Tag: JR Motorsports

Allgaier muscles to Xfinity Series title as Herbst roars to Phoenix win

In one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent memory, longtime fan favorite Justin Allgaier at last claimed the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship trophy Saturday night at Phoenix Raceway – coming from a lap-down mid-race in a back-up car to …

In one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent memory, longtime fan favorite Justin Allgaier at last claimed the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship trophy Saturday night at Phoenix Raceway – coming from a lap-down mid-race in a back-up car to hoist the hardware.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst’s No. 98 Ford passed Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race win on the last lap of double-overtime for his second win of the season and joined the new series champ Allgaier in twin celebratory burnouts on the front stretch of the mile-track.

 

“I said all weekend, I don’t know what the plan is, but HE has a reason for everything and tonight is true of that, this is mind-blowing, it really is,” said Allgaier, his voice already hoarse and strained from screaming in happiness, but the smile unshakable as his young daughters came in for a hug for dad.

“This team never gave up. [Crew chief] Jim Pohlman and his leadership skills are second to none. He told me all weekend that we were going to have a chance and we tried to give it away every way we could.”

It was an emotional outcome for the 38-year old Allgaier, who joked that he was just trying to make the race exciting for the fans. He has qualified for the Championship 4 seven times, finishing runner-up twice including last year.

And now he could finally celebrate. Allgaier’s team owners, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelly Earnhardt Miller joined Allgaier’s longtime sponsor Rick Brandt on pit road. They were overjoyed to congratulate their driver who overcame a weekend of obstacles to finally claim this historic moment – and it came on a night when the sport observed a moment of silence to honor another great champion, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison, who passed away earlier Saturday.

The obstacles Allgaier faced happened well before the race’s green flag. His primary car was destroyed in a crash four laps into Friday’s opening practice session after running over oil on track from another car that ultimately forced four drivers into back-ups for the race. The car swap meant Allgaier started last in the 38th car field Saturday night, but the always-upbeat 14-year veteran of the series moved into the top 10 by lap 26.

Then, after all that work, Allgaier was called for a restart violation on lap 101 and sent down pit road for a penalty … only to be called for speeding on the way out and penalized with another trip down pit road – both penalties served during green flag racing. After the penalties, Allgaier dropped to 35th on track and was a lap down on lap 107 of the scheduled 200-lapper.

He got a huge break in fortune with a caution period with 45 laps remaining – opting to stay out and get back on the lead lap. He stayed in the top 10 and worked his way forward — moving from sixth place to second on the first overtime restart. He started on the front row of the second overtime restart, but was passed on the final lap by Herbst for the race win. Allgaier’s second place finish was still good enough to land the championship, however.

It marked the third career win for the 25-year old Las Vegas native Herbst, who crossed the line 0.247s ahead of Allgaier and led a dominating 167 of the 213 laps.

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“I knew we were going to have a fast race car. These guys have been working on this race car and I knew we were going to be really, really fast,” said Herbst, whose SHR team is closing at the conclusion of the season. “It’s been a really tough week at the shop, really emotional time. I’m forever grateful to every man and woman at Stewart-Haas Racing; they gave me a really fast car today and I can’t thank everyone enough.”

It was actually fellow championship contender – reigning champ Cole Custer — who mounted the most consistent challenge to Herbst. He ran up front for most of the race, just off the pace of his SHR teammate and ultimately finished eighth in the No. 00 SHR Ford – his effort answered last year’s title with a runner-up in this year’s championship standings.

The other two championship contenders, Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill finished ninth and 10th. As disappointed as the three title contenders were in not claiming the season championship, each conceded the night had a positive ending with their longtime competitor Allgaier finally getting that trophy after 14 years of competition in the series.

“I’m really happy for Justin; that was a long time coming,” said Custer, who will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series full time next season. “He’s definitely a deserving champion and they ran a great race, especially there at the end.”

Hill, making his first Championship 4 appearance, agreed with the sentiment.

“Justin Allgaier has been doing this for a really long time and to see him finally get it done, I’m really happy for him and happy for his family,” he said. “He’s a great guy to be around, a great competitor.

“He’s going to be a great champion for the Xfinity Series. I’ve enjoyed racing that No. 7 team all season long. If I couldn’t have gotten the championship, I’m glad he was the one that got it done.”

