Partly cloudy skies with fluffy white clouds float over the track at Richmond. 40 drivers are scheduled to run 250 laps broken into stages of 75-75-100. Dale Earnhardt Jr (8) makes his annual start in the Xfinity series. A competition caution is scheduled for lap 35 of 250.
Josh Berry (31) and Sam Mayer (99), who normally share the Jr. Motorsports 8 car this season, are in today’s race driving for Jordan Anderson Racing and BJ McLeod Motorsports. Bayley Currey replaces Colby Howard in the JD Motorsports 15 car.
Austin Cindric (22) has the early lead from the pole.
The crew members are on pit wall, and American flags are displayed between laps 9 and 11 for the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Two planes were flown into the World Trade Centers in New York, a plane was flown into the Pentagon, and the second plane that was likely going to do the same crashed in Shanksville, PA when the passengers stormed the cockpit in an attempt to stop the hijackers.
Competition caution is out on lap 35 of 250.
Jeb Burton (10) has lost power under caution. He switched it off to save fuel and it would not restart when he attempted to restart. On pit road his battery pack has been replaced. Jeb is reporting the battery voltage is very low.
Restarting on lap 42 of 250 with Austin Cindric (22) and Harrison Burton (20) on the front row.
Tommy Joe Martins (44) on lap 67 of 250 has driven up to second and is battling door-to-door with leader AJ Allmendinger (16). Martins takes the lead on lap 70 of 250.
‘Dinger (16) got a nose in front of Tommy Joe Martins (44) to take the stage. That sucks. I was totally pulling for Tommy Joe to get his first stage win. It was exciting to see him lead laps for the first time in the series. I hope he has more good runs in the race – give the fans a thrill for a change. Until he battled for the lead the event was a snoozer.
Congrats also to Landon Cassill (4) on finishing the stage in fourth position.
Restarting on lap 85 of 250.
Caution on lap 86 of 250 as Tommy Joe Martins (44) goes for a spin.
Restarting on lap 91 of 250 with Daniel Hemric (18) up front.
Hemric fights off challenges by Noah Gragson (9) and Austin Cindric (22) to retain the early lead.
Ty Gibbs (54) passes Hemric (18) for the lead on lap 98 of 250.
Caution on lap 146 of 250 for a spin by CJ McLaughlin (74). Jade Buford (48) hit McLaughlin who was making his way to pit road for a black flag.
Ty Gibbs (54) wins stage two under caution.
Restarting on lap 158 of 250 with Daniel Hemric (18) and Noah Gragson (9) up front.
Noah Gragson (9) gets the early lead.
Caution on lap 169 of 250 for a spin and visit to the inside wall by Bayley Currey (15).
Ty Gibbs (54) passes Noah Gragson (9) for the lead on lap 165 of 250.
Restarting on lap 176 of 250 with Ty Gibbs (54) and Harrison Burtons (20) on the front row.
Harrison Burton (20) gets the early lead.
On lap 179 of 250 Landon Cassill (4) is creeping around the apron.
Caution on lap 182 of 250 for the 4 car which has come to a stop before reaching pit road.
Restarting on lap 187 of 250 with Sam Mayer (99) and Justin Haley (11) who stayed out along with Dale Earnhardt Jr (88), Brandon Brown (68), Ty Dillon (02), Ryan Sieg (39).
Sam Mayer (99) gets the early lead.
Harrison Burton (20) passes Sam Mayer (99) for the lead on lap 191 of 250.
This, at the moment, feels like the most boring Xfinity series event of the season. What a bore.
Caution on lap 223 of 250 for a spin by Josh Williams (92) and Akinori Ogata (52).
Restarting on lap 229 of 250 with Dinger (16) and Cindric (22), who stayed out, on the front row followed by Brandon Jones (19) who also stayed out.
Caution on lap 231 of 250 for Tommy Joe Martins (44) hitting the wall.
Restarting on lap 236 of 250 with Dinger (16) and ‘Bangin’ Brandon Jones (19) on the front row.
Dinger gets the early lead. Noah Gragson (9) passes him before the end of lap 236 of 250.
Caution on lap 237 of 250 for a spin by Jeremy Clements (51) who was turned by Myatt Snider (2) who had Jeb Burton (10) on his bumper.
Restarting on lap 243 of 250 with Noah Gragson (9) and John Hunter ‘JHN’ Nemechek (26) on the front row.
Noah Gragson gets the early lead.
Gragson takes the white flag.
Noah Gragson (9) wins the race for back-to-back wins.
Noah’s Jr Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier (7) finishes fourth.
Team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr (8) finishes fourteenth.
Future JRM teammate Sam Mayer (99) finishes twelfth.
Brandon Brown (68) finishes eighth.
That was a boring event with a satisfying conclusion.
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