NXS Race Recap: Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250
It was a beautiful day in Sonoma, California for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The stage lengths were 20, 25, and 34 laps with the fuel window being 30-34 laps. The track was recently repaved so there were a lot of unknowns in the strategies. Shane Van Gisbergen, last weeks’ winner, led the field to the green flag on pole. Ty Gibbs started right next to him. Austin Hill, AJ Allmendinger, and Justin Allgaier rounded out the top five.
The Kiwi Dominates
Gisbergen had a great start to the race as he bolted out to a lead at the drop of the green flag. Gibbs assumed the second position. The field quickly moved in a single file line. SVG and Gibbs were much faster than the rest of the field and they opened a very big gap early. After Allmendinger lost a spot to Hill and then Jesse Love, he complained of being loose.
SVG and Gibbs lead the rest of the field with a five-second lead by lap 10 over Hill in third. Chandler Smith used the bumper on Parker Kligerman who slid into Cole Custer in turn 11. Hill got into the tire barrier in turn 11 and lost a few spots with six to go in stage one. Gibbs decided to pit with three laps left in the stage. However, SVG stayed on the track. He led every lap and won the first stage!
Gibbs made his Claim
After pit stops, Love and Gibbs restarted on the front row with SVG in eighth. Gibbs shot out of a cannon to restart the race. Allgaier got ran up the track, which allowed Love to take second. SVG quickly passed Custer, Allgaier, and Creed to get into fourth.
Then, Leland Honeyman, Jr. got spun around and ended up off the track, but no caution was thrown. Next, Alex Labbe turned Boris Said while racing for position.
Meanwhile, Gibbs did not let up. With 10 laps to go in the stage, he held an almost three second lead over Love in second. Gibbs led every lap and won stage 2! SVG finished second in the stage with Love in third.
Spilled Wine
Custer won the race off of pit road with SVG in second. Hill restarted the race on the front row and ultimately took the lead. A huge pile up on the first lap after the restart saw a bunch of cars with damage. Gibbs had severe damage to the front of his car. Josh Williams got turned by Chandler Smith and Jeb Burton – the track turned into a parking lot. Riley Herbst also got some damage. The crash resulted in a very long clean up.
Long Clean Up
Hill restarted the race in the front row and snatched the lead from Allmendinger. SVG followed them in third. SVG wasted no time as he passed Allmendinger in turn 11. Once again, Custer got spun in turn 11. Chandler Smith got turned around on through the esses. Hill and SVG sprint away from the field as it turned into a two car race between two of the three fastest cars all day.
SVG was able to keep up with Hill, and was even faster than him at times, but catching someone and passing them are two different things. Love brought out another caution after he got sideways coming out of turn 10 and into the grass. Twelve laps to go when they restarted with SVG and Hill on the front row. SVG used Hill up going up the hill and he shot out to the lead. Allmendinger got spun out by Creed wheel hopping through turn seven. SVG did not look back after he got the lead. Preston Pardus and Ryan Sieg got off track seperately. SVG took the white flag and the checkered flag as he won the race at Sonoma! He used his experience on road courses to get into victory lane.
Marvin’s Moment:
SVG continued his road course dominance. He proved himself to be the best road course racer in the Xfinity Series. With a single road course in the Playoffs, he could make a run at the title at Phoenix. If he keeps his car in the top ten at the ovals and wins the Roval, maybe something could happen for the Kiwi.
