Are The Xfinity Series kicks off a doubleheader weekend with the Ag-Pro 300 at NASCAR’s largest track – Talladega Superspeedway.
Forty-one teams have brought cars to Talladega for 38 spots including Jesse Iwuji, Katherine Legge, Jeffrey Earnhardt, and the return of Aric Almirola.
Known as the home of “The Big One”, the drivers will be running speeds fast enough for a small jet to take off.
With no practice time on the track, the drivers will get their first look at the track making qualifying runs. The drivers will make two qualifying runs with the top 10 drivers making a second round to set the pole.
The first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Craftsman Truck Series regular Jake Garcia who posted a time of 53.667 seconds. Teammate Austin Hill will start alongside on the front row.
The first driver to break the 53 second mark if Joey Gase with a time of 52.938 seconds around the 2.66 mile track.
With a time of 52.546 seconds, Jesse Love put his number two car on the pole.
The starting lineup for the Ag-Pro 300:
Jesse Love
Austin Hill
Justin Allgaier
Joey Gase
Jeb Burton
Taylor Gray
Josh Williams
Daniel Dye
Ryan Ellis
Jeremy Clements
Sheldon Creed
Matt DiBenedetto
Connor Zilisch
Sammy Smith
Christian Eckes
Brandon Jones
Aric Almirola
William Sawalich
Anthony Alfredo
Carson Kvapil
Leland Honeyman Jr
Dean Thompson
Nick Sanchez
Kris Wright
Greg van Alst
Kyle Sieg
Katherine Legge
Patrick Emerling
Harrison Burton
Jeffrey Earnhardt
Blaine Perkins
Mason Maggio
Parker Retzlaff
Sam Mayer
Ryan Sieg
Jesse Iwuji
Brennan Poole
Caesar Bacarella
Due to lightning in the area and rain on the way, round two of qualifying has been cancelled.
Garrett Smithley, Ausitn Green, and Jake Garcia failed to qualify for the race.
Jeb Burton is the only driver in the field who has multiple wins at Talladega.
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 tri-oval. The drivers can run around 44 laps on a single load of fuel.
Jesse Love brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with teammate Austin Hill alongside on the front row. Love gets out in front for the lead with Austin Hill in second.
Lap two, drivers are getting three wide back in the fieP, Joey Gase, and Taylor Gray.
Lap three, Justin Allgaier and Austin Hill battle back and forth for second with Allgaier on the outside lane and Hill on the inside.
Lap six, Parker Retzlaff makes an unscheduled trip down pit road for a flat tire.
Lap nine, Jesse Love continues to lead the race with Jusitn Allgaier in second.
Parker Retzlaff was charged with a blend line violation and will have to serve a passthrough penalty.
Lap eleven, the top five are Jesse Love, Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill, Jeb Burton, and Daniel Dye.
Halfway through stage one, Jesse Love has led every lap so far.
Lap 17, Jesse Love continues to lead the race with Austin Hill in second; Jeb Burton, Sheldon Creed, and Taylor Gray round out the top five.
Lap 18, drivers are getting aggressive, leader Jesse Love is working to defend his lead with both lanes.
Anthony Alfredo made an unscheduled pit stop with a vibration.
After the tire carcass wrapped around the brakes, Parker Retzlaff is now having brake issues and is three laps down.
With five laps remaining in stage one, the top five are Jesse Love, Austin Hill, Jeb Burton, Sheldon Creed, and Taylor Gray.
With three laps remaining in stage one, the drivers are getting very intense as they battle for a top 10 spot…and stage points.
After leading every laps in the stage, Jesse Love wins stage one.
The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Jesse Love
Austin Hill
Christian Eckes
Ryan Sieg
Josh Williams
Nick Sanchez
Harrison Burton
Justin Allgaier
Jeb Burton
Parker Retzlaff takes his car to the garage with brake issues.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Jesse Love winning the race off of pit road; Christian Eckes came out second “by a nose”.
Taylor Gray had an uncontrolled tire during his pit stop and will have to restart the race from the back of the field.
Jeremy Clements was charged with having a crew member over the wall too soon and will have to restart the race from the back of the field. He also had a slow stop with a crew member under the hood.
Sheldon Creed’s crew chief reports that you could drive on them all the way to Richmond, VA and not wear them out.
Jesse Love brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two with Nick Sanchez alongside on lap 32. With a good push from Justin Allgaier, Nick Sanchez takes the lead.
Drivers are three wide in a battle for the lead with Christian Eckes taking the top spot.
Jesse Love retakes the lead.
Lap 33, the top five are Jesse Love, Justin Allgaier, Christian Eckes, Austin Hill, and Ryan Sieg.
Lap 35, drivers are three wide through the field.
Lap 36, Sammy Smith and Jesse Love battle for the lead.
Lap 37, Christian Eckes takes the lead.
Lap 38, Jeb Burton takes the lead. He started stage two in 16th place.
Sheldon Creed makes contact with Justin Allgaier, but he saves the car and the track stays green.
Lap 40, the top five are Jeb Burton, Austin Hill, Sammy Smith, Justin Allgaier, and Sheldon Creed.
Drivers are three wide through the field with leader Jeb Burton blocking all three lanes, moving from top to bottom and back.
Lap 43, Jeb Burton leads the race with Austin Hill in second.
Lap 44, Austin Hill takes the lead.
Five laps remain in stage two with Austin Hill leading the race; Jesse Love, Christian Eckes, Ryan Sieg, and Justin Allgaier round out the top five.
Four laps remain in stage two, the drivers have gotten three wide again in a battle for position.
Austin Hill wins stage two for the Richard Childress sweep.
