For the opening race in the round of eight, NASCAR travels to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for some double header racing in the desert.
The Xfinity Series kicks the weekend off with some Saturday night racing in the Focused Health 302.
Teams brought 38 drivers for the race for 38 starting spots; not DNQ’s this weekend.
The drivers have been divided into two groups for a 25 minute practice session each before making a qualifying run.
The 71 car of Ryan Ellis is smoking heavily with a possible blown engine and heads for the garage.
Points leader Connor Zilisch comes into the race with a 57 point lead on the field – the largest in NASCAR playoff history.
Corey Day topped the leader board in group one practice with the fastest time of 30.618 seconds.
Tayor Gray tops the leaderboard in group two with a time of 30.557 seconds. Jesse Love was the top playoff driver in practice in fourth place.
Parker Retzlaff with an axle issue and Ryan Ellis with a blown engine will not make qualifying runs but will make the race.
The first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Mason Maggio who posted a time of 31.887
With a time of 30.157, Justin Allgaier put his number seven car on the pole with teammate Connor Zilisch alongside.
The starting lineup for the Focused Health 302:
Justin Allgaier – playoffs
Connor Zilisch – playoffs
Brandon Jones – playoffs
Aric Almirola
Nick Sanchez
Jesse Love – playoffs
Christian Eckes
Taylor Gray
Carson Kvapil – playoffs
Sheldon Creed – playoffs
William Sawalich
Austin Hill
Daniel Hemric
Ryan Sieg
Sammy Smith – playoffs
Sam Mayer – playoffs
Matt DiBenedetto
Daniel Dye
Corey Day
Harrison Burton
Jeremy Clements
Jeb Burton
Dean Thompson
Kyle Sieg
Anthony Alfredo
Trevor Bayne
Josh Williams
Blaine Perkins
Thomas Annunziata
Mason Massey
Brennan Poole
Joey Gase
Austin Green
Nick Leitz
Mason Maggio
Garrett Smithley
Parker Retzlaff
Ryan Ellis
Stages one and two are 45 laps each with stage three lasting 111 laps for a total of 201 laps around the mile and a half track.
Justin Allgaier brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with teammate Connor Zilisch alongside. This is the eighth time that JRM has held the front row at race start. Justin Allgaier gets out in front from the inside lane with Brandon Jones and Connor Zilisch in a battle for second.
La two, the top five are Justin Allgaier, Connor Zilisch, Aric Almirola Nick Sanchez, and Brandon Jones.
Lap four, Aric Almirola passes Connor Zilisch for second.
Lap five, Justin Allgaier has a lead of over half a second on Aric Almirola; Connor Zilisch, Nick Sanchez, and Taylor Gray round out the top five.
Lap seven, Brandon Jones passes Taylor Gray for fifth.
Five of the top 10 spots are occupied by playoff drivers with Justin Allgaier leading the race.
Connor Zilisch has gotten around Aric Almirola for second.
Sheldon Creed has dropped in the field; he reports that he has no grip.
Lap 12 Aric Almirola and Connor Zilisch continue to battle back and forth with Justin Allgaier leading the race a second out in front.
Lap 21, Justin Allgaier has a second and a half lead on Aric Almirola; Connor Zilisch, Jesse Love, and Brandon Jones round out the top five.
Sam Mayer is reporting some issues with his car; saying the oil pressure and voltage are dropping.
Jesse Love has passed Connor Zilisch for third.
The first caution flag of the race comes out on lap 24 for debris on the track.The crews have just four sets of sticker tires for the race.
Sheldon Creed comes down pit road for adjustments.
Justin Allgaier brings the field down for the green flag restart with Aric Almirola alongside on lap 29. In a three wide battle, Aric Almirola takes the lead.
Lap 30, the top five are Aric Almirola, Connor Zilisch, Jesse Love, Justin Allgaier, and Brandon Jones.
Justin Allgaier passes Jesse Love for third.
Ryan Sieg passes Brandon Jones for fifth.
The wind continues to be an issue for the drivers with gusts of around 30mph.
After reporting some engine issues, Sam Mayer is in the top 10.
Lap 36, Aric Almirola has a lead of less than a quarter of a second on Connor Zilisch; Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, and Ryan Sieg round out the top five.
With seven laps remaining in stage one, Jesse Love battles with Justin Allgaier for third.
The 45 car driven by Mason Massey takes his car to the garage with mechanical issues.