RESULTS

Smith clinches spot in Xfinity’s Round of 8 with Talladega win

A last lap pass for the win is a recurring theme at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and that’s exactly what landed JR Motorsports driver Sammy Smith in Victory Lane on Saturday. It was the only lap he led all day but it was good enough to win …

A last lap pass for the win is a recurring theme at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and that’s exactly what landed JR Motorsports driver Sammy Smith in Victory Lane on Saturday. It was the only lap he led all day but it was good enough to win Saturday’s United Rentals 250 overtime thriller and earn Smith an automatic berth into the next round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.

It was a huge turn of fortune for the 20-year old Iowa native, who came into the race ranked last among the 12 Playoff drivers and winless on the season. He started his No. 8 JRM Chevrolet 27th in Saturday’s 38-car field, but moved forward rapidly from the fall of the green flag, running near the front most of the day, avoiding multiple multi-car accidents and making the move to the checkered flag when it counted most.

 

“It’s been a really tough year,’’ said Smith. “It’s been a while and it’s been a struggle, but I’m very happy to be here and looking forward to getting better on these ovals and road courses.”

It was high-stakes performance for the young talent, whose only other victory came last April at the Phoenix Raceway one-miler. Just this week with Playoff elimination a possibility, he piqued his team owner’s brain for tips on racing on the Talladega 2.66-mile high banks — his team owner being Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won six NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega including an unprecedented four in a row.

“We sat down Wednesday,’’ Smith said. “It wasn’t a whole lot, but asking him what he would do in certain situations [on the big track]. Feels really good to win again.”

Smith beat RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg to the line by a slight 0.177s with a three-wide battle on track right behind featuring Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith who rounded out the top five.

Herbst was leading with a lap remaining only to get passed in a massive push forward that included a run by Chandler Smith – ultimately both losing out to Sammy Smith and Ryan Sieg. Frustrated, after the race Herbst immediately walked over to Chandler Smith’s car and had words with the young driver.

“I was just telling him, he had his teammate behind him and was in the best spot you want to be in and I told him he made a right move but in the wrong place,’’ Herbst said. “He would have won the race and all he did was kill his run, my run and his teammate’s run and let the No. 8 [Sammy Smith] get away.”

Polesitter, rookie Jesse Love led a race best 28 of the 98 laps in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet finishing sixth in a race marked with six cautions, a brief red flag, 11 race leaders and 28 lead changes.

Although relatively calm through the early goings – Chandler Smith won the opening stage and RCR’s Austin Hill won the second stage – the final laps lived up to Talladega expectation. Only three of the 12 Playoff drivers managed to avoid being caught up – to varying degrees – in accidents on the afternoon.

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Two perennial championship favorites and current Playoff drivers, Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger and JR Motorsports Justin Allgaier were among those that led laps – as expected – but were also collected in multi-car accidents.

Allmendinger still rallied to an 11th place showing after his No. 16 Chevy suffered minor damage in a 12-car accident with three laps remaining that triggered a nearly 10-minute red flag stoppage and forced overtime. Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet suffered more damage in the crash and he finished 26th.

Reigning series champion, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer was also caught up in the accident and finished 27th. Fellow Playoff competitor, Kaulig Racing’s Shane Van Gisbergen – a three-race winner this season — was a part of a multi-car accident earlier, with 18 laps remaining, and finished 36th.

Jeb Burton finished seventh with David Starr, Brennan Poole and Kyle Sieg rounding out the top 10.

Next week’s race at the Charlotte ROVAL will decide which eight drivers advance in the Playoffs. With Smith’s win today, three positions will be decided next weekend. Chandler Smith now holds a strong 57-point edge on the cutoff points position with Hill, Custer, Creed, Love, Herbst and Sam Mayer rounding out the top eight.

Mayer holds a slim 10-point advantage in the final transfer position over Allmendinger and he’s 18 points up on his JRM teammate Allgaier.

Van Gisbergen, who has won three road course races already this year, goes into the Charlotte road course-oval hybrid 21 points back. Parker Kligerman, who finished 12th Saturday despite being collected in multiple wrecks, is 26 points off Mayer for that final transfer position.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to competition next week at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course for Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (4 p.m. ET, CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Mayer is the defending the race winner.

