The official 2022 Sunoco Go Rewards 200 at The Glen NASCAR XFINITY Series entry list features top NASCAR drivers set to compete at Watkins Glen International, highlighting the full lineup of race participants and teams.
Saturday, August 20th, 2022
Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY
In the moments after claiming the checkered flag for the Sunoco Go Rewards 200 at the Glen Saturday afternoon, Kyle Larson smiled and conceded he was a bit fortunate.
“I got lucky,’’ he told the USA Network television audience.
Or perhaps more accurately, he was in the right place at the right time. Running third on a restart with five laps remaining in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at historic Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, he shot to the front when his Hendrick Motorsports teammate – and race polesitter - William Byron and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs spun out at the front of the field while dicing it up for the race lead.
Byron, who set a track record in qualifying earlier in the day and led a race best 36 of the 82 laps, and Gibbs, who led the second most laps (25) collided in a door-to-door battle in the famed “bus stop” portion of the 3.366-mile road course. And Larson bolted through to take the lead.
Still, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion had to hold off the sport’s all-time best on road courses, A.J. Allmendinger in the remaining laps to claim the day’s trophy - ultimately taking his 11th series win by a slight .273-seconds in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
“I think my only shot was if the 17 and 54 – Willy and Ty got really racing,’’ conceded Larson, who spent much of the race just behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Byron and Gibbs.
“The seas parted and I was able to get through but then I had A.J. (Allmendinger) behind me so just trying to hit my marks best I could. He definitely made me nervous with me being out in front of him.
“So cool to get a win here and Rick Hendrick is here too. Wish William and I could have fought for the win there though.’’
Rookie Sammy Smith, an 18-year old from Iowa in only his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start finished a career best third place in the No. 18 JGR Toyota and led an impressive – also career high – seven laps midway through the race.
JR Motorsports’ driver Noah Gragson finished fourth, followed by Kaz Grala. Sam Mayer, Riley Herbst, Sheldon Creed, who was the highest finishing rookie, Josh Berry and Jeremy Clements rounded out the top 10.
Byron and Gibbs, who had contact again farther back in the field during the final laps, ultimately finished 25th and 27th, respectively.
On the cool down lap after the race Byron told his crew, “Sorry guys, I wish we could have won that one. We were in position and got wrecked.’’
Allmendinger’s runner-up showing, combined with Gibbs rough day and an early exit by Justin Allgaier – who wrecked only four laps into the race – really boosted Allmendinger’s lead atop the Xfinity Series standings. With four races remaining to set the 12-driver 2022 Playoff field, he now holds a 61-point advantage over five-race winner Gibbs and is 70-points up on fellow three-race winner Allgaier.
ENTRY | # | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | DOB | AGE | MAKE | SPONSOR | TEAM | CREW CHIEF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16 | AJ Allmendinger | Los Gatos, CA | Dec 16, 1981 | 40 | Chevrolet | Nutrien Ag Solutions | Kaulig Racing | Bruce Schlicker |
2 | 08 | Andy Lally | Northport, NY | Feb 11, 1975 | 47 | Ford | Refology | SS-GLR w/Jeff Lefcourt | Jason Miller |
3 | 10 | Landon Cassill | Cedar Rapids, IA | Jul 7, 1989 | 33 | Chevrolet | Carnomaly | Kaulig Racing | Jason Trinchere |
4 | 66 | Timmy Hill | Port Tobacco, MD | Feb 25, 1993 | 29 | Chevrolet | R Stone / Coble Enterprises | Motorsports Business Management | Jason Houghtaling |
5 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | Riverton, IL | Jun 6, 1986 | 36 | Chevrolet | BRANDT | JR Motorsports | Jason Burdett |
6 | 88 | Kyle Larson | Sacremento, CA | Jul 31, 1992 | 30 | Chevrolet | Hendrick Cars.com | JR Motorsports | Jason Stockert |
