XFINITY Series Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR XFINITY Series

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United Rentals 250

Saturday, October 5th, 2024

Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln, AL

Previous race at Talladega Superspeedway
  • 25 Chevrolet
  • 5 Toyota
  • 8 Ford

  • Thursday, October 3rd, 2024
  • NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain
Xfinity Series returns to the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway

For the first time in two years, the NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to Talladega Superspeedway for a Playoff race – the United Rentals 250 Saturday at 4 p.m. ET (The CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Aric Almirola won last week’s 2024 Playoff opener at Kansas Speedway but because he is not Playoff eligible- this second race of the three-race round becomes even more pivotal in deciding which eight drivers will advance to the next round.

Playoff driver A.J. Allmendinger won the last Fall Playoff race at Talladega in 2022. Jordan Anderson Racing’s Jeb Burton is a two-time Talladega winner and joins Playoff rookie Jesse Love, who won at the big track this Spring as the only current fulltime drivers to hoist a Talladega trophy.

Entering the race, Regular Season Champion, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chandler Smith, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, JR Motorsports Sam Mayer, JGR’s Sheldon Creed, Kaulig Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen, RCR’s Love and SHR’s Riley Herbst sit above the Playoff cutoff line.

Meanwhile, a pair of preseason title favorites – JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier and Kaulig’s Allmendinger are currently just below that cutoff line. Allgaier, a two-time race winner this season, is a single point behind Herbst, has only four top-five finishes in 17 Talladega starts and has never hoisted a trophy there.

A victory this week would similarly go a long way for Allmendinger, who is still racing for his first win of the season and currently sits 10th in the Playoff standings, 13 points below the cutoff line.

“Anything can and usually does happen at Talladega. JR Motorsports has always had an incredibly strong superspeedway program and I know that that will be the case once again on Saturday,” Allgaier said.

“We just need to be smart out there and not get ourselves caught in a bad position in the middle of the pack. If we can keep our nose clean and run up front all day long, I see no reason why we won’t be fighting for the win with our JRM teammates and get ourselves into the next round of the Playoffs once the checkered flag falls.”

Qualifying is set for 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday (USA Network, NBC Sports App). Austin Hill won the pole position in the Spring race. Mayer won the pole for the last Playoff race at Talladega two years ago.

  • United Rentals 250
  • Pole Winner: Jesse Love
  • Age: 19
  • Team : No 2 - Whelen Chevrolet
  • Owner: Richard Childress
  • Crew Chief: Danny Stockman, Jr
  • Jesse Love won the Pole Award for the United Rentals 250 with a lap of 52578 seconds, 182129 mph
  • This is his fifth pole in 28 NASCAR Xfinity Series races
  • This is his fifth pole and 17th top-10 start in 2024
  • This is his first pole in two races at Talladega Superspeedway
  • Austin Hill (second) posted his 17th top-10 start of 2024 and his fifth in six races at Talladega Superspeedway
  • Chandler Smith (third) posted his second top-10 start at Talladega Superspeedway It is his 22nd in 28 races this season
  • Jesse Love (first) was the fastest qualifying rookie

  • Saturday, October 5th, 2024
  • NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain
Sammy Smith clinches spot in Round of 8 with victory at Talladega

A last lap pass for the win is a recurring theme at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and that’s exactly what landed JR Motorsports driver Sammy Smith in Victory Lane on Saturday. It was the only lap he led all day but it was good enough to win Saturday’s United Rentals 250 overtime thriller and earn Smith an automatic berth into the next round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.

It was a huge turn of fortune for the 20-year old Iowa native, who came into the race ranked last among the 12 Playoff drivers and winless on the season. He started his No. 8 JRM Chevrolet 27th in Saturday’s 38-car field, but moved forward rapidly from the fall of the green flag, running near the front most of the day, avoiding multiple multi-car accidents and making the move to the checkered flag when it counted most.

“It’s been a really tough year,’’ said Smith. “It’s been a while and it’s been a struggle, but I’m very happy to be here and looking forward to getting better on these ovals and road courses.”

It was high-stakes, clutch performance for the young talent, whose only other victory came last April at the Phoenix Raceway one-miler. Just this week with Playoff elimination a possibility, he piqued his team owner’s brain for tips on racing on the Talladega 2.66-mile high banks – his team owner being Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won six NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega including an unprecedented four in a row.

“We sat down Wednesday,’’ Smith said. “It wasn’t a whole lot, but asking him what he would do in certain situations [on the big track]. Feels really good to win again.”

Smith beat RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg to the line by a slight .177-second with a three-wide battle on track right behind featuring Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith who rounded out the top-five.

Herbst was leading with a lap remaining only to get passed in a massive push forward that included a run by Chandler Smith – ultimately both losing out to Sammy Smith and Ryan Sieg. Frustrated, after the race Herbst immediately walked over to Chandler Smith’s car and had words with the young driver.

