AJ Allmen-winner! Allmendinger Undefeated at the Roval!

When NASCAR added the Charlotte Roval, I was unsure of what the racing would be like. But now, after five years running, it feels like a NASCAR staple. And while this race lacked many major dramatic moments, it was still a race with some strategy and some late-race drama. Here is my post-race review of the Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina. 

To start the race, the usual contenders were near the lead. AJ Allmendinger led the field to green, with Ty Gibbs not too far behind. It wasn’t long before Allmendinger’s Kaulig Racing teammate Daniel Hemric had some trouble and tagged a tire barrier in the infield portion of the track. This would put him behind in the points early on and he would have to battle back toward the front if he wanted to back up his championship.

Then, while the TV broadcast was onboard with him, JJ Yeley looped his #66. He was able to continue. More importantly, nobody hit him, as it was a pretty compromising spot. Justin Allgaier and Landon Cassill then got together but were both able to continue. And AJ Allmendinger eventually went on to win Stage 1. Ty Gibbs finished second. 

Stage 2 was far calmer, and Brandon Jones ended up with the stage win. Sheldon Creed led the field to green for the final stage. Around lap 44, Marco Andretti and Jeb Burton were involved in a crash that left Andretti’s #48 with severe front-end damage. This was Andretti’s first NASCAR National Series start and claimed he had hurt his wrist again in the incident. A few laps later, there were also several incidents around the track. The #91 of Preston Pardus got high-sided on the backstretch chicane and James Davison had severe front-end damage around the fender. 

On the next restart, there was a certified Tums Heartburn Turn moment. Kaz Grala had a spin in turn 2, and many cars behind him piled in, including playoff contender Riley Herbst. This didn’t immediately trigger a caution. Which meant Sheldon Creed would be spun out before the caution came out. 

It was time for NASCAR overtime. AJ Allmendinger went on to win, meaning he has never lost an Xfinity race at the Charlotte Roval that he has entered. He also just recently announced he is returning to full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing with Kaulig in 2023. But there was some drama for those last two laps. Ryan Sieg, in an attempt to move on to the Round of 8, was driving extremely determined. In the end, he fell two points short of making it. 

In addition to Sieg, Jeremy Clements was eliminated. This was the other family-owned team that made it into the playoffs. Herbst and Hemric’s incidents would prove to be very consequential as they were also eliminated from the Playoffs. 

Next weekend is the Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This race will be notable for a multitude of reasons, the largest of which is Hailie Deegan making her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut. It will be one to watch for sure!