RESULTS

Carson Kvapil joins JR Motorsports full-time in NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025

Carson Kvapil officially joins JR Motorsports full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series starting in 2025.

[autotag]Carson Kvapil[/autotag] and [autotag]JR Motorsports[/autotag] have finally announced the inevitable. On Tuesday afternoon, JR Motorsports announced that Kvapil will be promoted to full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series starting in 2025. The 21-year-old driver will have backing from Bass Pro Shops and compete in the No. 1 car left vacant by Sam Mayer.

Kvapil has impressed in his select races during the 2024 Xfinity Series season with three top-5 finishes and four top-10 finishes in eight starts. The JR Motorsports driver’s best performance came at Dover Motor Speedway when he finished in second place behind Ryan Truex. Kvapil has also led 63 laps throughout the 2024 season.

Kvapil will join Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, and Connor Zilisch in what’s expected to be a very powerful lineup for JR Motorsports in 2025. Zilisch is regarded as a future NASCAR Cup Series champion, while Kvapil has greatly impressed in his select starts. JR Motorsports has a lineup worth tuning in for, and Kvapil will help lead the way in his first full-time season.

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Zilisch gives a masterclass en route to first Xfinity victory at the Glen

Introducing … Connor Zilisch. The 18-year-old North Carolina native made his formal entree into big time NASCAR racing with a major statement holding off the field on a pair of thrilling overtime restarts at the historic 2.45-mile Watkins Glen …

Introducing … Connor Zilisch.

The 18-year-old North Carolina native made his formal entree into big time NASCAR racing with a major statement holding off the field on a pair of thrilling overtime restarts at the historic 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International road course to claim his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in his first career start.

The Mission 200 at The Glen finished under caution with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sheldon Creed finishing runner-up – for a record 12th time – emerging from a three-wide battle for second place with a multi-car accident farther behind in the field bringing out the yellow flag that ultimately froze the field.

“I worked so hard for this one,” a smiling Zilisch said, his voice cracking with emotion. “I’ve been working for this one for months and it’s so special to me, man. I don’t even have words.

“I don’t know how I saved enough, I sputtered up the hill,” he said of having to save fuel in the closing laps which included a restart with two laps remaining and then two more in overtime.

“With two to go, I didn’t think I was going to make it back to the line, even. I’m going to enjoy this one for a while. I can’t say enough about JR Motorsports and everyone who supports me.”

 

Zilisch, who also won in class in this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona IMSA race, is the seventh driver to win in his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start – a list that includes the legendary Dale Earnhardt and current NASCAR Cup Series standout Ty Gibbs. He also becomes the second youngest race winner — to Joey Logano — in series history at 18 years, one month and 23 days.

It was that kind of weekend for the young driver, who led a race best 45 of the 90 laps after earning his first career Xfinity Series pole position earlier Saturday. On Friday, he claimed his fifth ARCA Menards Series victory in seven starts.

His work Saturday wasn’t necessarily an “easy” win, however. He really had to earn it — rallying from a mid-race penalty and managing fuel in the closing laps.

In an unusual situation during a caution, Zilisch received a penalty while running among the top-three late in the race. NASCAR ruled the top-running trio – also including Gibbs and Sammy Smith – cut the course and the penalty sent them all to the rear for the restart. Zilisch rallied from 31st-place and was top five 20 laps later.

Creed, who is still competing for that first series victory after so many close calls, smiled on pit road Saturday, conceding this time his second-place finish was one he could actually be pleased with instead of seeing it as a near-miss. His rally on the final lap getting the best of some of the best road course drivers was a small victory in and of itself.

“Just trying to keep the nose on it there, actually really fun,” Creed said of the last lap battle. “I felt like that was the battle for the win probably there if the No. 88 [Zilisch] ran out [of fuel]. I thought I put myself in really good positions to end up second again. I’m actually happy for how my day was going.”

He finished just ahead of Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger, the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ all-time road course best, JGR teammate Chandler Smith and Kaulig’s Shane van Gisbergen, who had won the season’s previous three road course races.