7 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Halifax, VA | Aug 6, 1992 | 30 | Chevrolet | Ergodyne Work Gear | Our Motorsports | Chad Walter |
8 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | Tucker, GA | Jun 20, 1987 | 35 | Ford | A-GAME | RSS Racing | Kevin Starland |
9 | 92 | Ross Chastain | Alva, FL | Dec 4, 1992 | 29 | Chevrolet | Protect Your Melon | DGM Racing | Mario Gosselin |
10 | 34 | Kyle Weatherman | Wentzville, MO | Aug 28, 1997 | 24 | Chevrolet | SELE Foundation | Jesse Iwuji Motorsports | Dan Stillman |
11 | 11 | Daniel Hemric | Kannapolis, NC | Jan 27, 1991 | 31 | Chevrolet | AG1 - Athletic Greens | Kaulig Racing | Alex Yontz |
12 | 17 | William Byron | Charlotte, NC | Nov 29, 1997 | 24 | Chevrolet | Hendrickcars.com | Hendrick Motorsports | Kevin Meendering |
13 | 07 | Cole Custer | Ladera Ranch, CA | Jan 23, 1998 | 24 | Ford | Bucked Up Energy Drink | SS-GLR w/Jeff Lefcourt | Joe Williams |
14 | 45 | Josh Bilicki | Menomonee Falls, WI | Jun 3, 1995 | 27 | Chevrolet | Sargento | Alpha Prime Racing | Michael Brandt |
15 | 4 | Bayley Currey | Driftwood, TX | Oct 29, 1996 | 25 | Chevrolet | Hy-Vee | JD Motorsports | Wayne Carroll Jr |
16 | 48 | Kaz Grala | Boston, MA | Dec 29, 1998 | 23 | Chevrolet | Ruedebusch.com Big Machine | Big Machine Racing | Patrick Donahue |
17 | 36 | Alex Labbe | Saint-Albert, Canada | Apr 29, 1993 | 29 | Chevrolet | Larue Industrial Snow Blowers | DGM Racing | Nathan Kennedy |
18 | 21 | Austin Hill | Winston, GA | Apr 21, 1994 | 28 | Chevrolet | Bennett Transportation and Logistics | Richard Childress Racing | Andy Street |
19 | 5 | Brandon Brown | Woodbridge, VA | Sep 14, 1993 | 28 | Ford | B.J. McLeod Motorsports | BJ McLeod Motorsports | Mike Tyska |
20 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Atlanta, GA | Feb 18, 1997 | 25 | Toyota | Menards\Magickwoods | Joe Gibbs Racing | Jeff Meendering |
21 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Spartanburg, SC | Jan 16, 1985 | 37 | Chevrolet | Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet | Jeremy Clements Racing | Mark Setzer |
22 | 31 | Myatt Snider | Charlotte, NC | Dec 30, 1994 | 27 | Chevrolet | Bommarito Automotive Group | Jordan Anderson Racing | Shane Whitbeck |
23 | 9 | Noah Gragson | Las Vegas, NV | Jul 15, 1998 | 24 | Chevrolet | Bass Pro Shops TrueTimber BRCC | JR Motorsports | Luke Lambert |
24 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Las Vegas, NV | Feb 24, 1999 | 23 | Ford | Monster Energy | Stewart-Haas Racing | Richard Boswell |
25 | 23 | Anthony Alfredo | Ridgefield, CT | Mar 1, 1999 | 23 | Chevrolet | Death Wish Coffee | Our Motorsports | Pat Tryson |
26 | 91 | Preston Pardus | New Smyrna Beach, FL | Feb 15, 1997 | 25 | Chevrolet | Chinchor Electric / GSD | DGM Racing | Dan Pardus |
27 | 78 | Scott Heckert | Ridgefield, CT | Nov 21, 1993 | 28 | Chevrolet | Malco Automotive | BJ McLeod Motorsports | David Ingram |
28 | 44 | Stefan Parsons | Cornelius, NC | Jun 15, 1998 | 24 | Chevrolet | Kelly Mitsubishi | Alpha Prime Racing | Frank Kerr |
29 | 38 | Patrick Gallagher | Thornville, OH | Oct 6, 1992 | 29 | Ford | Belle haven | RSS Racing | Steve Addington |
30 | 2 | Sheldon Creed | Alpine, CA | Sep 30, 1997 | 24 | Chevrolet | Whelen | Richard Childress Racing | Jeff Stankiewicz |
31 | 8 | Josh Berry | Hendersonville, TN | Oct 22, 1990 | 31 | Chevrolet | Tire Pros Summer for Heroes | JR Motorsports | Mike Bumgarner |
32 | 68 | Kris Wright | Wexford, PA | Jul 17, 1994 | 28 | Chevrolet | First National Bank | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Doug Randolph |
33 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Charlotte, NC | Oct 4, 2002 | 19 | Toyota | Cub Cadet | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chris Gayle |
34 | 02 | Blaine Perkins | Bakersfield, CA | Feb 28, 2000 | 22 | Chevrolet | Robinson Fresh | Our Motorsports | Kris Bowen |
35 | 1 | Sam Mayer | Franklin, WI | Jun 26, 2003 | 19 | Chevrolet | Accelerate Pros Talent | JR Motorsports | Taylor Moyer |
36 | 35 | Brad Perez | Hollywood, FL | Jan 21, 1997 | 25 | Toyota | WEISS | Emerling Gase Motorsports | Rick Bourgeois |
37 | 26 | Connor Mosack | Charlotte, NC | Jan 20, 1999 | 23 | Toyota | Rad Cats | Sam Hunt Racing | Allen Hart |
38 | 18 | Sammy Smith | Johnston, IA | Jun 4, 2004 | 18 | Toyota | Pilot Flying J | Joe Gibbs Racing | Jason Ratcliff |