NASCAR
20th Career Win For Justin Allgaier Comes in Charlotte Fuel-Mileage Race
CONCORD, N.C. – One of the longest Xfinity races in recent memory did not end until nearly midnight on Monday. After a combined 900 miles of on-track action along with the Cup Series, Justin Allgaier returns to Xfinity victory lane. Only one caution in the final Stage turned Charlotte into a fuel mileage chess match between the leaders. In the end, the No. 7 saved enough gas to take JR Motorsports’ first win of 2023 at their home track.
This Xfinity race bookended the Coca-Cola 600. Stage 1 was finished Monday morning, before rain pushed the final 150 laps to be finished after Cup was done. Regardless of day or night, Ty Gibbs was the class of the field. The No. 19 Toyota would handily win both Stages.
An unfortunate radio issue for the 19 would totally upend the picture of this race. On pit road after Stage 2, Gibbs’ team had to change steering wheels, with his radio button sticking. This would send the 19 to the tail for the restart. He was a rocket early on though, quickly getting back into the top-10.
Sam Mayer spinning just outside of everyone’s fuel window forced many crew chief’s hands with strategy. The front trio of John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Allgaier, and Cole Custer would not come down pit road again. With 65 to go, the 7 took command and immediately began aggressive fuel saving.
The top two would get close enough to make contact, and swapped positions a few times. With just 33 laps left, Allgaier was told he was good on fuel and made the eventual winning pass over Nemechek.
Allgaier’s lead ballooned to several seconds in the closing laps. As everyone else opted to pit again, the front three remained steady. By the checkered flag, Allgaier led by over five seconds in this crafty fuel mileage victory.
“I’m speechless man,” Allgaier said when greeted to fans chanting U-S-A. “You fans that stuck it out here tonight, thank you all so much. The USA chants, it’s Memorial Day, we all know how important today is.”
“Just so proud of this team. To have the Round Canopy Parachute Team on the car, to have the Defense Commissary Agency, Unilever, all the partners at JR Motorsports is great. Just cannot say enough about (crew chief) Jim Pohlman and everybody on this 7 team.”
“We thought we had a lack of speed this year, we’ve battled. Tonight was kind of the opposite, we had to go slow to go fast. Just so proud of the Hendrick Engine shop, everybody at Chevrolet, Brandt Professional Agriculture, all of our partners.”
“I can’t even begin to tell you how long of a day it’s been, how long of a week it’s been. My wife and kids are here, it’s the first time that my youngest daughter Willow gets to go to victory lane. Man I can’t tell you what this means to me.”
“I’m emotional as somebody who’s grandfather was in the Navy serving in WWII. The Round Canopy Parachute Team actually left this morning to go to Normandy, to do a jump on D-Day in a couple of days. Just a lot of emotions tonight. Again, thank you to Jim Pohlman, the 7 team, and our pit crew. I really am speechless.”
Allgaier is the sixth Xfinity driver to lock up a Playoff spot in 2023. JR Motorsports is finally back in the win column, with their second-straight Charlotte victory. This also marked career victory number 20 for Allgaier, tied for 16th-most all-time Xfinity Series wins.
Behind Allgaier, Nemechek, and Custer, the top-10 finishers were: Austin Hill, Ty Gibbs, Parker Retzlaff, Jeb Burton, Carson Hocevar, Brandon Jones, and Sammy Smith.
Allgaier will try and find victory lane again on the road course in Portland. In a much shorter turnaround than expected, Xfinity teams have four days to ship out to the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Office Automation 147 will go green Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Portland was a hectic inaugural race last year. With no AJ Allmendinger, the field of possible winners is wide open.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR
