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Jim Utter

Mayer spins Gibbs, then wins Xfinity race at Watkins Glen

Mayer was among a handful of cars that were trying to stretch their fuel without a final pit stop but found himself in the danger zone as the race went into a two-lap overtime.

As the field entered Turn 2, Mayer wheel-hopped and got into Gibbs, which sent him spinning off course and allowed Creed to move into the lead.

Mayer then ran down Creed to take the lead and spent the final lap holding him at bay before taking the checkered flag by 0.909 seconds.

The win is the second of Mayer’s career, with both coming in the last four races and both coming on road courses (the other was Road America).

“The first restart, I got used up and thought I had a good one there. We had to work our tails off for this,” Mayer said. “We earned this one, for sure.

“I wheel-hopped it. It’s unfortunate. I feel bad for doing that, obviously. I don’t want to take out a Gibbs car like that, or any car like that. Just trying to get another win in the Xfinity Series. I mean I got a lot of catching up to do.”

Gibbs was looking for his second straight win and led 70 of the 86 laps before he was hit by Mayer.

“When you have to race out of desperation like that and you wheel-hop and clean the leader out, I guess it’s a part of racing, but it just really sucks,” Gibbs said. “We had a great time out there. I definitely wish that (last) caution didn’t come out there.”

Parker Kligerman rallied to finish third, Ross Chastain was fourth and Connor Mosack rounded out the top five.

Completing the top-10 were John Hunter Nemechek, Cole Custer, Chandler Smith, Alex Bowman and Jeb Burton.

Stage 1

With the completion of lap 20, Gibbs held a more than four-second lead over Justin Allgaier and picked up the Stage 1 win. Mayer was third, Josh Berry fourth and Austin Hill rounded out the top five.

Busch was forced to pit under green for a flat tire while Chandler Smith, Jeremy Clements and Mosack all briefly went off course during the stage but were able to continue in the race.

Stage 2

With the completion of lap 40, Gibbs held a nearly three-second lead over Bowman to claim the Stage 2 win. Hill was third, Allgaier fourth and Custer fifth.

While the race was under caution for a stalled car, Josh Williams plowed into the back of Stefan Parsons, doing extensive damage to his No. 92 car and knocking him out of the race.

“That’s my fault. I was plugging my headphones in,” Williams said over his team radio. “It’s the dumbest (expletive) I’ve ever done in my entire life.”

Stage 3

With 20 laps remaining, Gibbs had built a more than three-second lead over Hill as Bowman and Custer battled for third.

Gibbs hit pit road for fuel-only with 10 laps remaining, which handed the lead over to Mayer, who had been saving fuel. After his stop, Gibbs cycled into the fifth position, about eight seconds behind Mayer.

Parker Retzlaff got stuck in the gravel pit off Turn 6 which forced NASCAR to display a caution and set up a restart with four laps to go. Mayer remained out front.

Gibbs grabbed the lead back on the restart and a multi-car wreck erupted behind him as the Allgaier got turned around exiting the bus stop. Bowman, Brandon Jones, Kaz Grala and Sage Karam were also collected in the incident.

The wreck sent the race into a two-lap overtime with Gibbs out front followed by Hill, Mayer, Custer and Kligerman.

Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Pits Points
1
SAM MAYERJR Motorsports
1 Chevrolet 86 2:25'33.569   4 53
2 United StatesSHELDON CREEDRichard Childress Racing 2 Chevrolet 86 +0.909 0.909 6 41
3 United StatesPARKER KLIGERMANBig Machine Racing Team 48 Chevrolet 86 +4.059 3.150 6 36
4 United StatesROSS CHASTAINDGM Racing 91 Chevrolet 86 +5.249 1.190 6  
5
CONNOR MOSACKSam Hunt Racing
24 Toyota 86 +5.803 0.554 8 32
6 United StatesJOHN HUNTER NEMECHEKJoe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 86 +6.104 0.301 8 39
7 United StatesCOLE CUSTERStewart-Haas Racing 00 Ford 86 +6.490 0.386 6 38
8
CHANDLER SMITHKaulig Racing
16 Chevrolet 86 +6.563 0.073 8 29
9 United StatesALEX BOWMANHendrick Motorsports 17 Chevrolet 86 +6.828 0.265 7  
10 United StatesJEB BURTONJordan Anderson Racing 27 Chevrolet 86 +7.440 0.612 6 27
11 United StatesBRANDON JONESJR Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 86 +8.309 0.869 7 26
12 United StatesBRENNAN POOLEJD Motorsports 6 Chevrolet 86 +8.775 0.466 6 25
13 United StatesKYLE WEATHERMANJD Motorsports 4 Chevrolet 86 +8.960 0.185 8 24
14 United StatesAUSTIN HILLRichard Childress Racing 21 Chevrolet 86 +11.745 2.785 6 37
15 United StatesSAGE KARAMAlpha Prime Racing 45 Chevrolet 86 +12.385 0.640 6 22
16 United StatesJUSTIN ALLGAIERJR Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 86 +13.814 1.429 8 37
17
TY GIBBSJoe Gibbs Racing
19 Toyota 86 +13.939 0.125 6  
18
SAMMY SMITHJoe Gibbs Racing
18 Toyota 86 +18.995 5.056 8 19
19
KYLE SIEGRSS Racing
28 Ford 86 +21.461 2.466 9 18
20 JOSH BERRYJR Motorsports 8 Chevrolet 86 +28.705 7.244 6 28
21 United StatesRYAN SIEGRSS Racing 39 Ford 86 +51.278 22.573 6 16
22
JOE JR.RSS Racing
38 Ford 85 +1 Lap 1 Lap 7 15
23 United StatesDANIEL HEMRICKaulig Racing 11 Chevrolet 84 +2 Laps 1 Lap 8 14
24 CanadaALEX LABBÉSS-Green Light Racing 08 Chevrolet 83 +3 Laps 1 Lap 10 13
25 United StatesJOSH BILICKISS-Green Light Racing 07 Ford 83 +3 Laps 0.552 7 12
26
PARKER RETZLAFFJordan Anderson Racing
31 Chevrolet 82 +4 Laps 1 Lap 11 11
27 United StatesKYLE BUSCHKaulig Racing 10 Chevrolet 78 +8 Laps 4 Laps 5  
28 United StatesKAZ GRALASam Hunt Racing 26 Toyota 78 +8 Laps 2.046 8 9
29 United StatesBRETT MOFFITTAM Racing 25 Ford 66 +20 Laps 12 Laps 8 8
30 United StatesRYAN ELLISAlpha Prime Racing 43 Chevrolet 65 +21 Laps 1 Lap 6 7
31
ANTHONY ALFREDOBJ McLeod Motorsports
78 Chevrolet 61 +25 Laps 4 Laps 7 6
32 STANTON BARRETTEmerling Gase Motorsports 35 Toyota 56 +30 Laps 5 Laps 5 5
33
STEFAN PARSONSAlpha Prime Racing
44 Chevrolet 45 +41 Laps 11 Laps 11 4
34
MAX MCLAUGHLINFRS Racing
96 Chevrolet 43 +43 Laps 2 Laps 6 3
35 United StatesRILEY HERBSTStewart-Haas Racing 98 Ford 37 +49 Laps 6 Laps 5 5
36 United StatesJOSH WILLIAMSDGM Racing 92 Chevrolet 23 +63 Laps 14 Laps 6 1
37 United StatesJEREMY CLEMENTSJeremy Clements Racing 51 Chevrolet 21 +65 Laps 2 Laps 4 1
38
BLAINE PERKINSOur Motorsports
02 Chevrolet 11 +75 Laps 10 Laps 9 1
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