“I was just telling him, he had his teammate behind him and was in the best spot you want to be in and I told him he made a right move but in the wrong place,’’ Herbst said. “He would have won the race and all he did was kill his run, my run and his teammate’s run and let the 8 [Sammy Smith] get away.”

Polesitter, rookie Jesse Love led a race best 28 of the 98 laps in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet finishing sixth in a race marked with six cautions, a brief red flag, 11 race leaders and 28 lead changes.

Although relatively calm through the early goings – Chandler Smith won the opening stage and RCR’s Austin Hill won the second stage – the final laps lived up to Talladega expectation. Only three of the 12 Playoff drivers managed to avoid being caught up – in varying degrees – in accidents on the afternoon.

Two perennial championship favorites and current Playoff drivers, Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger and JR Motorsports Justin Allgaier were among those that led laps – as expected – but were also collected in multi-car accidents.

Allmendinger still rallied to an 11th place showing after his No. 16 Chevy suffered minor damage in a 12-car accident with three laps remaining that triggered a nearly 10-minute red flag stoppage and forced overtime. Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet suffered more damage in the crash and he finished 26th.

Reigning series champion, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer was also caught up in the accident and finished 27th. Fellow Playoff competitor, Kaulig Racing’s Shane Van Gisbergen – a three-race winner this season – was a part of a multi-car accident earlier – with 18 laps remaining – and finished 36th.

Jeb Burton finished seventh with David Starr, Brennan Poole and Kyle Sieg rounding out the Top-10.

Next week’s race at the Charlotte ROVAL will decide which eight drivers advance in the Playoffs. With Smith’s win today, three positions will be decided next weekend. Chandler Smith now holds a strong 57-point edge on the cutoff points position with Hill, Custer, Creed, Love, Herbst and Sam Mayer rounding out the top-8.

Mayer holds a slim 10-point advantage in the final transfer position over Allmendinger and he’s 18 points up on his JRM teammate Allgaier.

Van Gisbergen, who has won three road course races already this year, goes into the Charlotte road course-oval hybrid 21 points back. Parker Kligerman, who finished 12th Saturday despite being collected in multiple wrecks, is 26 points off Mayer for that final transfer position.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to competition next week at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course for Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Mayer is the defending the race winner.

  • Drivers Entered: 39 (1 drivers will not make the race)
  • Laps Scheduled: 94
  • Laps Actual: 98 - NASCAR OVERTIME!
  • Margin of Victory: 0.177 Seconds
  • Time of Race: 2 Hours 5 Minutes 12 Seconds
  • Average Speed: 124.927
  • Cautions: 6 for 27 laps
  • Lead Changes: 28
  • Green Flag Passes: 5,553 (78.2 passes per green flag lap)