Brandon Jones is having issues with his car and has dropped to 18th.
Not a playoff driver, Aric Almirola’s number 19 car is in the owner’s championship race.
Sam Mayer reports no power.
Aric Almirola wins stage one.
The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Aric Almirola
Connor Zilisch
Jesse Love
Justin Allgaier
Ryan Sieg
Austin Hill
Christian Eckes
Sam Mayer
Taylor Gray
Nick Sanchez
The field comes down pit road for service with Jesse Love winning the race off of pit road.
Nick Sanchez and Josh Williams were caught speeding on pit road 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 two with Aric Almirola alongside on lap 53. Drivers get three wide on the restart, but then get double wide.
Aric Almirola takes the lead after a push from Connor Zilisch.
Lap 55, the top five are Aric Almirola, Connor Zilisch, Jesse Love, Austin Hill, and Sam Mayer.
Jesse Love passes Connor Zilisch for second.
Justin Allgaier has passed Christian Eckes for fifth.
Lap 58, Aric Almirola holds a narrow lead on Jesse Love; Connor Zilisch, Austin Hill, and Justin Allgaier round out the top five.
Sheldon Creed is in 18th place, but is still reporting a tight condition.
Brandon Jones had a tire going down.
Lap 62, Jesse Love is on leader Aric Almirola’s bumper and looking to pass for the lead; Connor Zilisch, Austin Hill, and Justin Allgaier round out the top five.
Mason Massey has returned to the track 27 laps down.
Lap 68, Justin Allgaier passes Austin Hill for fourth.
NASCAR has posted Thomas Annunziata for failing to make minimum speed. The crew has one chance to bring the car up to speed or he will be out of the race.
Lap 71, Aric Almirola has pulled out to a half second lead on Jesse Love; Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, and Austin Hill round out the top five.
Thomas Annunziata has been posted for crew coming over the wall too soon and will have to serve a passthrough penalty.
Ryan Sieg passes Austin Hill for fifth. Hill got slideways on the pass. He reports some handling issues with the car.
Lap 80, Aric Almirola continues to lead the race and is half a second in front of Jesse Love; Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, and Ryan Sieg round out the top five.
Sammy Smith reports that he has no grip; saying that it feels like the wind is driving the car.
After getting a speeding penalty, Nick Sanchez has worked his way back inside the top 20 to 13th.
Thomas Annunziata has taken his car to the garage with mechanical issues.
Leader Aric Almirola has encountered slower traffic.
Aric Almirola wins stage two for the stage sweep.
The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Aric Almirola
Jesse Love
Connor Zilisch
Justin Allgaier
Ryan Sieg
Austin Hill
Christian Eckes
Sam Mayer
Corey Day
Carson Kvapil
Drivers come down pit road for service with many of them reporting tight conditions in their cars.
Austin Green will have to restart the race from the back of the field after having an uncontrolled tire on his pit stop.
Carson Kvapil and Christian Eckes had issues during their pit stops and loss several spots on the track.
Connor Zilisch brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three on lap with Jesse Love alongside on lap 99. Zilisch jumps out in front for the lead.
Drivers are getting three wide in a battle for position.
Thomas Annunziata is out of the race.
Lap 102, Connor Zilisch has a near half second lead on Jesse Love; Aric Almirola, Austin Hill, and Brandon Jones round out the top five. Justin Allgaier is in seventh place.
Connor Zilisch has led over 1,000 laps in his career and has now led 19 races in a row.
Justin Allgaier passes Nick Sanchez for sixth.
Lap 106, Aric Almirola passes Jesse Love for second and begins a battle with Connor Zilisch for the lead.
Aric Almirola takes the lead with 93 laps to go.
Justin Allgaier has passed Brandon Jones for fourth.
Lap 117, Aric Almirola has pulled out to a lead of nearly a second on Jesse Love; Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, and Nick Sanchez round out the top five. The drivers will have to make a pit stop to make it to the end of the race.
Corey Day and Brandon Jones battle back and forth for sixth.
Aric Almirola has pulled out to a one second lead on Jesse Love; Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, and Nick Sanchez round out the top five.
Corey Day has gotten around Brandon Jones and now Jones is in a battle with Austin Hill.
Mason Massey is out of the race.
Lap 130, Aric Almirola is dominating the race with a half second lead on Jesse Love; Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, and Nick Sanchez round out the top five. Leaders are approaching slower traffic.
