A.J. Allmendinger holds off field for caution-filled NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Nashville
LEBANON – Weathering a hot day, a slick track and a track-record tying 11 cautions, A.J. Allmendinger escaped unscathed, winning the Tennessee Lottery 250 on Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway.
"It's a good feeling once you get under the white flag," Allmendinger said. "That's a good feeling."
It was Allmendinger's second Xfinity Series win this season in his third race for Kaulig Racing. He has one more race in August with the team in Indianapolis.
The caution flag waved three times in the first 17 laps. A wreck at the first turn on the first lap typified the afternoon. The 11 cautions for the day tied a previous Xfinity Series record at Nashville Superspeedway. The track has seen 11 cautions on three separate occasions (2001, 2002 and 2006).
When the race finally settled in, polesitter Cole Custer hovered in the top three and battled with Chandler Smith for the lead. Smith won the second stage and held a narrow first place lead as Custer trailed.
But before a slew of green flag pit stops, Allmendinger snuck past the jostling pair of Custer and Smith. After late stage green flag pit stops, Allmendinger regained the lead comfortably. A late yellow flag threatened his lead, but Allmendinger held firm in the overtime finish.
"I was hoping a caution wasn't gonna come out (late) but I was kind of expecting it," Allmendinger said. "It was way too smooth there."
Ty Gibbs led won the first stage, but wrecked after making contact with Austin Hill and lost his strong lead early in the following stage. Gibbs is slated to participate in the Cup Series.
“It sucks that we have a torn up race car,” Gibbs said after wiping out of the race. “I feel like we would’ve had a shot, but we’ll keep going.”
Hill, who leads the Xfinity Series in wins, was caught in two crashes, but finished fourth with a damaged rear bumper. Points leader John Hunter Nemechek finished sixth.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Xfinity Series: AJ Allmendinger wins Tennessee Lottery 250
