliding the nose off Turn 2 for most of that time. When the 45-lap Stage One was over, the Iowa native was 13th, missing out on all-important stage points. Under caution, Mack called him down pit road for four tires with an air-pressure adjustment and a chassis adjustment to help his front turn. Annett exited pit road in 13th for Stage Two.
Stage Two Finish: 14th
Stage Two was more of the same for the Pilot Flying J team, as Annett changed lines in an effort to take advantage of the prior adjustments. The exit of Turn 2 was especially problematic, and Annett could not move forward. The handling settled down after 10 laps and Annett was able to make better lap times, but could not improve his position. He finished Stage Two in 14th position. On the radio, Annett told Mack that he needed to be able to pick up the gas a little sooner to make an improvement on corner exit and that he was still unable to make a good launch in Turn 2. Mack responded with another chassis adjustment and went back on his earlier air-pressure change, in addition to putting on four tires and adding fuel. Annett started the final segment from 13th position.
Final Stage:
The final stage began with Annett having the same difficulties in getting his car to handle on the big desert oval. The exit of Turn 2 remained his biggest problem, and the tight condition returned as the lap counter reached 135. Nine laps later, at lap 144, green-flag pit stops began among the leaders and Annett was able to move forward as each car peeled off. Annett was ninth at lap 146, seventh the following circuit and all the way up to third place on lap 148. When leader Chase Briscoe and Ryan Sieg pitted at lap 149, Annett assumed the lead for the first time all night. Mack’s strategy called for Annett to stay out until a particular lap, and Annett still held the top spot on lap 156 when the yellow flag the team needed waved for an errant tire on the infield grass. That allowed Annett to bring his car down pit lane as the leader, and Mack put on four more tires, added fuel and made another chassis tweak to get Annett back out in seventh place with fresher tires than the majority of the field.
When the green flag waved on lap 161, Annett was seventh, and needed just 10 laps to advance another spot to sixth. At lap 175, he broke into the top five by passing teammate Daniel Hemric. Annett wasn’t done, getting around Harrison Burton for fourth with 18 laps remaining. He ran there until lap 188, when the final caution of the race waved for the stalled car of Alex Labbe on pit road. With one set of tires still in the pits, Mack called Annett back in to put them on. The No. 1 pit crew executed a fast pit stop and Annett gained a spot to third for the final restart. When the green waved for the last time, Annett was fourth and stayed there until lap 197, when his Chevrolet developed a twitch in the middle of the corners at both ends of the track. Over the remaining laps, Annett dropped to seventh in the order and remained there at the checkered flag to cap a solid final-stage comeback. Annett left Las Vegas 10th in the point standings, 78 behind the leader but just 10 below the cut line for advancement to the Round of 8.
Briscoe won the race, with JRM teammates Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric and Justin Allgaier the next three and Sieg fifth. Austin Cindric led the second five with Annett, Anthony Alfredo, Burton and Justin Haley the remainder of the top 10.
Michael Annett, driver No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet team
“I thought we were money on that last restart, but for some reason, the Pilot Flying J Chevrolet started to get loose in the middle of Turns 1 and 2. It felt like a tire was going down, honestly, but Turns 3 and 4 were fine. It felt weird. That last pit stop by our No. 1 crew was really good and that made a big difference. The strategy was good and we stuck with it, and it paid off when we got that caution flag while leading. We’ll go to Talladega and see about winning that one to get to the Round of 8.”