Aric Almirola reports a very loose condition.
With 62 laps to go, Sheldon Creed is the first driver to come down pit road for a green flag pit stop.
With 59 laps to go, Jesse Love passes Aric Almirola for the lead.
With 58 laps to go, drivers begin green flag pit stops. Jesse Love and Aric Almirola come down pit road and give the lead over to Connor Zilisch.
Connor Zilisch makes his pit stop and gives the lead over to Nick Sanchez.
Brandon Jones is the new leader.
Daniel Dye takes the lead.
With 52 laps to go Daniel Hemric takes the lead as pit stops continue.
Fifty to go, Daniel Hemric leads the race with Kyle Sieg in second – both drivers still need to make their pit stops; Jesse Love, Connor Zilisch, and Aric Almirola round out the top five.
With 47 laps remaining in the race, Jesse Love takes the lead after green flag pit stops cycle through. The top five are Jesse Love, Connor Zilisch, Aric Almirola, Justin Allgaier, and Sheldon Creed.
With 43 laps to go, Connor Zilisch has begun to challenge Jesse Love for the lead with Aric Almirola in their bumpers.
Just 39 laps to go, Jesse Love has pulled out to a near half second lead on Connor Zilisch; Aric Almirola, Justin Allgaier, and Nick Sanchez round out the top five.
Lap 169, there are just 21 cars on the lead lap.
Thirty to go, Connor Zilisch passes Jesse Love for the lead among slower traffic.
The caution flag comes out with 28 laps to go when Dean Thompson gets loose and spins out. Sammy Smith is the “lucky dog”.
Connor Zilisch reports that his heart rate is 191; adding that his heart hasn’t been in a tight race in a while.
Drivers come down pit road for that last set of sticker tires. Connor Zilisch wins the race off of pit road with Aric Almirola coming out second.
Connor Zilisch brings the field down for the green flag restart with Aric Almirola alongside on lap 178. Zilisch and Almirola go side by side for over a lap before Connor Zilisch finally gets out in front. Nick Sanchez and Aric Almirola battle for second; Jesse Love and Justin Allgaier round out the top five.
Justin Allgaier and Sheldon Creed battle for fifth.
Just 18 laps to go, Connor Zilisch has pulled out to a lead of over half a second on Nick Sanchez; Aric Almirola, Jesse Love, and Justin Allgaier round out zkidhe top five.
Nick Sanchez gets loose and Aric Almirola takes second.
Jesse Love and Nick Sanchez battle for third.
Justin Allgaier passes Jesse Love for fourth.
Fourteen to go, Connor Zilisch has a half second lead on Aric Almirola; Nick Sanchez, Justin Allgaier, and Jesse Love round out the top five.
Thirteen to go, Justin Allgaier passes Nick Sanchez for third.
Just eleven laps to go, Aric Almirola has caught leader Connor Zilisch and is challenging for the lead.
Corey Day passes Jesse Love for fifth.
With nine laps to go, Aric Almirola passes Connor Zilisch for the lead.
Seven to go, Aric Almirola has a half second lead on Connor Zilisch; Justin Allgaier, Nick Sanchez, and Corey Day round out the top five.
Connor Zilisch has won 10 races this season but he has never won a race on a mile and a half track.
Aric Almirola takes the white flag.
A very loose Connor Zilisch continues to work at passing Aric Almirola.
After sweeping both stages, Aric Almirola wins the race.
Aric Almirola is one of a number of drivers to take the wheel in the Joe Gibbs Racing number 19 car. The 19 is in the owner’s playoffs and just put the number 19 into the championship four.
The unofficial results of the Focused Health 302:
Aric Almirola
Connor Zilisch
Justin Allgaier
Corey Day
Nick Sanchez
Jesse Love
Ryan Sieg
Taylor Gray
Sam Mayer
Austin Hill
Sheldon Creed
William Sawalich
Brandon Jones
Harrison Burton
Carson Kmapil
Daniel Hemric
Daniel Dye
Christian Eckes
Matt DiBenedetto
Sammy Smith
Kyle Sieg
Trevor Bayne
Dean Thompson
Ryan Ellis
Parker Retzlaff/
Austin Green
Garrett Smithley
Mason Maggio
Nick Leitz
Joey Gase
Jeremy Clements
Mason Massey
Thomas Annunziata