LEBANON, Tenn. — A.J. Allmendinger pulled away on the second additional time restart Saturday to win his second NASCAR Xfinity race this 12 months and seventeenth of his profession on the Nashville Superspeedway within the Tennessee Lottery 250.
The 41-year-old Allmendinger pitted on Lap 145 and used more energizing tires to move Parker Kligerman, taking the lead for good on Lap 177. He appeared poised to cruise to his newest victory for Kaulig Racing in his No. 10 Bailey Zimmerman-Religiously Chevrolet till Chad Chastain spun off Flip 4 with 5 laps left.
That arrange the primary additional time. Chandler Smith spun out on the primary restart try after contact with Josh Berry in Flip 2.
On the second restart, Allmendinger left everybody behind and cruised to the victory. As each he and his group celebrated, extra vehicles began spinning and crashing in a haze of smoke. Allmendinger additionally completed second on the Xfinity Sequence’ inaugural race at Sonoma earlier than NASCAR’s lone break of the season.
Riley Herbst completed second, with Sam Mayer third, Austin Hill fourth and Berry rounding out the highest 5 in a race with 11 completely different leaders and 17 lead modifications. John Hunter Nemechek, who got here in main the collection in factors, was sixth.
With the temperature within the low 90s, drivers handled even hotter circumstances contained in the vehicles. The warmth additionally left the 1.33-mile concrete oval slick, resulting in 11 cautions general, with 15 drivers concerned in crashes by way of the primary two levels.
The race bought off to a crunching and chaotic begin as drivers went three broad on the opening lap. Justin Allgaier, the defending champ, pitted thrice within the opening laps making an attempt to repair the left fender of his Chevrolet. He completed fifteenth.
Ty Gibbs received Stage 1 solely to be taken out on the restart. He spun round and backed into Carson Hocevar’s Chevrolet, taking them each out on the 53rd lap. Each drivers went to the infield care middle and had been launched.
On the 68th lap, one other crash left Sammy Smith’s No. 18 Toyota needing to be towed off the monitor.
Smith, who led a race-high 44 laps, took Stage 2 as one in all seven leaders by way of the primary 90 laps. That arrange a last run to a end that wanted further laps on a scorching day when 16 drivers completed all 196 laps.