A caution with 28 of 300 laps remaining set up a tough decision for the lead-lap cars – to pit for new tires or not.
“I won Bristol in 2020 and there were no fans here. This is 10 times cooler. You guys are awesome. Man, I’m just so thankful. Our car was fast all day. Once we got up to the top, we were rolling.Austin Hill finished third in the race, Sam Mayer was fourth and Riley Herbst rebounded from an early spin and rounded out the top-five.
Joining Allmendinger in the playoffs will be Allgaier, Gragson, Ty Gibbs, Josh Berry, Austin Hill, Jones, Mayer, Herbst, Daniel Hemric, Ryan Sieg and Jeremy Clements.Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, most of the lead-lap cars pit with Allgaier the first off pit road. On the restart on Lap 281, Gragson was followed by Jones, Allmendinger, Austin Hill, Herbst and Mayer.Allgaier claimed the Stage 2 win under caution when Mayer spun out with three laps remaining and the race could not resume.Following the break between Stages 1 and 2, most of the lead-lap cars elected to pit with Gibbs the first off pit road.
With 50 laps to go in the stage, Allgaier had closed to rear bumper of Sheldon Creed as Gibbs ran third.Gragson got into the back of Gibbs on Lap 129 and Gibbs went up the track and slammed Creed into the wall, knocking him out of the race.“I thought I had the top rolling. just got in ,” Creed said. ‘This is just how our year has gone.”
Mayer went inside of Yeley and C.J. McLaughlin while running second but got loose and spun out to bring out a caution and end the stage.Gragson was third, Mayer fourth and Allmendinger rounded out the top-five.Caution was displayed on Lap 6 as Nick Sanchez hit the wall with a flat tire in Turn 2. The race resumed on Lap 11 with Gibbs out front.