Allmendinger Locks the First NASCAR Xfinity Series Final 4 Spot with a Win at Las Vegas

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Allmendinger locks the first NASCAR Xfinity Series Final 4 sport with a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday in the Ambetter Health 302.

LAS VEGAS _ It was the season’s first NASCAR Xfinity Series trophy for A.J. Allmendinger. Still, the timing was on point, his Playoff win in Saturday’s Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway punching his ticket into next month’s season finale Championship race.

Allmendinger Locks the First NASCAR Xfinity Series Final 4 Sport with a Win at Las Vegas

The 42-year-old Californian held off a hard-charging Ryan Sieg by a mere 0.156-second to claim his 18th career win – leading a race-best 102 of the 201 laps in his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Allmendinger had to out-run and out-negotiate Sieg in the closing laps, ultimately getting the best of the field on a final re-start at the 1.5-miler with two laps remaining.

An exuberant Allmendinger – who is moving to the NASCAR Cup Series next year – climbed out of his Chevrolet, raising his arms to urge the crowd cheering and shouting congratulations to his team and team owner Matt Kaulig, whose birthday was Saturday.

“I absolutely love these guys and girls at Kaulig Racing, it’s been such up-and-down but what I love about them is we stick together, we keep fighting,’’ Allmendinger said before turning toward his team and shouting, “Happy Birthday Matt Kaulig. The boss’s birthday I told you I was getting you a trophy. I love you.’’

“What a way to get to Phoenix after the year we’ve had. Let’s go win a championship. LET’S GOOOOOO!”

Ryan Sieg Still Wants More

For Sieg – who is still looking for his first win in 364 Xfinity Series starts – Saturday’s near-miss marked the fifth runner-up showing of his career and second in just the last three races. He challenged Allmendinger mightily in the final 30 laps – passing him with nine laps to go, only to get passed right back the following lap.

“We had the best car on the longer run and I needed a long run and we were getting there,’’ the RSS Racing driver Sieg said afterward. “I just overdrove [turn] one and lost some of our track position, but I was able to gain it back. Just sucks to finish second again with a great car. One of these days it’s going to go our way.’’

The Ambetter Health 302 Results

Allmendinger’s fellow Playoff drivers, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chandler Smith finished third and fourth. Parker Kligerman, who was eliminated from the Playoffs just last week, finished fifth.

Allgaier had a strong No. 7 Chevrolet, winning Stage 2 and leading 42 laps – second best to Allmendinger. His work didn’t get him the automatic Championship 4 berth but does put him atop the championship standings 32 points to the good with races at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week and then at the half-mile Martinsville, Va. track to formally decide which four drivers move to the Nov. 9 seasons finale eligible to compete for the season trophy.

“He did a great job and hats off to those guys to get a Chevrolet in victory lane,’’ Allgaier said of Allmendinger. “Ryan [Sieg] did a great job too.

“Really proud of this team. Yesterday in practice we weren’t as good as we wanted to be but they went to work and made good adjustments all day to put us in a good position.’’

“At the end there, just not able to get into dirty air like I wanted to,’’ he said, adding, “great start to the next round and obviously got some good stage points so we’ll move on to next week.’’

Richard Childress Racing rookie driver Jesse Love – a Playoff contender – was sixth, followed by Stewart-Haas Racing teammates, defending race winner Riley Herbst and Playoff driver Cole Custer. JGR’s Sheldon Creed – also eliminated from Playoff contention last week – was tenth.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Point Standings

Playoff contenders RCR’s Austin Hill and JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer were 13th and 14th, respectively. JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith was involved in an early race accident giving him a 32nd-place finish. That is the last among the Playoff eight.

The reigning series champion Custer sits just behind Allgaier in the points standings at 16 points to the good. Chandler Smith is in that fourth position, eight points to the good.

Hill (-8) is fifth followed by Love (-13), Mayer (-23,) and Smith (-53).

Up Next

The series moves to the Homestead-Miami Speedway 1.5-miler for next Saturday’s  Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 (4 p.m. ET, CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Mayer is the defending race winner.