(Photo: Mitchell Richtmyre | The Podium Finish)
RICHMOND, Va. — Justin Allgaier has partaken in many Dash 4 Cash races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He said that Saturday’s event was the weirdest.
Despite finishing 13th, Allgaier managed to take home the $100,000 bonus, besting Sammy Smith, Daniel Hemric and teammate Sam Mayer.
At one point, all four drivers were a lap down. Allgaier, who ran fifth at the time, pitted with 40 laps to go to finish on fresher tires. Instead, a caution flew and put him behind the eight ball.
“This is the weirdest Dash 4 Cash race I think I’ve been a part of,” Allgaier said after the race. “To have the other three a lap down for the majority of the race, to end up a lap down because of a green flag pitstop … it was like none of us wanted to win it. We were all trying to give it away, but P13 — lucky 13 and car number seven — lucky seven.”
Smith had early speed and led at the Lap 35 competition caution. Instead of pitting with most of the other leaders, Smith and teammate John Hunter Nemechek elected to stay out and save a set of tires for later in the race.
That decision backfired.
Both Joe Gibbs Racing drivers got put a lap down before the end of Stage 1. Nemechek got back on the lead lap with the Lucky Dog, but Smith stayed a lap down nearly the entire race.
Mayer had left-rear issues and fell a lap down after Stage 1. Hemric battled a tight condition in Stage 2 and got lapped under green.
As Stage 3 progressed, it became more apparent to Allgaier and crew chief Jim Pohlman that the No. 7 would have to pit for tires.
(Photo: Mitchell Richtmyre | The Podium Finish)
“I tried to save as much as I could at the beginning [of the third stage],” Allgaier said. “I feel like we were doing a really good job, and when it was time to reap the rewards of saving tires, I didn’t have it. Something was going on, I told them — if we had something in the front end that maybe collapsed or broke … something just felt a little bit off.
“The way the green flag runs have been going, we felt like it was probably going to stay green until the end and everybody was going to have to come.”
After pitting, Allgaier blended into traffic nearly two laps down. A few laps later, Jeremy Clements slowed entering Turn 3 and limped onto pit road. His car completely stalled and NASCAR called the caution. Allgaier took the wave around and got back onto the lead lap.
But two more cautions in the closing laps allowed both Mayer and Smith to get back on the lead lap.
“The nerves were up a little bit at the end there, especially with those guys having tires and Sam [Mayer] getting the Lucky Dog with two cautions to go and then Sammy [Smith] getting it on the last caution,” Allgaier explained. “Ultimately, the guys did a great job. We had great pit stops all day, we made good adjustments.”
Despite the untimely caution, Allgaier held on for his fifth career Dash 4 Cash victory. He credited Pohlman for making the aggressive call — a call that could’ve won Allgaier the race had it finished caution-free.
“Proud of Jim Pohlman for making that call,” Allgaier said. “If it works out differently, it probably looks like a hero.”
