In the second race of a doubleheader Saturday, the Xfinity Series runs the Sparks 300 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Thirty-eight teams brought cars to Talladega this weekend to fill 38 starting spots.

Timmy Hill was the first driver on the track to make a qualifying run and posted a time of 53.819 seconds around the 2.66 mile track.  Drivers get one lap to warm up the car and one lap to qualify.  With the largest track on the NASCAR circuit, NASCAR is putting three cars on the track at one time to make their qualifying runs; the cars will be far enough apart that they will not be able to take advantage of the draft.  The top 10 drivers will make a second qualifying run to determine who sits on the pole.

Mike Harmon did not make a qualifying run after failing the inspection process three times and will start the race from the back of the field.

Sheldon Creed, Brandon Jones, Justin Allgaier, Parker Kligerman, Ryan Vargas, Josh Berry, AJ Allmendinger, Austin Hill, Ty Gibbs, and Noah Gragson will all make a run for the pole.  Three of the top 10 drivers are not a part of the playoffs.

After running 10th in round one, Josh Berry is the first driver out in round two of the qualifying and posts a time of 52.891 seconds.

With a time of 52.605 seconds, Austin Hill wins his first Xfinity Series pole with Ty Gibbs starting alongside.

JR Motorsports driver of the number seven car Justin Allgaier will be making his 400th Xfinity Series start.  Allgaier is one of the drivers doing double duty this weekend when he drives the number 62 car in the Cup race on Sunday.  Allgaier ran a time of 52.75 seconds in round tow of qualifying and will start the race in fourth place.

The starting lineup for the Sparks 300:
Austin Hill
Ty Gibbs
Sheldon Creed
Justin Allgaier
Brandon Jones
Noah Gragson
Josh Berry
AJ Allmendinger
Parker Kligerman
Ryan Vargas
Trevor Bayne
Daniel Hemric
Sam Mayer
Ryan Sieg
Blaine Perkins
Jeb Burton
Brandon Brown
Landon Cassill
Joe Graf Jr
Anthony Alfredo
Myatt Snider
Jesse Iwuji
Riley Herbst
Bayley Currey
Joey Gase
Derek Griffith
Jeffrey Earnhardt
CJ McLaughlin
Mason Massey
Josh Williams
Caesar Bacarella
BJ McLeod
David Starr
Howie Disavino III
JJ Yeley
Timmy Hill
Jeremy Clements
Mike Harmon

Stages one and two of the race are 25 laps each with stage three lasting 63 laps for a total of 113 laps around the 2.66 mile track.  Drivers can run around 45 laps on a single load of fuel.

Austin Hill brings the field down for the green flag start of the race from the inside lane with Ty Gibbs on the outside.  Hill edges out for the lead.

The drivers may “bump” draft but it is against the rules to lcok bumpers and push.

Austin Hill leads the race with Sheldon Creed in second; Ty Gibbs, Brandon Jones, and Josh Berry round out the top five.

Drivers are already working to get three wide across the track.

After starting near the back of the field, Noah Gragson is already in the top 20.

The caution flag comes out on lap three when Ty Gibbs gets into the wall after getting loose and spinning out.  The spin came after a bump from Justin Allgaier.  Gibbs managed to avoid any other drivers.

A few drivers come down pit road for adjustments including playoff drivers Noah Gragson and Sam Mayer.

Austin Hill brings the field down for the green flag restart from the outside lane on lap seven with Sheldon Creed on the inside and takes the lead.  Sheldon Creed and Justin Allgaier battle for second.

On the radio, Ty Gibbs tells his crew he got wrecked; they responded with “we’re aware.”

Lap eight, Austin Hill and Justin Allgaier battle for the lead with Allgaier getting out in front.

Lap nine, the top five are Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric, Austin Hill, and Trevor Bayne.

Mason Massey of off the track.

Lap 10, Justin Allgaier has the lead on the outside lane with AJ Allmendinger in second as drivers begin jumping out of line and spreading out across the track.  Drivers are three and four wide.

Lap eleven, the top five are Justin Allgaier, Trevor Bayne, Austin Hill, Anthony Alfredo, and Sheldon Creed.

Lap 13, Justin Allgaier holds on to the lead but drivers get three wide in a battle for the lead.  Anthony Alfredo takes the lead.

Lap 14, Austin Hill is the new leader with Sheldon Creed in second; Trevor Bayne, Brandon Jones, and Anthony Alfredo round out the top five.

Lap 17, running in the outside lane, Austin Hill leads the race with Sheldon Creed in second; Anthony Alfredo, AJ Allmendinger, and Daniel Hemric round out the top five.