Van Gisbergen was so impressed with Zilisch that when he congratulated the teenager in Victory Lane, he smiled and suggested some team should put Zilisch in a NASCAR Cup Series car for Sunday’s race.

Zilisch’s took a call from team owner, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. during his winner’s press conference.

“Enjoy this; you never win your first again,” Earnhardt told him.

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Ross Chastain, who won the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the track earlier Saturday, finished sixth in the DGM Racing Chevrolet with Big Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman scoring a seventh-place finish. Richard Childress Racing rookie Jesse Love was eighth, followed by Joey Logano in the AM Racing car and MBM Motorsports’ Josh Bilicki.

The race was impactful with only a single event now left in the regular season to determine the 12-driver Playoff field. JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier finished 17th after an eventful day when the veteran was collected in multiple multi-car incidents. He still emerged as the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship leader by 43-points over defending series champion, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer, who finished 21st Saturday after also being caught up in incidents on track.

At the other end of the standings, JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith was able to slightly extend his advantage over RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg for the 12th and final Playoff position. Despite a mechanical issue from his first green flag pit stop, Smith was able to rally to a 19th-place finish. Sieg, who collected points during the second stage, is now 44 points behind Smith heading to Bristol.

The regular season finale concludes with Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Current NASCAR Cup Series driver Noah Gragson is the defending race winner.

RESULTS

JR Motorsports linked to young NASCAR driver to replace Brandon Jones in 2025

JR Motorsports has been linked to a young NASCAR driver to replace Brandon Jones in 2025. Who could drive the No. 9 Xfinity car in 2025?

On Tuesday morning, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Brandon Jones is making a big return to the organization in 2025. Jones will drive full-time for the team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on a multi-year deal after leaving in 2022. The No. 9 driver for [autotag]JR Motorsports[/autotag] has struggled over the last two years, and in the hour after his announcement, the NASCAR team has already been linked to a possible replacement.

According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, JR Motorsports is working to find funding for Carson Kvapil in 2025. As of now, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, and Connor Zilisch are under contract for next year, leaving one likely seat for JR Motorsports. Kvapil has made several starts for JR Motorsports in 2024 and has been very impressive.

Kvapil is the son of the 2003 NASCAR Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil and has taken the Xfinity Series world by storm. With three drivers already locked into the 2025 driver lineup, Kvapil would be the perfect replacement for Jones next year. JR Motorsports knows that NASCAR is a business, so finding sponsorship for Kvapil is the most important factor in this process.

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Allgaier cruises to win in Michigan as competitors clash behind

Justin Allgaier used pit strategy and a fast No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to take the lead of Saturday’s Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway with 16 laps of regulation remaining and then held off the field in two laps of overtime – …

Justin Allgaier used pit strategy and a fast No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to take the lead of Saturday’s Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway with 16 laps of regulation remaining and then held off the field in two laps of overtime – before a caution came out ending the race for an accident mid-field.

Allgaier pit for fuel seven laps later than the next six front-runners at the time, returned to the track and ultimately – methodically — picked each car off to claim the late lead. He took the white flag signaling one lap remaining and a few moments later one of the late-race leaders Carson Kvapil hit the wall in what became a chain reaction melee involving Chandler Smith and Kyle Sieg, whose car flipped end-over-end. Sieg was able to quickly climb out of his car and walked to the waiting medical crew.

 

Meanwhile Allgaier took the yellow and checkered flags just ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sheldon Creed, JGR’s John Hunter Nemechek, Our Motorsports’ Anthony Alfredo and JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith.

It’s the sixth consecutive top-10 finish in as many races for the 38-year-old Allgaier, who with the win – the 25th of his career – is now 10th on the NASCAR Xfinity Series all-time win list moving ahead of his team owner, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.

A bright rainbow hung in the sky as the field sat on pit road just before the overtime re-start as NASCAR track workers dried the famed two-mile Michigan track after the second brief rain shower of the day.

Tasked with rallying again, Allgaier proved his muster, ultimately passing his teammate Sammy Smith on the restart and then holding off both JGR teammates Creed and defending race winner Nemechek for his second victory of the season.

“Just cannot say thank you enough to this team and all these guys standing right here,” Allgaier said. “It’s been an incredible week. We did not show up at [the last race in] Indianapolis like we wanted to and these guys have worked tirelessly through this break.

