NASCAR News: Herbst win race, Allgaier Xfinity title at Phoenix

In one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent memory, longtime fan favorite Justin Allgaier, at last, claimed the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship trophy Saturday night at Phoenix Raceway — coming from a lap-down mid-race in a back-up car to hoist the shiny hardware.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst’s No. 98 Ford passed Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race win on the last lap of double overtime for his second win of the 2024 season and joined the new series champ Allgaier in twin celebratory burnouts on the front stretch of the mile-track.

“I said all weekend, I don’t know what the plan is, but HE has a reason for everything and tonight is true of that, this is mind-blowing, it really is,” said Allgaier, his voice already hoarse and strained from screaming in happiness, but the smile unshakable as his young daughters came in for a hug for dad.

“This team never gave up. [Crew chief] Jim Pohlman and his leadership skills are second to none. He told me all weekend that we were going to have a chance and we tried to give it away every way we could.”

It was an emotional outcome for the 38-year-old Allgaier, who joked that he was just trying to make the race exciting for the fans. He has qualified for the Championship 4 seven times, finishing runner-up twice including last year.

And now he could finally celebrate. Allgaier’s team owners, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelly Earnhardt Miller joined Allgaier’s longtime sponsor Rick Brandt on pit road. They were overjoyed to congratulate their driver who overcame a weekend of obstacles to finally claim this historic moment — and it came on a night when the sport observed a moment of silence to honor another great champion, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison, who passed away earlier Saturday.

The obstacles Allgaier faced happened well before the race’s green flag. His primary car was destroyed in a crash four laps into Friday’s opening practice session after running over oil on the track from another car that ultimately forced four drivers into back-ups for the race. The car swap meant Allgaier started last in the 38-car field Saturday night, but the always upbeat 14-year veteran of the series had moved into the top 10 by lap 26.

Then, after all that work, Allgaier was called for a restart violation on Lap 101 and sent down pit road for a penalty … only to be called for speeding on the way out and penalized with another trip down pit road — both penalties served during green flag racing. After the penalties, Allgaier dropped to 35th on-track and was a lap down on Lap 107 of the scheduled 200-lapper.

He got a huge break in fortune with a caution period with 45 laps remaining — opting to stay out and get back on the lead lap. He stayed in the top 10 and worked his way forward – moving from sixth place to second on the first overtime restart. He started on the front row of the second overtime restart but was passed on the final lap by Herbst for the race win. Allgaier’s second-place finish was still good enough to land the championship, however.

It marked the third career win for the 25-year-old Las Vegas native Herbst, who crossed the line 0.247-second ahead of Allgaier and led a dominating 167 of the 213 laps.

“I knew we were going to have a fast race car, these guys have been working on this race car and I knew we were going to be really really fast,” said Herbst, whose SHR team is closing at the conclusion of the season. “It’s been a really tough week at the shop, really emotional time. I’m forever grateful to every man and woman at Stewart-Haas Racing they gave me a really fast car today and I can’t thank everyone enough.”

It was actually fellow championship contender — reigning champ Cole Custer — who mounted the most consistent challenge to Herbst. He ran up front for most of the race, just off the pace of his SHR teammate and ultimately finished eighth in the No. 00 SHR Ford — his effort answered last year’s title with a runner-up in this year’s championship standings.

The other two championship contenders, Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill finished ninth and 10th. And as disappointed as the three title contenders were in not claiming the season championship, each conceded the night had a positive ending with their longtime competitor Allgaier finally getting that trophy after 14 years of competition in the series.

“I’m really happy for Justin, that was a long time coming,” said Custer, who will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time next season. “He’s definitely a deserving champion and they ran a great race, especially there at the end.”

Hill, making his first Championship 4 appearance, agreed with the sentiment.

“Justin Allgaier has been doing this for a really long time and to see him finally get it done, I’m really happy for him and happy for his family,” he said. “He’s a great guy to be around, a great competitor.

