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Berry Bests Allgaier in Late Battle for Xfinity Win at Charlotte

(Photo: Cody Porter | The Podium Finish)

CONCORD, N.C. — For the second time in the last four NASCAR Xfinity Series races, JR Motorsports teammates Josh Berry and Justin Allgaier battled for the lead with a win on the line. Berry beat Allgaier in a late duel at Dover Motor Speedway and Allgaier looked for his revenge Saturday in the Alsco Uniforms 300.

But, with 23 laps to go, Allgaier hit the wall and did so again several laps later. He eventually pitted with a blown tire. Berry never let off the gas, winning by over 18 seconds at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I’m not sure I knew I could rip the fence at Charlotte for 200 laps without hitting it,” Berry said in his post-race media conference. “I’m so thankful for the opportunity I’ve received with JR Motorsports to get here. They continued to believe in me for years.”

Berry qualified in fourth and quickly migrated to the lead alongside Allgaier. Berry won Stage 1 with Allgaier finishing second, while the two flip-flopped in Stage 2.

On Lap 119, Berry took the lead from Ryan Preece and led until a green flap pit cycle with 41 laps to go. Allgaier pitted a lap earlier and took the lead as the pit cycle concluded. But, on Lap 178, Berry took the lead for good. Allgaier pitted with his flat tire with 15 laps to go and nobody competed with Berry down the stretch en route to a sizeable victory.

“Our cars are phenomenal right now,” Berry said. “We’re going to have to race each other. More times than not, Justin and I seem to find each other racing for these wins and it was intense… We’re pushing each other to get better every week. That was a tough battle for sure. But, it [came] down to was going to slip, and thankfully, I didn’t.”

Allgaier finished seventh and earned 49 points despite the late pit stop. Just six drivers finished on the lead lap as the race finished on an 81-lap green-flag run.

“After the first contact in the wall down here, I kind of thought maybe the right rear was going soft, and it ultimately went down,” Allgaier told FS1. “I got into the fence again and pit under green. Just disappointing.”

Notables

  • Ty Gibbs finished second after not posting a qualifying lap and starting from the rear.
  • Sam Mayer finished third for his fourth consecutive top five.
  • Noah Gragson finished fourth after dropping a cylinder early in the race.
  • Ryan Preece finished fifth after late contact with Carson Hocevar dashed his Truck Series hopes on Friday.
  • Sheldon Creed finished eighth — the best among all rookies.
  • Trevor Bayne finished ninth in his fourth race with Joe Gibbs Racing on a part-time schedule.
  • Myatt Snider recorded his third top 10 of the season by finishing 10th.
  • Ryan Ellis finished 13th, tying a season-best for Alpha Prime Racing.
  • AJ Allmendinger finished 19th — his first finish outside the top 10 this season. He blew a tire in Stage 3.
  • Landon Cassill finished 29th after battling early mechanical issues.

Results

STAGE 1: Josh Berry, Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric, Sam Mayer, Ryan Preece, Ty Gibbs, Brandon Jones, Brett Moffitt

STAGE 2: Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Sam Mayer, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Preece, AJ Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Sheldon Creed, Daniel Hemric, Brett Moffitt

FINAL: Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, Sam Mayer, Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece, Daniel Hemric, Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, Trevor Bayne, Myatt Snider

Next

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns next weekend for its inaugural race at Portland International Raceway in Portland, OR. The race is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

Nathan Solomon serves as the managing editor of The Podium Finish. He has been part of the team since 2021 and is accredited by the National Motorsports Press Association. Solomon is a senior in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University. Contact him at NSolly02@Yahoo.com.

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