The final race of the Round of 8 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs concluded Saturday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway in the Draft Top 250. This is the first time since 2006 that the Xfinity Series has raced at Martinsville. The “Choose Cone Rule” returned for this race. Austin Cindric won the pole by a metric qualifying system, with Noah Gragson started second. Kyle Weatherman and Josh Reaume were sent to the back of the field for driver changes.
Let's get 👻 spooky! The cutoff race from @MartinsvilleSwy is green! 📺: NBC Mobile 📱: https://t.co/593lUVrknA pic.twitter.com/8kryVSGnl2 — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) October 31, 2020
Three laps into the race, Gray Gaulding’s car stalled at turn one to bring out the first caution. Cindric was leading the race and chose the inside lane with Gragson outside for the restart on the ninth lap. Cindric continued to lead when the competition caution came out at lap 25. Ryan Sieg, Myatt Snider, and eight others went to pit road during the caution. Cindric chose the inside lane with Gragson outside for the restart on lap 32.
Problems continued for Gray Gaulding when he spun at turn two to bring out the third caution, with Kyle Weatherman getting the free pass. No one went to pit road during the caution. Cindric chose the inside lane with Gragson outside for the restart on lap 43. Cindric and Gragson were side-by-side for the lead before Gragson took sole possession of first place from the outside lane at turn four on lap 44. Gragson led the last seventeen laps to win stage one.
.@NoahGragson uses the top to take the lead early. Can he win his way into the #Championship4? pic.twitter.com/8sbwKj8L05 — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) October 31, 2020
JJ Yeley, Stefan Parsons, Ryan Sieg stayed out while everyone else pitted during the caution. Parsons would pit a lap later, leaving Yeley and Sieg the only ones to not pit. Yeley and Sieg chose the inside lane with Harrison Burton outside, improving his position from third to second to start stage two on lap 69.
Stage 2 is underway on NBC and on https://t.co/593lUVrknA! Don't miss a second of the action from the 📎 pic.twitter.com/tb8lYy2DWJ — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) October 31, 2020
Harrison Burton would take the lead from Yeley a lap into stage two. On lap 73, Stefan Parsons, BJ McLeod, Donald Theetge, and Matt Mills were involved in an accident to bring out the fifth caution. McLeod, Theetge, Mills, and Parsons were able to continue the race, but the caution turned into a red flag as track crews had to clean up the dirt put on the track at turn three. The red flag lasted seven minutes before it was lifted. No one went to pit road during the caution. Harrison Burton chose the inside lane with Gragson outside for the restart on lap 81.
Gragson briefly got the lead from Burton before Burton took it back a lap later. Gragson would lose the second spot five laps later to Ross Chastain. Five laps later, Chastain caught Burton, and the two were fighting for the lead. Chastain would get the lead away from Burton a lap later. Matt Mills’s car was leaking fluid on the racetrack to bring out the sixth caution. His day was done, and he would finish in 38th place. During the caution, Chastain and Gragson stayed out while everyone else went to pit road. Chastain chose the inside lane with Gragson outside for the restart on lap 115. Chastain led the last six laps to win stage two.
AJ Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Riley Herbst, Jeb Burton, and nine others stayed out after pitting at the last caution while others went to pit road. Allmendinger chose the inside lane with Harrison Burton outside to start the final stage on lap 128. Four laps into the final stage, JJ Yeley spun after making slight contact with Justin Haley to bring out the eighth caution. Yeley was able to continue the race.
Three wide does not work at @MartinsvilleSwy 🙅♂️#DraftTop250 | @Justin_Haley_ pic.twitter.com/Sqc1hgrQwO — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) October 31, 2020
No one went to pit road during the caution. Allmendinger chose the inside lane with Harrison Burton outside for the restart on lap 139. The restart went caution-free for fifty laps before Bayley Currey got into the outside wall off of turn two to bring out the ninth caution. Everyone went to pit road during the caution, with Harrison Burton and Allmendinger the first two off of pit road. Burton chose the inside lane with Allmendinger outside for the restart on lap 190. Allmendinger was alongside Burton for three laps before getting the lead. Burton fought back to get back the lead five laps later. Allmendinger suffered a flat left rear tire and headed to pit road with 50 laps to go.
😨 A tough break for race leader @AJDinger who suffers a flat tire with less than 50 laps to go. pic.twitter.com/mPQEVAGuiz — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) October 31, 2020
On lap 214, an accident at turn three involving Brandon Brown and Myatt Snider brought out the tenth caution. Both drivers were able to continue to race. Ryan Sieg, Chase Briscoe, Brandon Jones, and six others pitted during the caution. Harrison Burton chose the inside with Justin Allgaier outside for the restart with 30 laps to go.
30 laps to go. Who gets in the #Championship4? pic.twitter.com/5YAPbnbups — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) October 31, 2020
Burton led the last 30 laps to score back-to-back wins by .355 seconds over Justin Allgaier. Burton broke his dad’s record as the youngest driver to win at Martinsville. His dad was 23 years old when he won in 1990. Brandon Jones, Ross Chastain, Noah Gragson, and Ryan Sieg were eliminated from the playoffs.
"What's up dad?!?!" – @HBurtonRacing says to his father @JeffBurton after his win at @MartinsvilleSwy! pic.twitter.com/RlgHFFcbPp — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) October 31, 2020
The rest of the top ten finishers were Noah Gragson third, Jeb Burton fourth, Ross Chastain fifth, Riley Herbst sixth, Chase Briscoe seventh, Michael Annett eighth, Brandon Jones ninth, and Austin Cindric tenth. There ten cautions for 63 laps and eleven lead changes.
Chase Briscoe, Justin Haley, Justin Allgaier, and Austin Cindric will race for the championship next Saturday, November 7th, from Phoenix Raceway in the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 at 5 pm on NBCSN.
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