Forty cars will line up for the start with Justin Allgaier (7) leading the field to the green flag. The skies remain cloudy. The stages for the event are 25-25-63.
Justin Haley (11) of Kaulig Racing will have to start the race at the back of the pack and serve a pass-through penalty for failing inspection.
Unfortunately someone with no sense of good television decided to team up Marty Snider, Kyle Petty and Brad Daugherty on the desk for the Xfinity series race. In one way its appropriate – mostly unwatchable racing with thoroughly unwatchable people on the desk. In another it’s a shame, because I still have hope for the series and changing the on-air product to match the on-track product seems like it will be the death-knell for the series. If it doesn’t have fans you don’t have a series.
Allgaier (7) gets a crap push. Cindric (22) gets a strong push. Cindric gets the early lead. Gragson (9) gets behind his teammate Allgaier and the push improves.
NBCSN has started the gimmick shots on lap 2 of 113. I’m not counting their split-screen of Haley rolling down pit road to serve his penalty. We’re already stuck looking out from inside a car. This is starting out to be a very long event.
They’re doing a lot of split-screens and there’s just not much legit action going on that would merit the interruption of the live racing.
On lap 12 of 113 they’re slicing and dicing for position. It’s the usual suspects overall and they’re making the usual mess of things. Brandon Jones (19), Jeb Burton (10), Brett Moffit (02) and Myatt Snider (2) doing their desperate thing. Harrison Burton (20) doing his rookie stuff. Austin Cindric (22) and AJ Allmendinger (16) and John Hunter ‘JHN’ Nemechek (54) trying to make smart moves in spite of themselves. Josh Berry (1) is racing hard as usual. The usual suspects overall.
Hard crash on final lap of the stage, 25 of 113, involving Sam Mayer (8) and AJ Allmendinger (16). Mayer shoots up the track into ‘Dinger sending them both into the wall hard. JHN is out front when they cros the line for the stage end.
There’s a crew that will repair a big dent in the SAFER barrier where Sam Mayer hit the wall. 1720 eastern the red flag is out. 1727 the caution flag is out.
‘Dinger is trying to sound like a veteran saying in his post-care-center interview, “that’s what you expect when you’re racing back there…” then moving on to talk about this sort of thing being why he worked so hard in the regular season to gain points so a wreck in the playoffs won’t kill him. Whatever, dude. He’s a tool.
Restarting on lap 30 of 113 with Riley Herbst (98) and JHN (54) on the front row.
On lap 34 of 113 most of the field is single-file in the outside lane. There are a handful of car n the inside lane.
The number of cars on the inside lane has increased to about eight and they’re making some progress toward the front.
A third line has been created in the middle as Brandon Jones (19) bailed killing the momentum of both the inside and middle lanes.
On lap 38 of 113 the field is single-file with the exception of three cars. That good idea that was actually working didn’t last long, maybe four laps.
For some unknown reason we saw another interview with Sam Mayer (8) about his crash. It’s odd, because he did an interview before Allmendinger’s interview. This one he was wearing his hat and more composed. The first one he was a bit dejected and not wearing his cap.
Three cars on the inside lane right now, lap 43 of 113. Two more drop down as lap 43 of 113 continues.
On lap 44 of 113 a sixth car has dropped down. Two more drop down as the lap continues.
Herbst and Cindric drop down to the inside line on lap 45 of 113.
Three lanes have formed on lap 46 of 113.
Blaine Perkins (83) wins the stage followed by teammate Brett Moffitt (02).
Riley Herbst (98), Justin Haley (11) and Justin Allgaier (7) win the race off pit road.
Brandon Jones (19) starts at the back penalized for running over equipment.
Restarting on lap 54 of 113.
Herbst gets a strong push.
Green flag pit stops on lap 68 of 113 kick off with the JR Motorsports cars and Brett Moffitt (02).
Green flag pit stops continue on lap 69 of 113 as the Fords and Toyotas hit pit road together.
MRN reports Brandon Jones (19) slowed down, but missed the entrance to pit road.
The Kaulig cars come in along with Brandon Jones (19) and the rest of the cars on the lead lap.
Caution on lap 74 of 113. The 15 car of Bayley Currey is sitting motionless on pit road.
Bayley Currey is out of the car and into the safety vehicle for a trip to the infield care center.
