A.J. Allmendiger wins New Holland 250 Xfinity race at Michigan International Speedway

A.J. Allmendinger is having the time of his life in the last week. Just six days after winning his first NASCAR Cup Series race since 2014 at the series’ inaugural Indianapolis Road Course event, he held off Brandon Jones to win the Xfinity Series‘ New Holland 250 at Michigan International Speedway. It is his third win of the season as it further embeds him into the Xfinity championship battle.

Although main title rival Austin Cindric started on the pole and dominated the opening stage (Ty Gibbs, Allmendinger, Myatt Snider, Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric, Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones, Josh Berry, and Justin Haley rounded out the top ten), he would not survive into Stage #2 as the beginning of the segment was marked by a large wreck that collected him, Haley, Hemric, Snider, Brandon Brown, Joe Graf Jr., and Bubba Wallace. With Cindric out of the picture, Jeb Burton dominated the stage but Allmendinger would take the win.

Burton was responsible for a caution of his own when his car stopped on the track on lap 117. Chevrolets led every lap in the final stage as Allmendinger sparred with Berry, who was racing on a substitute basis in Michael Annett‘s place and thus started at the rear as a driver change. However, Allmendinger took the spot on lap 122.

Mason Massey and Colby Howard‘s accident forced an overtime session, while Gibbs spun while in the top ten to result in another GWC. After the race, Gibbs remarked on Twitter, “Looks like I ran straight outa talent”. Gibbs had won the previous day’s ARCA Menards Series race.

Despite facing resistance from Jones who closed the gap to .163 seconds, he could not get by Allmendinger as he took his third win of the year. It is Allmendinger’s second oval victory of 2021 (third career). With Allmendinger’s win and Cindric finishing thirty-seventh, the former narrowed the gap to the championship leader from 82 to 35 points.

“When you restart on the front row, the outside was the place to be and you also have to just hope you got a push,” said Allmendinger. “Brandon Jones, thank you so much. He pushed me every time.

“I don’t want to wake up from this dream.”

Berry finished fourth in relief duty, while Jade Buford notched Big Machine Racing‘s first top ten and his second career such finish in ninth. Wallace placed tenth in his first Xfinity start since he ran the first half of the 2017 season.

Race results