The NASCAR Xfinity Series headed to the Bluegrass state at Kentucky Speedway for a doubleheader starting Thursday night in the Shady Rays 200. Chevrolets had seven cars starting in the top ten with JR Motorsports Noah Gragson on the pole and Ross Chastain next to him. Before the race began, two cars were sent to the rear of the field, and they were Bayley Currey and Mason Massey both for unapproved adjustments. As the cars rolled off pit road, Anthony Alfredo, driving for Richard Childress Racing, sat on pit road as his crews were working inside the car. The problem turned out to be the steering column coming loose. The crews fixed the issue, and Alfredo was out onto the track.
Lap 1. Turn 1. 💥 The #ShadyRays200 has started with a bang at @KySpeedway! pic.twitter.com/HgEL3Tnf4V — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) July 10, 2020
Not even one lap into the race, the first caution came out when Jeb Burton spun coming off of turn two and hit Brandon Jones, who had nowhere to go. Gragson would lead the field to the restart on lap 8. Ross Chastain got loose and lost a couple of positions to settle in fourth place. Gragson continued to lead when the competition caution came out a lap 17. Jeb Burton got the free pass and was now four laps down after making significant repairs to his car. Chase Briscoe, Kody Vanderwal, Brandon Brown, Matt Mills, and Tommy Joe Martins also pitted under caution.
Noah Gragson, along with Austin Cindric, led the field back to green on lap 20 with eleven laps to go in stage one. During the green, Justin Allgaier got loose battling for the fifth position and would lose two spots before settling in at the eighth position. Noah Gragson would go on to win stage one, his sixth stage win of the season.
Noah Gragson leads the Xfinity Series with six stage wins after capturing the first stage at Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/5yy6TomGwA — Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 10, 2020
Under the caution, Chase Briscoe, who pitted under the last caution and Mason Massey stayed out while the rest of the field pitted. Three drivers were sent to the rear of the field after pit stops, Harrison Burton (uncontrolled tire), Brett Moffitt (too many men over the wall), and Kyle Weatherman (too many men over the wall). Mason Massey pitted a lap later, leaving just Chase Briscoe the lone car, not to pit. He led the field back to green on lap 38 to start stage two.
Noah Gragson took the lead back from Briscoe after Briscoe reported a vibration in his car. He would lose another position on lap 54 as Austin Cindric went three-wide in the middle to get by Briscoe and a lapped down car for second place. This left Briscoe now sitting in third. Gragson continued to lead and having no challengers went on to win stage two easily. Gragson now has seven wins and, for the first time in his career, has swept both stages.
Get saucy with that apron, @AustinCindric. 🔥 The laps are winding down on FS1! #ShadyRays200 pic.twitter.com/pg87dErc3V — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) July 10, 2020
All of the lead lap cars pitted for four tires under caution with Gragson winning the race off of pit road with Chase Briscoe coming out second. The final stage got underway at lap 68. After being penalized for an uncontrolled tire under the last caution, Harrison Burton worked his way up to the seventh position. The green flag run lasted twenty-one laps before the fifth caution would come out at lap 89 after Justin Haley got loose and hit Brandon Brown’s car completely taking off the rear bumper.
Trouble for Brandon Brown! pic.twitter.com/xxvEIrJhFU — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 10, 2020
Under the caution, all of the lead lap cars pitted. Some took two tires while others took four. Ross Chastain was caught speeding and had to go to the rear on the restart. Justin Haley led the field back to green on lap 95. During the green flag, Austin Cindric passed Haley for the lead. Eight laps into the restart, the sixth caution would come out after both Ross Chastain and Brett Moffitt made contact battling for the 12th position, saving their cars in the process and not suffering any significant damage with 32 laps to go. There was smoke coming out of Moffitt’s car for a bit; however, that smoke disappeared. No one pitted under caution and the race resumed with 28 laps to go.
Cindric remained in the lead but not for long as Justin Haley got a big push from Chase Briscoe to take the lead; however, Cindric would get the lead back. With sixteen laps to go, Coby Howard and Anthony Alfredo got together at turn one to bring out the seventh caution. Howard’s car hit the inside wall. Howard waited for Alfredo before getting into the ambulance to head to the infield care center.
"FAST PASTA?!? IS THAT A MICROWAVE REFERENCE?" – Colby Howard (probably) pic.twitter.com/rdHnzjXq4T — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 10, 2020
No one came to pit road, and Cindric led the field back to green with ten laps to go. Four laps into the restart, Harrison Burton was racing Michael Annett, and Burton got loose at turn three to bring out the eighth caution of the night. With that caution, the race was now heading to overtime.
Harrison Burton goes around! LATE. RESTART. COMING. UP.@NASCAR_Xfinity | #NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/AzvYe3iljn — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 10, 2020
In overtime, Cindric led the field back to green and pulled away from Chase Briscoe. Cindric reached the white flag and would go on to win the Shady Rays 200 under caution over the second-place finisher Riley Herbst. A wreck occurred in the backstretch involving Alex Labbe, Justin Allgaier, Kody Vanderwal, and Timmy Hill. For Cindric, this was his first win of the season, and he punched his ticket to the Xfinity Series playoffs.
Retweet to congratulate @AustinCindric! He wins at Kentucky as cars crash behind him. pic.twitter.com/7Xmh3ACrgl — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 10, 2020
The rest of the top ten finishers were Ross Chastain third, Chase Briscoe fourth, Michael Annett fifth, Anthony Alfredo sixth, Justin Haley seventh, Kyle Weatherman eighth, Ryan Sieg ninth, and Brett Moffitt tenth. There were six lead changes by four drivers and nine cautions for forty laps.
Huge crash at the finish in Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/PsTJPzOUb8 — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 10, 2020
After the race, Justin Allgaier was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. Alex Labbe and Timmy Hill were treated and released from the infield care center. The points standings after race fourteen has Chase Briscoe leading with Noah Gragson in second, and Austin Cindric third.
Xfinity playoff grid: Briscoe-5w, Gragson-2w, HBurton-2w, Cindric-1w, Haley-1w, Jones-1w, Chastain +252, Allgaier +162, Annett +117, Sieg +65, Herbst +42, Snider +4, Brown -4, Labbe -35, Clements -40, Little -50. #nascar @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/zbD0t15nJX — Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 10, 2020
The doubleheader concludes at Kentucky Speedway for the Xfinity Series Friday night for the Alsco 300 at 8 pm on FS1.
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