During overtime at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek launched his way to the lead on the penultimate lap and scored his third win of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
Nemechek led three of 169 laps at the 1.54-mile oval.
“Early on in the race, if you would have said that we were going to win the race, I would have told you that wasn’t going to be the case. We didn’t have the fastest car tonight,” Nemechek said. “But this team never gives up. Even when we are down, we continue to fight from the back to get to the front to go and win races. I feel like we have given a few away this year, but to come home with a win without the fastest car here means a lot.”
Kaulig Racing’s Daniel Hemric was the runner-up, finishing a mere .245 seconds behind Nemechek. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer, Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley and JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer completed the top five.
How It Happened
Chandler Smith led the Xfinity Series field to the green flag from pole position, with Nemechek starting on the inside. However, JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry quickly inched his way to the lead in the No. 8 Chevrolet.
On lap 28, Parker Kligerman spun while running 13th, due to a flat left rear tire.
Though Berry held the lead for most of stage one, SHR’s Riley Herbst stole the stage win from the No. 8.
Sheldon Creed became the lead contender during the second stage in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. He fended off and fought with Custer, Ryan Sieg and Austin Hill en route to the stage two victory.
Chaos ensued during the final stage.
A flat left-rear tire on Riley Herbst’s No. 98 Ford triggered a multi-car wreck on the backstretch on lap 88.
Herbst suffered the cut tire at the exit of turn two just ahead of a three-wide battle. Brandon Jones swerved left to avoid the slowing No. 98 car, clipping the right-rear of Sieg’s car, sending the No. 39 RSS Racing Ford sideways in front of the field and nose-first into the outside SAFER barrier.
Other drivers involved in the crash included Creed, Anthony Alfredo, Mayer, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Josh Williams, Kyle Weatherman, Blaine Perkins and Brennan Poole.
Haley took over the lead following the wreck, with Hemric, Smith and Nemechek in tow.
Both Smith and Hill made last-minute charges for the front, but neither were able to finish in the top five. Hill was involved in an incident with Kligerman on lap 161, as Kligerman sent the No. 21 RCR entry spinning.
Haley led the field on the final restart on lap 168, but it was Nemechek who prevailed at the checkered flag.