The NASCAR Xfinity Series concluded the 2020 season Saturday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway in the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200. Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe, Justin Allgaier, and Justin Haley were competing for the championship. The “Choose Cone Rule” returns for the final time of the season. Justin Allgaier won the pole by a metric qualifying system with Chase Briscoe starting in second, Austin Cindric third, and Justin Haley fourth.
It all comes down to this! The #Championship4 in the #XfinitySeries is green from @phoenixraceway on NBCSN! pic.twitter.com/oTGK2hYbTu — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 7, 2020
The race was two laps in when Jeffrey Earnhardt’s car shut off on him, and he was tagged from behind by BJ McLeod on the backstretch to bring out the first caution. Justin Allgaier chose the inside lane with Briscoe outside for the restart on lap seven. Austin Cindric got aggressive at turn one for the lead but came up short as Chase Briscoe was now the new leader. Ten laps later, Cindric was right behind Briscoe when Briscoe went to the high lane and made contact with the turn two wall but managed to hold onto the lead.
.@ChaseBriscoe5 is using every inch of @phoenixraceway! The No. 98 is your leader at the competition caution in Stage 1. #Championship4 pic.twitter.com/wYS1qP8yHA — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 7, 2020
Briscoe led 13 laps when the competition caution came out at lap 20. No one went to pit road during the caution. Both Briscoe and Cindric chose the outside lane with Allgaier inside, improving his position from third to second for the restart on lap 27. A lap later, Matt Mills and JJ Yeley got together at turn two that brought out the afternoon’s third caution.
Briscoe chose the outside lane with Allgaier inside for the restart on lap 35. Three laps into the restart, Allgaier came close to getting the lead from Briscoe, but he got loose trying to make the pass, and Briscoe held on to the lead for the moment. Allgaier now had Cindric behind him, and on lap 41, Cindric passed him for second place. Cindric challenged Briscoe as stage one was nearing an end, but Briscoe just edged Cindric to win stage one.
STAGE WINNER: BRISCOE AT THE LINE! @ChaseBriscoe5 edges @AustinCindric to take the opening stage of the #DesertDiamond200! pic.twitter.com/t0nqfMh3L0 — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 7, 2020
Tommy Joe Martins stayed out while everyone else pitted during the caution, with Allgaier and Briscoe the first two off of pit road. Joe Martins chose the inside lane with Allgaier outside to start stage two on lap 54. Briscoe dove to the bottom of the racetrack to take the lead briefly before Allgaier took the lead away from Briscoe at turn three. Cindric would take the second spot away from Briscoe, and on lap 69, he was now battling Noah Gragson to keep third place. Tommy Joe Martins car blew a motor to bring out the fifth caution.
🔊 Here they come! pic.twitter.com/0H7swm92Qw — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 7, 2020
No one went to pit road during the caution. Both Allgaier and Cindric chose the inside lane with Noah Gragson outside, improving his position from fourth to second on the restart with ten laps to go in stage two. With eight laps to go, Cindric passed Allgaier on the inside of turn three for the lead. Cindric led the last eight laps to win stage two.
NEW LEADER: @AustinCindric completes the pass of @J_Allgaier to take over the top spot! It's the first lead of the day for the No. 22! pic.twitter.com/msf04WtRdm — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 7, 2020
Everyone went to pit road during the caution with Brandon Jones and Chase Briscoe, the first two off of pit road. Jones chose the outside lane with Briscoe inside to start the final stage on lap 99. On the restart, Allgaier dove to the bottom of the racetrack for the lead after restarting in fourth place. Jones would lose the second position nine laps later to Cindric. On lap 130, Cindric passed Allgaier from the inside lane off of turn three for the lead.
.@J_Allgaier with the power move to the lead! Less than 100 laps remain in the #Championship4! pic.twitter.com/LJgfHpmrD8 — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 7, 2020
Brandon Jones was able to gain ground and took the second position away from Allgaier on lap 139. Allgaier was concerned that his right front tire was coming apart, and he would lose two more positions before pitting on lap 160. Ten laps later, Joe Graft Jr. slammed the outside wall off of turn two to bring out the seventh caution.
.@J_Allgaier with the power move to the lead! Less than 100 laps remain in the #Championship4! pic.twitter.com/LJgfHpmrD8 — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 7, 2020
Cindric and Jones, who both pitted on lap 162, stayed out during the caution while others went to pit road. Cindric chose the outside lane with Jones inside for the restart on lap 178. The restart lasted twenty laps before Chase Briscoe suffered a flat tire and made contact with the outside wall off of turn two, bringing out the day’s eighth caution. Justin Allgaier and Ross Chastain stayed out while everyone else pitted during the caution, with Gragson and Cindric the first two cars off of pit road.
Allgaier chose the outside lane with Chastain inside for the restart with two laps to go. Cindric went three-wide for the lead with Gragson and Allgaier with the white flag waving. Gragson got the lead off of turn two, but Cindric took it entering turn three to win the race and the championship by .162 seconds over Noah Gragson. This is Penske’s second Xfinity Series championship, with the first being back in 2010 by Brad Keselowski.
WHAT A FINISH! WHAT A SEASON! Retweet to congratulate @AustinCindric on winning his first #XfinitySeries title! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0IzXHmjMtW — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 8, 2020
The rest of the top ten finishers were Brandon Jones third, Michael Annett fourth, Justin Allgaier fifth, Harrison Burton sixth, Ross Chastain seventh, Justin Haley eighth, Chase Briscoe ninth, and Jeremy Clements tenth. There were seven cautions for 47 laps and sixteen lead changes.
THE CHAMPION IS HERE! @AustinCindric | @Team_Penske pic.twitter.com/SPq7h7OMhW — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 8, 2020
That concludes the 2020 Xfinity Series season. Thanks for turning in all season long, and will do it again next year.
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