“It’s truly special, winning at Michigan.”

For Creed, it was a record 11th runner-up finish – breaking a tie with current NASCAR Cup Series driver and former Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett for most second-place finishes in the series without a win.

Trophy or not, it was a productive day for Creed, who started from pole position and also announced before the race that he signed a multi-year contract to drive for the new Haas Factory Team in the series next season. He was among the seven race leaders, out front for 23 laps and his rally to runner-up that more impressive considering he spun out while leading early in the race.

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“This one might have frustrated me the most out of all of them so far,” Creed said. “I had a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota GR Supra as fast as Xfinity internet today, and led the beginning, got spun there and rallied back.

“I was probably too conservative behind the No. 20 (John Hunter Nemechek) trying to save fuel. I was a couple, few laps short on fuel there and the No. 7 (Justin Allgaier) was in a little bit better spot, and once the No. 7 got around both of us, and the No. 88 (Carson Kvapil), I know I needed to go. I probably set behind the No. 20 another two laps and then charged and was running the No. 7 down. Just had a really good car, but that caution for rain came at a bad time for us.”

NASCAR Cup Series regular Noah Gragson, Matt DiBenedetto, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship contender Taylor Gray, Caesar Bacarella and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top 10. It marks only the third top 10 of Bacarella’s career.

With five regular season races remaining, Sammy Smith moves into the 12th place in the championship standings holding the final Playoff position by a single point over Ryan Sieg, who won Stage 1 and finished 13th on Saturday.

Cole Custer finished an uncharacteristic 30th-place after his Ford suffered damage in a mid-race accident. The defending series champion continues to lead the regular season championship, but his advantage has been trimmed now to only 12 points over race winner Allgaier.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series moves to the famed Daytona International Speedway for Friday’s Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Allgaier is the defending race winner.

RESULTS

JR Motorsports linked to rising NASCAR star in Xfinity Series for 2025

JR Motorsports has been linked to a rising NASCAR star in the Xfinity Series for 2025. Which future NASCAR superstar could be full-time?

[autotag]JR Motorsports[/autotag] has been one of NASCAR’s best developmental organizations in the lower ranks, producing the likes of Chase Elliott and William Byron. Since the start of 2023, the NASCAR team has seen Sam Mayer grow into a true championship contender. Now, JR Motorsports is being linked to a generational NASCAR talent.

According to Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern, JR Motorsports is in discussions with Connor Zilisch for a full-time seat in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for 2025. Zilisch is regarded as one of NASCAR’s best prospects and has taken the racing world by storm over the last few years. The 17-year-old driver is scheduled to compete with JR Motorsports later in 2024.

Zilisch signed with Trackhouse Racing last offseason, and they are involved in discussions with JR Motorsports. Mayer could be moving to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025, leaving an opening in the No. 1 car. Either way, Zilisch is projected to be a Cup Series champion one day, and JR Motorsports should not let this opportunity go to a different organization.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks JR Motorsports will never move to NASCAR Cup Series

Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks JR Motorsports will never own a NASCAR Cup Series charter. What did Earnhardt say about his ownership in NASCAR?

[autotag]JR Motorsports[/autotag] has been on record for its desire to move to the NASCAR Cup Series; however, it would require a charter to make it reasonable. Without a charter, a NASCAR team struggles to make any profit and operate for long-term success. [autotag]Dale Earnahrdt Jr.[/autotag] and Kelley Earnhardt Miller are trying, but it has yet to work out in their favor.

With the rumors of NASCAR charters flying around, Earnhardt spoke to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass about the possibility of JR Motorsports moving to the Cup Series. Based on his response, it isn’t good news for those who want to see JR Motorsports at NASCAR’s top level.

“We’re out of the charter business right now,” Earnhardt said. “The sale of a charter, I would call it a cycle, right? Well, we missed this last cycle. We’ll see what comes down the road. I’m almost feeling like that if I were to ever get involved in the [NASCAR Cup Series] side, it would be like an investment — my personal monetary investment in something current.”

“I would be open to talking to team owners about putting money into a particular singular charter and saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to park an investment here in this charter. I’m leaving that for my generations down the road, my girls, and what have you.’ It wouldn’t be anything other than that. So I don’t know if we’ll ever have JR Motorsports physically owning charters, running a race team operating every facet of that. I think that that ship has sailed.”