Lap 20, after spinning out, Ty Gibbs is in 16th place.

Lap 21, Austin Hill continues to lead the race with Sheldon Creed in second; Anthony Alfredo, AJ Allmendinger, and Daniel Hemric round out the top five with Justin Allgaier in sixth.

Five laps remain in stage one with Austin Hill in the lead by just one tenth of a second on Sheldon Creed.

Three to go in stage one, drivers are taking a peek in preparation to pulling out and move forward.

Austin Hill wins stage one.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Austin HIll
Sheldon Creed
Daniel Hemric
Brandon Jones
Trevor Bayne
AJ Allmendinger
Ty Gibbs
Justin Allgaier
Brandon Brown
Sam Mayer

Drivers come down pit road for service with Austin Hill winning the race off of pit road after taking only two tires.  Several teams took only two tires.

Austin Hill brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two from the inside lane on lap 31 with Trevor Bayne on the outside.  Hill edges out for the lead but Trevor Bayne comes up on the outside to take the lead.

Mason Massey returns to the track 18 laps down.  The remainder of the field is on the lead lap.

Lap 32, the top five are Trevor Bayne, Brandon Jones, Sam Mayer, Austin Hill, and Justin Allgaier.

Lap 33, Trevor Bayne leads the race with Austin Hill leading the inside lane near the apron.

Lap 34, Austin Hill leading the inside lane closes the gap on leader Trevor Bayne and the outside lane.

Lap 36, Trevor Bayne leads the race with Brandon Jones in second; Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, and Austin HIll round out the top five.

Lap 37, Trevor Bayne continues to lead the race with Brandon Jones in second; Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, and Austin Hill round out  the top five.

Lap 41, the inside lane has caught up to the outside lane.

In a three wide battle for the lead Sheldon Creed and Brandon Brown are in a battle for the lead with Sheldon Creed taking the lead and Austin Hill in second.

Trevor Bayne comes up from the middle lane for a three wide battle for the lead between Trevor Bayne, Anthony Alfredo, and Sheldon Creed.

With eight laps remaining in stage two, Trevor Bayne reclaims the lead with Austin Hill in second; Anthony Alfredo, Sheldon Creed, and Sam Mayer round out the top five.

Austin Hill is the new leader with Trevor Bayne in second.

Six to go, Austin Hill is out in front for the lead with the rainder of the field three wide.

Five to go, Austin Hill leads the race with Anthony Alfredo in second; Brandon Brown, Trevor Bayne, and Sheldon Creed round out the top five.

Two to go in stage two with Austin Hill in the lead and teammate Sheldon Creed in second; Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, and AJ Allmendinger round out the top five.

Justin Allgaier passes Austin Hill for the lead but Hill comes back to win stage two for the stage sweep.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Austin Hill
Justin Allgaier
AJ Allmendinger
Trevor Bayne
Jeb Burton
Sam Mayer
Brandon Brown
Brandon Jones
Ryan Sieg
Josh Berry

Drivers come down pit road for service with Trevor Bayne winning the race off of pit road after taking only two tires.

Sam Mayer was caught speeding on pit road.

Trevor Bayne brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three from the outside lane with Noah Gragson on the inside on lap 56.  Noah Gragson takes the lead with Trevor Bayne ins second.

Brandon Jones comes up on the inside to battle with Noah Gragson for the lead.  Next season Gragson moves up to the Cup Series and Brandon Jones will take over the driving duties of the number nine car.

Lap 59, with drivers spread out three wide across the track, Ryan Sieg comes up to take the lead with AJ Allmendinger in second; Austin Hill, Brandon Brown, and Trevor Bayne round out the top five.  Noah Gragson drops to 10th place.

There are 55 laps remaining in the race and the drivers are beginning to get aggressive on the track.

Lap 60 Ryan Sieg leads the race with AJ Allmendinger in second; Brandon Brown, Austin Hill, and Trevor Bayne round out the top five.

Lap 62, Ryan Sieg has a tenth of a second lead on AJ Allmendinger; Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, and Noah Gragson round out the top five.

Word from NASCAR and the Jordan Anderson racing team is that after a very scary event in which his truck caught fire, Jordan Anderson is being treated for minor burns and could be released later this evening. 

Lap 66, Ryan Sieg leads the race with AJ Allmendinger in second; Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, and Noah Gragson round out the top five.

Jeb Burton and Anthony Alfredo begin the cycle of green flag pit stops on lap 67.

Lap 70, the Chevrolets come down pit road.  Myatt Snider has an issue getting into his pit stall and ends up backwards.

