Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger held off an particularly spirited subject in double time beyond regulation to assert his first oval race victory of the season in a dramatic Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway Saturday afternoon.

The favored veteran led the ultimate 20 laps and obtained a powerful closing restart to launch his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet from the pack and drive off to a 1.323s win over runner-up Riley Herbst in a race that included a record-tying 11 warning intervals and 17 lead modifications amongst 11 totally different drivers.

The caution-punctuated ending was maybe appropriate for a race that noticed three yellow flags inside the first 20 laps. Fifteen automobiles within the 38-car subject had been concerned in incidents earlier than the Stage 2 break.

But in the end it got here down a veteran’s purposeful, affected person afternoon-long pursuit. And the 41-year previous Californian Allmendinger was up for the problem, claiming his seventeenth victory within the NASCAR Xfinity Collection and second of the season.

“I really like profitable on ovals as a result of I do know lots of people doubt me on an oval,” a smiling Allmendinger stated, a nod to his former open-wheel days and his popularity as among the finest street course drivers within the historical past of the game.

What. A. Battle. 😬 https://t.co/D2arQVfcJq pic.twitter.com/tQpHZT1m8y

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 24, 2023

Actually his expertise paid off on Saturday with an particularly energetic day. Ty Gibbs, the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Collection champion and now a NASCAR Cup Collection rookie, gained the primary Stage and confirmed himself among the many class of the sphere. However on the following restart his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was hit whereas racing for the lead with considered one of this yr’s championship favorites, Austin Hill, who was restarting up entrance on older tires. Allmendinger’s Chevy additionally suffered a little bit injury within the five-car melee close to the entrance of the pack, however he – and Hill – had been in a position to proceed, whereas Gibbs’ automotive suffered an excessive amount of injury.

Chandler Smith, Allmendinger’s Kaulig Racing teammate gained the race’s second stage and saved the lead pack sincere for many of the day. He and Allmendinger exchanged the lead and ran 1-2 for a lot of the second half of the race across the 1.333-mile oval.

After a collection of ultimate scheduled pit stops, Parker Kligerman settled in for the largest strategic gamble of the day. Whereas the lead automobiles had been making their method again by the sphere following stops, Kligerman saved his No. 48 Massive Machine Racing Chevrolet out entrance keen to take an opportunity on a fuel-saving technique. However with 12 laps remaining, Kligerman’s crew informed him to drop in line behind Allmendinger to begin conserving and Allmendinger handed him for the lead with 11 laps of regulation to go.

JR Motorsports driver Sam Mayer completed third with Hill fourth and JR Motorsports’ – and Tennessee native — Josh Berry rounding out the highest 5.

“That was essentially the most up and down day I’ve ever had in racing,” Mayer stated, managing a smile on pit street afterward.

John Hunter Nemechek completed sixth within the No. 20 JGR Toyota. Though he by no means led a lap his rally ahead after a twenty first beginning place was adequate for him to carry onto the championship lead by 9 factors over Hill.

Reigning NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Collection champion Zane Smith turned in a powerful seventh-place end within the No. 28 Ford. Allmendinger’s Kaulig teammate Daniel Hemric was eighth. Herbst’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Cole Custer was ninth adopted by rookie Parker Retzlaff.

“We obtained a little bit lucky there, when the accident occurred, it didn’t actually do something too unhealthy to the quarter panels … and the fellows did a very good job of fixing it there,” Allmendinger stated of the early injury, noting that the rash of early cautions truly helped his crew have time to revive his automotive competitively.

“I will probably be sincere, I used to be shocked on the preliminary begin, I went down and made it three broad and thought nothing on it, didn’t even drive my automotive that tough and began wrecking in order that sort of raised my eyebrows, it’s lots slicker than I anticipated,” Allmendinger stated. “So the following couple begins, simply tried to sit back and get into the rhythm of the race.

“I simply knew greater than something I wanted a very good re-start and to get in Flip 1 clear,’’ he stated of the ultimate restart and supreme profitable transfer.

The NASCAR Xfinity Collection strikes to the Midwest subsequent week for Saturday’s inaugural The Loop 121 on the Chicago Avenue Race course (5 p.m. ET, USA Community, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

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