The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Austin Hill
Jesse Love
Aric Almirola
Nick Sanchez
Sammy Smith
Connor Zilisch
Jeb Burton
Justin Allgaier
William Sawalich
Harrison Burton
Parker Retzlaff returns to the track 26 laps down.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Jesse Love winning the race off of pit road; teammate Austin Hill comes out second.
Caesar Bacarella, Anthony Alfredo, and Parker Retzlaff were charged with pitting while pit road was closed and will have to restart the race from the back of the field.
Jesse Love brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three on lap 57 with Aric Almirola alongside. Drivers quickly get three wide.
The top five are Jesse Love, Austin Hill, Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones, and Connor Zilisch.
Caesar Bacarella has been charged with a safety and blend line violation and will have to serve a passthrough penalty.
Lap 60, Jesse Love leads the race with Austin Hill in second; Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones, and Connor Zilisch round out the top five.
Lap 64, Jesse Love continues to lead the race with Austin Hill in second.
With 49 laps remaining in the race, drivers will have to make a pit stop to make it to the end of the race.
Drivers are beginning to work at getting organized to pit with teammates and manufacturers.
Lap 59, drivers begin making green flag pit stops including leaders Jesse Love and Austin Hill. Brandon Jones is the new leader.
Lap 71 more drivers come down pit road for service. The Fords and Toyotas are still out on the track.
The 07 car of Patrick Emerling was caught speeding on pit road and will have to serve a passthrough penalty.
Lap 74, more drivers come down pit road including leader Brandon Jones. Jeremy Clements is the new leader. The drivers came off of pit road in a big gaggle of a mess.
Still needing to make a pit stop, Katherine Legge leads the race.
Mason Maggio and Ryan Ellis were caught speeding on pit road and will have to serve a passthrough penalty.
Lap 76, Katerine Legge makes her pit stop. New leader Greg van Alst has yet to make his pit stop.
Brandon Jones is the new leader.
The first caution flag for an on track incident comes out with 35 laps remaining in the race when Greg van Alst, Sammy Smith, and Ryan Sieg get involved in a wreck. Ryan Sieg takes his car to the garage. Jeb Burton gets into the outside wall.
Christian Eckes is on pit road with the hood up; an apparent belt issue.
Sheldon Creed leads the race.
Rayn Sieg is out of the race. Out of the infield care center, Sieg said that he had the car saved but the grass got them. There has been a great deal of rain in Talladega.
Sheldon Creed brings the field down for the green flag restart with Brandon Jones alongside on lap 85. Harrison Burton takes the lead.
Brand Jones gets out in front for the lead.
NASCAR officials held Josh Williams for two laps for having too many crew members over the wall while under the “crash clock”.
Sheldon Cree retakes the lead.
Josh Williams was caught speeding coming off of pit road and will have to serve a passthrough penalty.
With 26 laps remaining in the race, Sheldon Creed leads the race with Brandon Jones in second; Harrison Burton, Nick Sanchez, and Aric Almirola round out the top five.
Brandon Jones passes Sheldon Creed for the lead on lap 88.
Jesse Love passes Brandon Jones to retake the lead.
With 22 to go, Brandon Jones takes the lead.
William Sawalich is out of the race with an engine issue.
Lap 92, Connor Zilisch takes the lead on the outside lane.
Drivers are three wide through the field.
Twenty to go! The top five are Connor Zilisch, Jesse Love, Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil, and Austin Hill.
Connor Zilisch is the only JR Motorsports driver who has not won a race this season.
Sixteen to go, Austin Hill and Connor Zilisch battle for the lead with Hill taking the lead.
With 15 to go, Jesse Love come up from the inside to battle with Austin Hill for the lead.
The caution flag comes out on lap 100 for a crash invoving Jeffrey Earnhardt, Katherine Legge, Aric Almirola, and Brandon Jones.
Leland Honeyman has to restart the race from the back of the field after being charged with impeding the choose.
Austin Hill brings the field down for the green flag restart with Connor Zilisch alongside with just six laps remaining in the race. Connor Zilisch takes the lead on the inside but Nick Sanchez comes up on the outside to take the lead.
Five to go, Jesse Love makes it a three way battle for the lead.
Just three laps remain with Connor Zilisch in the lead; teammate Justin Allgaier is in second; Matt DiBenedetto, Carson Kvapil, and Nick Sanchez round out the top five.
Drivers get four wide in a battle for the lead.
Drivers are four wide!
Connor Zilisch takes the white flag.
The caution flag comes out after Jesse Love hit Connor Zilisch from behind, sending Zilisch headon into the wall hard.
Jeb Burton is listed as the leader but it will depend on who was in the lead when the caution flag came out.
Jess Love, Austin Hill, and Jeb Burton are stopped on the track three wide waiting for NASCAR to announce the winner.
NASCAR has announced that Austin Hill is the winner of the race.
The unofficial results of the Ag-Pro 300:
Austin Hill
Jeb Burton
Jesse Love
Justin Allgaier
Anthony Alfredo
Matt DiBenedetto
Sheldon Creed
Blaine Perkins
Taylor Gray
Harrison Burton
Daniel Dye
Patrick Emerling
Leland Honeyman
Carson Kvapil
Sam Mayer
Dean Thompson
Nick Sanchez
Jesse Iwuji
Ryan Ellis
Mason Maggio
Brennan Poole
Joey Gase
Kyle Sieg
Kris Wright
Christian Eckes
Jeremy Clements
Connor Zilisch
Brandon Jones
Josh Williams
Caesar Bacarella
Sammy Smith
Jeffrey Earnhardt
Aric Almirola
Katherine Legge
Greg van Alst
Ryan Sieg
William Sawalich
Parker Retzlaff