Lap 71 the Toyotas come down pit road including leader Ryan Sieg; Bayley Currey is the new leader.


With 42 laps remaining in the race, Bayley Currey leads the race with Timmy Hill in second; Ryan Vargas, Jeremy Clements, and David Starr round out the top five with the Fords still needing to make a pit stop.

The field is now split up and separated by nearly a straightaway. 

Lap 74 more drivers come down pit road but the cycle is not yet complete.

The top five drivers – Bayley Currey, Timmy Hill, Ryan Vargas, Jeffrey Earnhardt, and David Star have yet to make their green flag pit stops.

Once pit stops cycle through, Austin Hill will be the leader with AJ Allmendinger in second.

Lap 81, Leaders come down pit road for their green flag pit stops; Austin Hill retakes the lead.

Lap 82, the top five are Austin Hill, AJ Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, Landon Cassill, and Sam Mayer.

Lap 84, Austin Hill has a tenth of a second lead on AJ Allmendinger; Noah Gragson, Landon Cassill, and Sam Mayer round out the top five.  The top seven drivers are in a Chevrolet.

With 29 laps remaining in the race, all 38 drivers are still on the track with only two drivers not on the lead lap.

Lap 87, Austin Hill holds a tenth of a second lead on AJ Allmendinger; Noah Gragson, Landon Cassill, and Sam Mayer round out the top five.

Lap 92, Austin Hill continues to dominate the race with AJ Allmendinger in second.  With 21 laps remaining in the race, Austin Hill’s team reports that he should have enough fuel to make it to the end of the race with a little to spare in case there is an overtime finish.

Just 20 to go, Austin Hill leads the race; AJ Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, Landon Cassill, and Sam Mayer round out the top five.  There are 34 cars on the lead lap.

Sixteen to go, the top five has not changed since Austin Hill retook the lead during green flag pit stops.  The field has gotten single file.

With just 12 laps to go, crews and teams are making plans for that final move to advance their positions and make a move toward the lead.

Ten to go, Austin Hill leads the race with AJ Allmendinger in second.

Parker Kligerman and Sheldon Creed have been experimenting with backing up to move forward as they prepare to “make their move”.

Third place driver Noah Gragson has won the last four races in a row tying him with Sam Ard for the record; he is looking to take the lead with five race wins in a row.

Just seven laps to go, there are 29 cars on the lead lap.

Josh Berry is the first driver to pull out and has lost of company to join him with six to go.

Five to go, the drivers now have two lanes with the outside lane trying to come forward.  Noah Gragson pulls out to lead the outside lane.

Four to go the drivers are three wide in a battle for the lead.  Parker Kligerman is the leader of the race with Sam Mayer in second.

Trying to block Noah Gragson, Austin Hill has fallen to 14th.

Three to go, Parker Kligerman and Sam Mayer battle for the lead.

AJ Allmendinger takes the lead with Sam Mayer coming up on the outside.  Of the four JR Motorsports drivers, Sam Mayer is the only driver not to have a race win.

Myatt Snider spins out with a flat tire but get moving and the track stays green.

Sam Mayer takes the white flag.

Sam Mayer battles to blaock AJ Allmendinger and Ryan Sieg.

AJ Allmendinger wins in a photo finish by 15 thousands of a second (about three feet).  He has locked in a spot in the next round of the playoffs.

A very excited AJ is jumping and shouting all over the place.  This is his fourth race win of the season but admits that he is not a good superspeedway driver.  He gives the checkered flag to a young fan.  AJ gave credit to teammate Landon Cassill for pushing him.

After dominating the race, Austin Hill finished the race in 14th. 

Going for his fifth race win in a row, Noah Gragson finished in tenth.

The unofficial results of the Sparks 300:
AJ Allmendinger
Sam Mayer
Landon Cassill
Ryan Sieg
Josh Berry
Parker Kligerman
Ty Gibbs
Brandon Jones
Daniel Hemric
Noah Gragson
Riley Herbst
Sheldon Creed
Trevor Bayne
Austin Hill
Justin Allgaier
Anthony Alfredo
Jeb Burton
JJ Yeley
Josh Williams
Jeremy Clements
Joey Gase
Joe Graf Jr
Derek Griffith
Bayley Currey
David Starr
BJ McLeod
Timmy Hill
Jesse Iwuji
CJ McLaughlin
Ryan Vargas
Caesar Bacarella
Howie Disavino III
Brandon Brown
Mike Harmon
Myatt Snider
Blaine Perkins
Jeffrey Earnhardt
Mason Massey