It’s safe to say that Cole Custer has plenty to celebrate after Friday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol.
Not only did Custer win after leading the race’s final 92 laps, he also won the Xfinity Series regular-season championship, which nets the No. 00 team 15 extra playoff points.
The win is the second of the 2024 season for the defending Xfinity Series champion.
It was Justin Allgaier who held the regular-season points lead heading into the night, but a myriad of issues for the No. 7 team relegated Allgaier to a 30th-place finish. Allgaier lost the regular season by just three points.
Allgaier’s troubles started on lap 52 when the injured vehicle of Austin Green took off his rear bumper. With a fast car underneath him, however, Allgaier – who won the Xfinity Series race at Bristol in 2023 – worked his way back into the top five.
A spin on lap 153 would be the beginning of the end for Allgaier. After hitting the inside wall during the aforementioned spin, Allgaier’s pit crew was tasked with repairing the damaged Camaro. After Allgaier dragged a saw with him onto the racetrack, the No. 7 team was hit with a penalty that proved to be the final nail in the coffin for their regular-season title hopes.
To add insult to injury, Allgaier was the subject of the race’s final caution flag, going for a spin on lap 199 after cutting a right-rear tire.
Sheldon Creed finished second, with pole-sitter Chandler Smith, Jesse Love and Ryan Truex rounding out the top five. Brandon Jones, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Sieg, Sam Mayer and AJ Allmendinger completed the top 10.
Parker Kligerman and Sammy Smith both clinched Xfinity Series playoff spots on Friday, completing the 12-driver postseason field. The 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs start on Sept. 28 at the Kansas Speedway.