“He’s going to be a great champion for the Xfinity Series. I’ve enjoyed racing that 7 team all season long. If I couldn’t have gotten the championship, I’m glad he was the one that got it done.”

NOTE: Post-race inspection in the Xfinity Series garage concluded without issue, confirming Herbst as the Phoenix winner and Allgaier as the 2024 Xfinity Series champion. The No. 7 Chevrolet and No. 98 Ford will undergo engine teardown Sunday, Nov. 10.

He finally Did it

After 471 races and 14 full-time seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Justin Allgaier can finally call himself champion.

The 38-year-old Allgaier and No. 7 JR Motorsports driver was first to the start/finish line on Saturday evening in the Xfinity Series finale, prevailing for the title over fellow Championship 4 drivers AJ Allmendinger, Cole Custer and Austin Hill.

“This team right here, Dale [Earnhardt Jr.], Kelly [Earnhardt Miller], LW [Miller], every man and woman that works in this race shop,” Allgaier said. “Jim Pohlman (crew chief), this guy right here, unbelievable. Rick Brandt. I mean, the guys stuck with me through thick and thin. We’ve had a lot of bad years.

“Two years ago, I sat down to dinner, and on Friday night, I told him if we won the championship, I was retiring on the spot. My wife said, you can’t do that. I signed a two-year contract a couple of months ago, and I’ll be honest with you, I thought I’d have different emotions up here, and I thought I’d be ready to be done. It just makes you fired up to come back next year and try to win it again.”

The journey has been a long and winding one for the Spaulding, Illinois native, who began his NASCAR career in 2005 and jumped into the full-time Xfinity pool in 2009. And, aside from a two-year stint as full-time Cup Series driver from 2014-15, Xfinity has remained Allgaier’s bread and butter.

Allgaier’s office since 2016 has been with JR Motorsports, and his tenure as driver of the No. 7 Chevy has been an exceptional one. Heading into Saturday night’s race, Allgaier has 22 Xfinity Series wins in that number and never finished lower than seventh in the final championship standings.

A championship had evaded Allgaier in his quest to seize Xfinity title No. 1. That is, until now.

“He’s (Allgaier) made his home with us, and he’s given us so much and never said no, never rolled his eyes, never shrugged his shoulders, not once,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “And man, we need a lot. We ask a lot from him and our partners, drivers. He does everything with a smile, and so I wanted this really, really badly for him.”

Although Allgaier clinched his Xfinity Series Playoffs berth relatively early — via a Darlington Raceway win in the 11th contest of the season — inconsistent results were an on-and-off nuisance, as shown by nine finishes of 25th or worse.

Nevertheless, experience and talent still played in Allgaier’s favor, including an eight-race stretch from June 22 (New Hampshire) to Aug. 31 (Darlington) that resulted in one win, three top fives and eight top-10 finishes.

Four straight top-10 finishes from the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in the Round of 12 finale through the entirety of the Round of 8 led Allgaier to Phoenix, which acted as an avenue to seize a title and squash past heartbreak. After all, it was at Phoenix where an overtime restart in the 2023 Xfinity Series Championship resulted in a deflating title defeat. Add in the fact the veteran had to go to a backup car for the 2024 title race after a wreck in practice, and the same story looked to be written once again.

This time, however, was different. This time, it was Allgaier who, after years of Xfinity Series racing, summited the mountaintop to become a NASCAR champion.

“I’m at a loss for words, and we’re going to celebrate this one, for sure,” Allgaier said. “It’s unbelievable, but I just cannot say thank you enough to everybody that’s ever helped me in my career to get to this point. Seven times in the Championship 4, and we finally got it done.”

And who knows – with Allgaier returning to the JR Motorsports fold next season, perhaps a title defense is in order for a driver who finally overcame the championship hurdle.

2024 Phoenix NASCAR Xfinity Race Results