AJ Allmendinger has locked up a spot in the Xfinity Series Championship 4 by winning the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
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The veteran driver entered the weekend winless this season. He chose the perfect time to snap that streak. Now he and Kaulig Racing have two weeks to prepare for the championship race at Phoenix Raceway.
Ryan Sieg crossed the line second. Justin Allgaier, Chandler Smith, Parker Kligerman, Jesse Love, Riley Herbst, Cole Custer, Sheldon Creed, and Austin Hill all scored top-10 finishes.
MORE: Allmendinger wins, full results
Allmendinger led a race-high 102 laps, but he did not have an easy path to victory lane. He had to hold off a hard-charging Sieg, who had a faster car, after two different cautions.
"Let's go win a Championship!"@AJDinger knows how to celebrate. He's punched his ticket to the championship race with the hopes of winning his first career title.#NASCAR #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/uYmQqj4Igp
— NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) October 20, 2024
Allmendinger had a three-second lead over the field with 30 laps to go in the race, but Kyle Sieg spun and brought out the caution. This gave the older Sieg an opportunity to chase Allmendinger down on the subsequent restart.
He took advantage by pulling alongside Allmendinger and leading one lap with under 10 laps to go. Although he lost several car lengths and fell back to second after getting loose and having to collect his car.
The battle was not yet over, however, as Sammy Smith stalled on the apron of the track with seven laps remaining. This brought out the caution again and set up a two-lap dash to the checkered flag.
Allmendinger and Sieg lined up on the front row for the final restart. Both with a big chance. The Kaulig Racing driver had a chance to win his first race of the season and reach the Championship 4. The RSS Racing driver had a chance to win his first career race in his 363rd start.
ALLMENDINGER WINS HIS FIRST RACE OF THE SEASON IN LAS VEGAS!
The No. 16 is able to hold off Ryan Sieg and is headed to Phoenix to race for a Championship in 2024.#NASCAR #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/OjKaenpTXi
— NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) October 20, 2024
Allmendinger capitalized. He received a big push from Allgaier and he jumped to the lead once again. Sieg chased him down over the final two laps and got close, but he could not put himself in position to make the race-winning pass.
Stage 1: A caution for Dylan Lupton brought out the caution with 10 laps remaining in the opening stage. Brandon Jones stayed out on the track while Cole Custer led several playoff drivers down pit road for fresh tires.
Custer was able to pass several drivers on the restart, and he worked his way to the lead with two laps remaining in the stage. He went on to lock up the stage win while Justin Allgaier finished second. AJ Allmendinger, Sheldon Creed, Ryan Sieg, Jesse Love, Austin Hill, Jones, and Sam Mayer were all in the top 10.
Stage 2: Allgaier won stage 2. Allmendinger was second after chasing Allgaier down in the closing laps. Sieg, Jones, Chandler Smith, Custer, Aric Almirola, Love, Riley Herbst, and Taylor Gray were top 10.
Next: The Round of 8 continues with a trip to Florida. The Xfinity Series teams will compete at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 26. The race will start shortly after 4 p.m. ET.