  • United Rentals 250
  • Race Winner: Sammy Smith
  • Age: 20
  • Team : No 8 - TMC Transportation Chevrolet
  • Owner: Dale Earnhardt, Jr
  • Crew Chief: Phillip Bell
  • Sammy Smith won the United Rentals 250, his second victory in 70 Xfinity Series races
  • This is his first victory and 14th top-10 finish in 2024
  • This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in three races at Talladega Superspeedway
  • Ryan Sieg (second) posted his sixth top-10 finish in 15 races at Talladega Superspeedway It is his seventh top-10 finish in 2024
  • Riley Herbst (third) posted his fourth top-10 finish in nine races at Talladega Superspeedway
  • Jesse Love (sixth) was the highest finishing rookie
  • Chandler Smith leads the point standings by 28 points over Austin Hill
Cole Custer celebrates in victory lane
Avondale, Arizona - November 4, 2023 : Cole Custer, driver of the #00 Haas Automation Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.
Jared C TiltonGetty Images
Qualifying
Lineup
Results
Loop Data
Accupredict
Draftkings Pts
Pit Stall Selections
United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway Entry List
ENTRY # DRIVER HOMETOWN DOB AGE MAKE SPONSOR TEAM CREW CHIEF
1 16 AJ Allmendinger Los Gatos, CA Dec 16, 1981 42 Chevrolet Morris-Shea Bridge Co., Inc Kaulig Racing Alex Yontz
2 20 Aric Almirola Tampa, FL Mar 14, 1984 40 Toyota He Gets Us Joe Gibbs Racing Seth Chavka
3 14 David Starr Houston, TX Nov 11, 1967 56 Chevrolet TBA SS-Green Light Racing Jason Miller
4 7 Justin Allgaier Riverton, IL Jun 6, 1986 38 Chevrolet BRANDT / TradeMark Nitrgen JR Motorsports Jim Pohlman
5 48 Parker Kligerman Westport, CT Aug 8, 1990 34 Chevrolet Big Machine Spiked Coolers Big Machine Racing Patrick Donahue
6 35 Joey Gase Cedar Rapids, IA Feb 8, 1993 31 Chevrolet Donate Life AL/ NFPA Joey Gase Motorsports Mike Tyska
7 27 Jeb Burton Halifax, VA Aug 6, 1992 32 Chevrolet Golden Corral Jordan Anderson Racing Shane Whitbeck
8 38 Matt DiBenedetto Grass Valley, CA Jul 27, 1991 33 Ford Malvern Panalytical RSS Racing Kevin Johnson
9 43 Ryan Ellis Torrence, CA Nov 29, 1989 34 Chevrolet Classic Collision Alpha Prime Racing Keith Wolfe
10 15 Dylan Lupton Wilton, CA Dec 7, 1993 30 Ford AirBox AM Racing Ryan London
11 39 Ryan Sieg Tucker, GA Jun 20, 1987 37 Ford TBA RSS Racing Matt Noyce
12 91 Kyle Weatherman Wentzville, MO Aug 28, 1997 27 Chevrolet TBA DGM Racing Mario Gosselin
13 44 Brennan Poole Sacramento, CA Apr 11, 1991 33 Chevrolet Macc Door Systems Alpha Prime Racing Frank Kerr
14 00 Cole Custer Ladera Ranch, CA Jan 23, 1998 26 Ford Haas Automation Stewart Haas Racing Jonathan Toney
15 21 Austin Hill Winston, GA Apr 21, 1994 30 Chevrolet Bennett Transportation Richard Childress Racing Andy Street
16 9 Brandon Jones Atlanta, GA Feb 18, 1997 27 Chevrolet Menards/Little HUG JR Motorsports Adam Wall
17 45 Caesar Bacarella Parkland, FL Dec 18, 1975 48 Chevrolet Prime Bites Brownie Alpha Prime Racing Kase Kallenbach
18 07 CJ McLaughlin Framingham, MA Jul 1, 1992 32 Chevrolet Main Street Auto SS-Green Light Racing Paul Clapprood
19 51 Jeremy Clements Spartanburg, SC Jan 16, 1985 39 Chevrolet One Stop / All South Electric Jeremy Clements Racing Mark Setzer
20 11 Josh Williams Port Charlotte, FL Aug 3, 1993 31 Chevrolet Alloy Employer Services Kaulig Racing Eddie Pardue
21 98 Riley Herbst Las Vegas, NV Feb 24, 1999 25 Ford Monster Energy Stewart Haas Racing Davin Restivo
22 5 Anthony Alfredo Ridgefield, CT Mar 1, 1999 25 Chevrolet Dead On Tools Our Motorsports Joshua Graham
23 53 Carson Ware Jamestown, NC Feb 28, 2000 24 Ford TBA Joey Gase Motorsports Mike Hillman Jr.
24 18 Sheldon Creed Alpine, CA Sep 30, 1997 27 Toyota Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Joe Gibbs Racing Sam McAulay
25 32 Jordan Anderson Forest Acres, SC Apr 15, 1991 33 Chevrolet Volpi Foods Jordan Anderson Racing Larry McReynolds
26 29 Blaine Perkins Bakersfield, CA Feb 28, 2000 24 Ford UAB Medicine RSS Racing Steve Addington
27 28 Kyle Sieg Tucker, GA Apr 16, 2001 23 Ford TBA RSS Racing Joe Williams
28 1 Sam Mayer Franklin, WI Jun 26, 2003 21 Chevrolet First Bank of Alabama JR Motorsports Mardy Lindley
29 81 Chandler Smith Talking Rock, GA Jun 26, 2002 22 Toyota Wheelers Joe Gibbs Racing Jeff Meendering
30 26 Dean Thompson Anaheim, CA Aug 30, 2001 23 Toyota Thompson Pipe Group Sam Hunt Racing Kris Bowen
31 19 Taylor Gray Denver, NC Mar 25, 2005 19 Toyota Operation 300 Joe Gibbs Racing Tyler Allen
32 31 Parker Retzlaff Rhinelander, WI May 21, 2003 21 Chevrolet FUNKAWAY Jordan Anderson Racing Chad Kendrick
33 92 Nick Leitz Chesapeake, VA Oct 15, 1996 28 Chevrolet Precision Measurements, Inc DGM Racing Bryan Berry
34 8 Sammy Smith Johnston, IA Jun 4, 2004 20 Chevrolet TMC Transportation JR Motorsports Phillip Bell
35 42 Leland Honeyman Jr Phoenix, AZ Feb 23, 2005 19 Chevrolet Mezrano Injury Lawyers Young's Motorsports Andrew Abbott
36 2 Jesse Love Menlo Park, CA Jan 14, 2005 19 Chevrolet Whelen Richard Childress Racing Danny Stockman
37 97 Shane van Gisbergen Aucklund, New Zealand May 9, 1989 35 Chevrolet WeatherTech Kaulig Racing Kevin Walter
38 88 Carson Kvapil Mooresville, NC May 20, 2003 21 Chevrolet Clarience Technologies JR Motorsports Andrew Overstreet