Justin Allgaier is finally a NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.
With a daring three-wide move on the second-to-last restart of the race, Allgaier passed fellow Championship Four drivers Cole Custer and Austin Hill to take the championship lead.
While Riley Herbst won the race after passing Allgaier in the final corner, the second-place finish was enough for Allgaier to earn his first title after 14 years of full-time competition.
The championship comes after Allgaier was penalized with a restart violation and subsequent pit road speeding penalty earlier in the race.
Allgaier’s team owner, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., watched as his driver did his burnout on the front stretch of the Phoenix Raceway.
“I’ve been doing this a long time. These people that are standing around me… there’s no words,” Allgaier told NBC Sports. “My wife and my kids have given up so much for me to do this job. God is good, man. I said all week, I don’t know what the plan is, I don’t know what that looks like, He’s got a reason for everything. Tonight is truly that, it’s mind-blowing.”
Allgaier, Aric Almirola, Connor Zilisch, Chandler Smith, Jesse Love, Sheldon Creed, Custer, AJ Allmendinger and Hill rounded out the top 10.
Other notable finishers include Sam Mayer in 11th, Shane van Gisbergen in 12th, Parker Kligerman in 14th, Brandon Jones in 18th and Anthony Alfredo in 36th.
The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season will begin at the Daytona International Speedway with the United Rentals 300 on Feb. 15.