Earnhardt thinks the “ship has sailed” for JR Motorsports to own charters and run a race team in the Cup Series. This is mainly due to the high charter prices, which currently run above $20 million. Earnhardt may invest in a current team, but JR Motorsports’ time of joining the Cup Series may be in the past.

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Mayer muscles by Herbst in fraught Xfinity tire battle in Iowa

In a race of tire management and hurt feelings, Sam Mayer held off Riley Herbst in overtime to win Saturday’s Hy-Vee Perks 250 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ return to Iowa Speedway after a four-year hiatus. Mayer’s No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet …

In a race of tire management and hurt feelings, Sam Mayer held off Riley Herbst in overtime to win Saturday’s Hy-Vee Perks 250 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ return to Iowa Speedway after a four-year hiatus.

Mayer’s No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet crossed the finish line 0.146s ahead of the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Herbst, who felt Mayer had abused him earlier in the race.

The victory was Mayer’s second of the season and the sixth of his career, all coming within the last 29 races in the series.

“We struggled [Friday in practice], and the team went to work,” said Mayer, who started fifth when qualifying was canceled because of rain earlier on Saturday. “Obviously, we did pretty good overnight, making different changes on this race car.

“I feel really good. I could do another 100 laps — with a race car like this, it would be a lot of fun.”

 

Mayer held the lead when John Hunter Nemechek slammed the outside wall in Turn 4 with his left front tire down, the result of close quarters racing with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Sheldon Creed.

That accident on lap 245 caused the ninth caution of the afternoon and sent the race three laps beyond its scheduled distance.

In the overtime, Mayer and Herbst took the green flag side-by-side and remained in that posture into Turn 1, but Mayer cleared the race runner-up off Turn 2 and held the top spot the rest of the way.

“I like racing Sam, but Stage 1 or 2 he just absolutely brooms me,” Herbst said. “We were racing clean for fourth, and he takes us back to 10th and then doors me down the back straightaway before the green-white-checker.

“It’s just frustrating the way he wants to do that, but all in all, it was fun. I’m happy to be back on ovals. The speed is back in the No. 98.”

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Corey Heim finished a career-best third after starting 22nd because of the qualifying rainout. Sammy Smith was fourth, followed by Creed, who survived the dust-up with Nemechek after a restart on lap 238.

Cole Custer, Matt DiBenedetto, Chandler Smith, Ross Chastain and Daniel Dye completed the top 10.

If any driver had cause for frustration, it was Chandler Smith, who led a race-high 131 laps and swept the first two stages. Smith restarted third to begin the final stage, but lack of short-run speed quickly dropped him to 12th, and he never recovered.

Austin Hill likewise had reason to bemoan his result. Overcoming early handling issues, Hill charged into the top five in the final stage, but a cut left front tire sent him hard into the Turn 1 wall on lap 218, causing the seventh caution.

Hill finished 29th and dropped to third in the series standings, 41 points behind Custer, the current leader and defending series champion. Chandler Smith, second in the standings, trails Custer by one point.

RESULTS

JR Motorsports not expected to buy a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing

JR Motorsports is not expected to buy a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

[autotag]Stewart-Haas Racing[/autotag] announced last week that it will shut down after the 2024 NASCAR season. This means Stewart-Haas Racing will sell its four charters in the NASCAR Cup Series, with several drivers and employees hitting the open market. With four charters available, could [autotag]JR Motorsports[/autotag] acquire one? It doesn’t appear that will be the case for the 2025 season.

According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Dale Earnhardt Jr. confirmed that JR Motorsports is not among the teams in line to purchase a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. This comes as Front Row Motorsports has purchased a charter, leaving three. 23XI Racing and Trackhouse Racing are expected to buy two from Stewart-Haas Racing.

This would leave one charter on the market, but JR Motorsports is not expected to be in those conversations. Earnhardt previously gave a big update about JR Motorsports’ future in the Cup Series, and there could be other avenues. It will be fascinating to see if JR Motorsports ever reaches NASCAR’s top level, as the Earnhardt family belongs in the Cup Series.

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