Justin Allgaier secured his second Xfinity Series victory of the year and 25th overall at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday. This win propelled him past Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tommy Houston, breaking a 10th-place tie for victories in NASCAR's second-tier series. Allgaier, expressing his disbelief, stated, 'Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would hit that number.' The 36-year-old driver's triumph at Michigan's two-mile oval marked his 18th track victory.
Sheldon Creed finished second, setting an Xfinity Series record with 11 runner-up finishes without a win. Notably, Creed is the only Xfinity Series driver to secure top-five finishes in all 10 races this year. John Hunter Nemechek, last year's Xfinity winner at Michigan, claimed the third spot.
Earlier in the day, Creed and Sam Mayer signed multiyear contracts to drive for Haas Factory Team in the second-tier series next season, an extension of Stewart-Haas Racing.
The Xfinity event faced interruptions due to wet weather that also led to the Cup Series qualifying being washed out. The race, initially scheduled for 125 laps, extended to 128 laps due to overtime. Allgaier dominated the final restart in his No. 7 Chevrolet, while a crash on the last lap involving Kyle Sieg brought the race to an end. Fortunately, Sieg emerged unharmed and was released from the infield care center.
Allgaier, representing JR Motorsports, previously triumphed in the series in May at Darlington Raceway. This victory ensured that he has secured at least two wins for the fifth consecutive year in the series. Shane Van Gisbergen, who finished 17th in the 38-car field, leads the series with three victories this year.
With five races remaining in the regular season and no breaks, the 12-driver playoffs are set to commence on September 28 at Kansas. The upcoming race will take place at Daytona on Friday night.
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