NASCAR: Austin Cindric holds off Justin Allgaier to win Xfinity Series title

Austin Cindric is the 2020 Xfinity Series champion after winning at Phoenix.

22-year-old Austin Cindric won a thriller at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday that ended with a title-deciding green-white-checkered finish.

A late caution set up a battle between Austin Cindric and Justin Allgaier for the championship, and Cindric appeared poised to drive away and win after withstanding Allgaier’s charge on the restart.

Things got more complicated when another title contender, Chase Briscoe, lost control and spun with under 10 laps remaining. Cindric opted to pit, while Allgaier – who did not have a set of tires remaining – had to stay out and take the lead. Cindric restarted the race third with two laps two go, directly behind Allgaier.

The final laps were hectic, with Noah Gragson taking the lead and blocking Cindric from trying to pass Allgaier on the inside. Cindric got a run and made contact with Allgaier while going three wide, but avoided wrecking and went on to pass Gragson for the win.

The Cup Series finale will start on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET on NBC.

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