The NASCAR Xfinity Series was under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway Monday night. The race was initially scheduled for Saturday, but NASCAR moved the race to Monday night, and who doesn’t like a weekday night race? A pair of Joe Gibbs cars were on the front row as Harrison Burton was the pole sitter while his teammate Brandon Jones was next to him. Before the race, NASCAR implemented a competition caution on lap 35.
The pace car is in, and the #Cheddars300 at @BMSupdates is underway on FS1 and streaming at https://t.co/qkbTgR5OxE. pic.twitter.com/Y6jMWzKoDn — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 1, 2020
Bristol screams cautions, and they began early in the race when Justin Allgaier got into some trouble making contact with the wall after starting tenth. The first caution came out at lap six when Austin Cindric and Ross Chastain were battling for the fourth position when Chastain had a front right flat tire and made contact with Cindric exiting turn four. Chastain’s car went up the track and unfortunately hit Michael Annett.
The caution is out early at @BMSupdates as @RossChastain and @AustinCindric make contact off Turn 4. pic.twitter.com/3u2BeRqUh5 — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 1, 2020
Harrison Burton led the field back to the green flag. Justin Haley moved Brandon Jones out of the way to take second place and then was bumped by Noah Gragson, which made him fall to fourth place. Jones would eventually fall to ninth place in less than ten laps. Justin Haley did get the lead from Harrison Burton briefly but would run into lapped cars, and Burton took the lead right back. The competition caution would come out at lap 36 with Daniel Hemric getting the free pass. Brandon Jones pitted under caution from the tenth position along with Chad Finchum, Colby Howard, and Timmy Hill.
Burton led the field back to the green flag and, within three laps, lost the lead to Noah Gragson. Gragson continued to lead until the second caution flew for debris on the front stretch. The cause for the debris was Harrison Burton knocking the rear bumper off of Joe Nemechek. Burton headed to pit road for the crew to fix the damage on the front left corner. He would restart 22nd as Noah Gragson led the field back to the green flag on lap 69. Gragson remained in the lead, and he would win stage one.
STAGE WINNER: @NoahGragson takes Stage One of the #Cheddars300, followed by his @JRMotorsports teammate @J_Allgaier. Stage Two is coming up on FS1 and https://t.co/qkbTgR5OxE. pic.twitter.com/tnvVy3j7k3 — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 2, 2020
Burton stayed out while the rest of the lead lap cars pitted with Brandon Jones winning off of pit road. Daniel Hemric was caught speeding, Jeremy Clements took fuel only while the other cars took four tires and fuel. Burton led the field back to the green flag to start stage two with Brandon Jones on the inside. Jones would fall to sixth place on the restart before the fifth caution came out when both Timmy Hill and Vinny Miller cars spun out on lap 102. Burton elected to go outside, putting Justin Haley on the inside for the restart on lap 109.
Burton continued to lead after the restart until the sixth caution came out at lap 124 when A.J Allmendinger spun and made contact with Kody Vanderwal. Justin Allgaier got the free pass while both Allmendinger and Vanderwal pitted. The race restarted on lap 129 with Burton and Allgaier on the front row. After getting the free pass, Allgaier was able to take the lead away from Burton. Tommy Joe Martins got into the wall, nearly hitting the leaders. Patrick Emerling had help and hit the inside wall to bring out the seventh caution of the race. The red flag was displayed as there were debris and oil on the track. The red flag lasted over nine minutes.
Heavy contact for the No. 02 of Patrick Emerling brings out the caution at @BMSupdates. pic.twitter.com/r0rPDoA9Nr — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 2, 2020
Justin Allgaier led the field back to the green flag on lap 148 and would remain in the lead and take the stage two win. Daniel Hemric got the free pass for the third time in the race. Ryan Sieg and Vinny Miller, who both pitted on lap 145, stayed out while the rest of the field pitted.
STAGE WINNER: @J_Allgaier holds off @NoahGragson and takes the Stage Two victory at @BMSupdates. The final stage of the #Cheddars300 is coming up on FS1 and streaming at https://t.co/qkbTgR5OxE. pic.twitter.com/0rZGi2HAMu — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 2, 2020
On the restart, Ryan Sieg led the field to start the final stage with Allgaier next to him. Sieg quickly lost the lead to Allgaier and fell fast to the other cars with fresh tires. Justin Haley was closing in on the leader Justin Allgaier when Tommy Joe Martins car spun to bring out the eleventh caution of the day. All of the lead lap cars pitted, and Riley Herbst came out first, only taking two left-side tires while others took four.
On the restart on lap 256, the two-tire strategy did not work for Herbst as Allgaier took the lead from him. Herbst got loose and hit Haley, then spun collecting Colby Howard to bring out the tenth caution of the race.
.@rileyherbst, @Justin_Haley_ and others are caught up in a late-race incident with a win on the line at @BMSupdates.#Cheddars300 | FS1 | https://t.co/qkbTgR5OxE pic.twitter.com/81slGO3Bce — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 2, 2020
The JR Motorsports teammates of Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson led the field back to the green flag on lap 265. Haley was in third place and had elected to stay out with damage to his car. Haley was battling Brandon Jones for that third position. Due to the damage to his car, Haley’s right-side tire went flat, and he had to come to pit road. The eleventh caution would come out on lap 287 when Colby Howard’s car had a flat tire and got into the wall.
Allgaier and Gragson remained in the front row on the restart on lap 294. Both drivers battled it out for the lead when Gragson bumped Allgaier’s car, causing him to hit the wall and bring out the twelfth caution of the race.
Teammates @NoahGragson and @J_Allgaier make contact battling for the lead, sending the No. 7 spinning at @BMSupdates. pic.twitter.com/8BfDZ46lLv — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 2, 2020
The caution meant the race was going into overtime with Gragson in the lead along with Chase Briscoe. Gragson elected to restart on the outside, putting Briscoe on the inside. Gragson battled Briscoe from the restart with Gragson crossing the line first to win the Cheddar’s 300.
Retweet to congratulate @NoahGragson on his NASCAR Xfinity WIN at Bristol! pic.twitter.com/rizAW0LyxF — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 2, 2020
The rest of the top finishers were Chase Briscoe second place, Brandon Jones third, Harrison Burton fifth, Myatt Snider sixth, Daniel Hemric seventh, Brandon Brown eighth, Jeremy Clements ninth, and Josh Williams tenth. After his win, Gragson did apologize to Allgaier for the hit.
Following his victory, @NoahGragson breaks down what happened between he and his @JRMotorsports teammate @J_Allgaier late in the race at @BMSupdates. pic.twitter.com/d8lRrEMKEV — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 2, 2020
The Xfinity Series will now head to Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday for the EchoPark 250 at 4:30 pm on FOX.
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