Nemechek wins Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway
CAMBRIDGE TWP. — Saturday didn't start out great for John Hunter Nemechek, but he emerged from the smoke with the checkered flag in the NASCAR Xfinity Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
"We were able to rebound and get the lead," he said. "Searched for clean air and had enough speed to stay out in front."
The yellow caution flag was out early and often and the biggest of all seven in the race came on Lap 11 when Nemechek got too tight on his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota teammate, Ty Gibbs, and turned him loose, knocking out fellow teammate Sammy Smith in the process.
"It's on me," Nemechek said. "I take full accountability. I was on the bottom and Ty cleared me ... I was trying to slide up behind him to get position on the top. When I crossed his wake I put him in a bad aero spot and I should've checked up a little more to not get him free. He got a little tap from me, which turned him even more sideways and we both went spinning."
Both Nemechek and Gibbs quickly climbed back up to the front of the back with Nemechek taking the lead at the end of Stage 2 and cruising to the victory ahead of Josh Berry and Brandon Jones in the No. 8 and No. 9 Chevys for JR Motorsports, Gibbs and another JR Motorsports racer, Sam Mayer, in the No. 1.
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The first caution of the day came on lap 5 when Kaz Grala's No. 26 Toyota blew the front right tire and went into the infield. Moments after the green flag waved, it was Gibbs' No. 19 going sideways and creating havoc that would take out Smith's No. 18 and Mason Maggio's No. 08 Ford after damage caused him to hit the wall for a third caution after the green flag waved again. Carson Hocevar's No. 77 Chevy also took on a lot of damage, but was able to finish.
Justin Allgaier took Stage 1 as he started strong, but his day went downhill from there as he got spun out on pit road by Gibbs before one of his crew members jumped the wall early on a pit stop later and forced him to go to the back. He finished 14th in his No. 7 Chevy.
"We had a fast enough car," Nemechek said. "Who knows with the circumstances (if they could beat Allgaier)."
Nemechek, who is now tied for the lead in the Xfinity Series points standings with Austin Hill behind his fifth win of the season, only lost the lead during Stage 3 with a pit stop, but quickly regained it and pulled away. One final caution brought the rest of the pack up to him, but his car was too much and pulled away one final time.
"I'm going to try and win as many races as I possibly can and go win the championship," Nemechek said. "That's one thing I've yet to accomplish in the NASCAR ranks is win a championship."
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Nemechek wins NASCAR Xfinity Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway
