Austin Hill dominated the day, winning the race and both stages in Saturday’s (Oct. 18) NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
The victory marks Hill’s 10th at a drafting-style track, extending his record in the series. But this triumph didn’t come without pressure from the field and his fuel cell. A late-race caution for a hard hit for Aric Almirola extended the race to overtime, leaving many contenders’ gas tanks running out. While some opted to pit and refuel, the No. 21 team stayed out and maintained control of the race.
Hill managed to hold off a hard charge from JR Motorsports teammates Carson Kvapil and Justin Allgaier, who finished second and third, respectively. Christian Eckes and Caesar Bacarella rounded out the top-five.
A trio of underdogs came next with Blaine Perkins, Parker Retzlaff and Leland Honeyman finishing sixth, seventh and eighth. Sammy Smith and Jesse Love secured the final two spots in the top 10.
The Winners
Hill’s dominance at drafting tracks has continued despite his rollercoaster season. As long as the No. 21 is in the field, you’ll have to go through him to score the victory in this style of racing. 277 of his 355 laps led this year came at this track type.
Tommy Joe Martins’ cigar budget continues to skyrocket with the top-10 finishes Alpha Prime Racing keeps racking up. The team had a great showing, putting all cars inside the top 20 with Bacarella fifth, Retzlaff seventh, Josh Williams 14th and Brennan Poole in 19th.
Connor Zilisch and Allgaier didn’t have winning days at Talladega. It didn’t matter. They are both Championship 4 bound on points and don’t have to worry about the chaos Martinsville Speedway will bring next week. It’s always a win when you don’t have to spend a week stressed out.
The Losers
Haas Factory Team had a day that they’d like to forget, after both Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer got wiped out early in stage one. The wrecked race cars don’t just set the team back with sheet metal; Martinsville now presents as likely a must-win scenario for both drivers. Both drivers were innocent victims but that doesn’t earn you any extra points.
Joe Gibbs Racing ended the day with a junkyard of wrecked racecars. Brandon Jones was the only one running at the finish, bringing it home in 26th while watching his Championship 4 hopes take a step back. Almirola, meanwhile, got wrecked late and finished 24th. Taylor Gray, after starting at the rear of the field, had a mechanical issue that sank him to 31st. Finally, William Sawalich had a hard hit that had him finish 30th, where he was also transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Fuel For Thought
After the checkered flag flew, Zilisch’s consecutive top-10 record came to an end at 18. An unscheduled stop after hitting the wall with a tire problem proved to be too much to overcome.
It took 41 years for Zilisch to come along and break Sam Ard‘s record. How long will we have to wait until someone tops what Zilisch did? Will anyone top the record at all? Only time will tell.
Paint Scheme of the Week
Nothing screams October like pumpkins, and Justin Allgaier’s Brandt car fit in just right for those Fall Talladega vibes.
Where to Next?
The Xfinity Series will head to Virginia for the IAA and Ritchie Bros. 250 at Martinsville. The race will run Saturday, October 25 under the lights at 7:30 p.m. ET. Watch Aric Almirola try and defend his Fall Martinsville title with television coverage provided by The CW.
