Justin Allgaier Claims Third NASCAR Xfinity Series Win of 2018 at Mid-Ohio
After running off course and spinning, Allgaier recovered for a late-race lead and win in the Rock N Roll Tequila 170.
Justin Allgaier ran off course twice in Stage 2 and spun in the third and final stage, but that didn’t keep him from taking the win in the Rock N Roll Tequila 170 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington on Saturday. He claimed his third win of the season after leading eight of the 75 laps that made up the race, including the final four.
''We needed to get up front,'' Allgaier said. ''We knew the last restart was going to be pivotal.''
Allgaier got up to second on the final restart following a Lap 67 caution, and on Lap 72, he took his second and final lead from Austic Cindric.
''It's NASCAR racing; we knew there would be a late-race restart,'' Cindric said. ''Great driver on new tires, great restart. We finished second. It's frustrating. This place means a lot to me. We just came up short.''
Cindric finished second after leading a race-high 69 laps, including running up front at Lap 40 to claim the Stage 2 win. Allgaier was the winner of the opening 20-lap stage.
Austin Cindric leads at Mid-Ohio
, Austin Cindric leads the way in the Rock N Roll Tequila 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Aug. 11, 2018., Getty Images for NASCARCindric started on the pole and led the first 17 laps before pitting just before the end of the opening stage on Lap 18. Allgaier inherited the lead, but after the first two stages, the lead returned to Cindric.
Andy Lally was the only other driver to lead multiple laps, running up front for seven laps after staying out at the end of stage two. Cindric retook the lead when he passed Lally on Lap 50. Lally wound up 15th at the checkered flag.
Christopher Bell was credited with leading a single lap during the fifth and final caution that came out on Lap 60. Bell spun on the restart after contact from Elliott Sadler, though, and finished just outside the top-10 in 11th.
ROCK N ROLL TEQUILA 170
1. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 Chevrolet
2. Austin Cindric, No. 22 Ford
3. Daniel Hemric, No. 21 Chevrolet
4. Matt Tifft, No. 2 Chevrolet
5. Ryan Truex, No. 11 Chevrolet
6. Elliott Salder, No. 1 Chevrolet
7. Cole Custer, No. 00 Ford
8. Spencer Gallagher, No. 23 Chevrolet
9. Alex Labbe, No. 36 Chevrolet
10. Ryan Reed, No. 16 Ford
11. Christopher Bell, No. 20
12. Brendan Gaughan, No. 3 Chevrolet
13. Kyle Benjamin, No. 18 Toyota
14. Chase Briscoe, No. 60 Ford
15. Andy Lally, No. 90 Chevrolet
16. Ross Chastain, No. 4 Chevrolet
17. Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Chevrolet
18. Michael Annett, No. 5 Chevrolet
19. Tommy Joe Martins, No. 78 Chevrolet
20. Josh Bilicki, No. 45 Toyota
21. David Starr, No. 52 Chevrolet
22. Justin Marks, No. 42 Chevrolet
23. Brandon Jones, No. 19 Toyota
24. Joey Gase, No. 35 Chevrolet
25. Spencer Boyd, No. 76 Chevrolet
26. Tim Cowen, No. 66 Ford
27. Kaz Grala, No. 61 Ford
28. Garrett Smithley, No. 0 Chevrolet
29. Chad Finchum, No. 40 Toyota
30. Katherine Legge, No. 15 Chevrolet
31. Tyler Reddick, No. 9 Chevrolet
32. J.J. Yeley, No. 38 Chevrolet
33. Cody Ware, No. 8 Chevrolet
34. Ryan Sieg, No. 39 Chevrolet
35. John Jackson, No. 13 Dodge
36. Vinnie Miller, No. 01 Chevrolet
37. Stephen Leicht, No. 74 Dodge
38. Morgan Shpeherd, No. 89
39. Jeff Green, No. 93 Chevrolet
40. Dylan Murcott, No. 55 Toyota
UP NEXT: The NASCAR Xfinity Series goes nighttime short-track racing August 17 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. The Xfinity race will be the second race in a NASCAR national-level tripleheader there next weekend. Next Friday night’s race will be the second of two yearly visits to BMS for the Xfinity Series. Kyle Busch is the defending winner of the August event, but Ryan Preece visited victory lane in the most recent Bristol race in April.