Restarting on lap 79 of 113 with Herbst (98) and Cindric (22) up front.
Josh Berry (1) pushes teammate Noah Gragson (9) to the lead.
A late block allows Herbst to gain momentum toward the front. Teammate Josh Berry (1) subbing for Michael Annett continues to push Gragson.
Noah Gragson (9) crashes hard on lap 88 of 113 leading the race.
Jeb Burton (10) got into the left bumper of Brett Moffitt (02) turning him into Noah Gragson (9) which sent him up into outside the wall in front of Myatt Snider(2) who plowed into Noah, then Gragson gets slammed again by by 74 of CJ McLaughlin and the 90 Caesar Bacarella who couldn’t slow down, as he slid down the track in front of them. The 26 of Santino Ferrucci and Ryan Vargas (6) were also collected in the incident.
Red flag is out 1836 eastern. 1851 eastern caution flag is out.
Noah said they changed the package on them and its almost like ARCA. He was questioning how much fun it is for the fans to watch because he said its not much fun in the car. He says the package races different. He reiterated that it isn’t fun to drive. Someone needs to tell him that usually when the drivers are complaining about driving the car its often fun to watch.
1855 eastern the drivers have been told they have 15 minutes before rain is going to arrive. Sunset is also 30 minutes or so away and there are no lights at Talladega. MRN reports NASCAR has talked to the spotters about visibility.
Restarting on lap 93 of 113 with Jeb Burton (10) and Brandon Jones (19) up front followed by Justin Allgaier (7) and Justin Haley (11), Daniel Hemric (18), Harrison Burton (20), JHN (54), Brandon Brown (68), Jade Buford (48) and Jordan Anderson (31). That sounds like another wreck in the making.
Jeffrey Earnhardt (0) hits the wall and spins out on lap 93 of 113 onto pit road. The race stays green.
The front of the field is single file on lap 95 of 113. The second lane is about ten cars back.
On lap 99 of 113 Brandon Jones takes the lead on the inside lane.
Brandon Jones (19) gets the lead back on lap 101 of 113.
Crash on lap 101 of 113 as Harrison Burton (20) turns into the outside wall collecting Moffitt (02), JHN (54), Riley Herbst (98), Jeb Burton (10), Josh Williams (92), Alex Labbe (36) and others collected.
Brandon Jones (19), Justin Allgaier (7) and Brandon Brown (68) all believe they were leading the race when the caution came out. They are three-wide behind the pace car awaiting NASCAR’s ruling.
NASCAR says Brandon Brown (68) was the leader and Brandon Jones (19) second. Jones’ team lodged a protest.
Track cleaning continues at 1914 eastern time and darkness approaches.
Possibly restarting with Brandon Brown (68) and Brandon Jones (19) on the front row followed by Justin Allgaier (7), Daniel Hemric (18), Jordan Anderson (31), Justin Haley (11), Jeb Burton (10), Austin Cindric (22), Josh Berry (1) and Joe Graf Jr. (07).
At 1915 eastern NASCAR is calling the race due to darkness. It’s going to be a yellow, checker finish on lap 107 of 113.
Note to NASCAR. A double-header at Talladega in October is a bad idea due to the lack of lights and earlier sunset.
Brandon Brown (68) is absolutely ecstatic. This is his first career win in the series.
Congrats to Jordan Anderson (31) on his fifth place finish.
Congrats to Justin Allgaier (7) on his third place finish. I know he was looking forward to the restart, but he express his congratulations to first time winner Brandon Brown during the radio interview.
According to Marty Snider Brandon Jones (19) said it was too dark to go back racing when NASCAR asked the teams. He said “we fought diversity for sure” during his radio interview when talking about his managing to miss the big one.
Allgaier (7) said, in his tv interview, “we had all those great fans in the stands and (I) really wanted to give them a great finish to the checkered flag.”
That started out a crap race and ramped up into a very enjoyable race. I have to admit I wanted a restart to see what would happen, but I was also pretty sure that would kick off the first of the restart attempts, because I’d be willing to bet Brandon Jones (29) would’ve gotten tangled up with somebody. Pretty much from the caution for Bayley Currey (15) stranded on pit road the race began. Considering that was almost three-quarters of the way through the event that’s awful, but once it began it was a pretty good race. I feel like it was the best Xfinity series super speedway race in years.