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Jim Utter

Austin Hill takes Daytona Xfinity win as Mayer flips in dramatic finish

Brandon Jones’ wreck on the next-to-last scheduled lap sent the race into a two-lap overtime and Justin Allgaier quickly powered to the lead.

On the final lap, Same Mayer went high to get around Allgaier and Hill hit him from behind, which sent Mayer’s No. 8 flipping in the air and bringing out a caution, which froze the field.

Following a video review, NASCAR ruled Hill was the leader at the time the caution was called, which handed him his second straight Daytona win.

 

Hill, who drives the No. 21 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, had won the pole for the race but was forced to pit before the green flag to fix a radio issue. He essentially went from the back to the front in the race.

“I have no idea (what happened). When I chose the outside line, I didn’t feel like the inside line was that great all day for the most part,” Hill said. “I just wanted to choose the top (on the final restart). I knew (Anthony Alfredo) would stay with me.

“When I saw (Mayer) and (Allgaier) get together, I went to go squeeze him and (Mayer) came down, he started getting loose and then you can’t lift – it’s the last lap. I hope Sam’s OK, man.

“As soon as the caution lights came on, I thought I had it, but it was so close. To get back-to-back at Daytona is real special. We came from the back two different times.”

John Hunter Nemechek was credited with second, Allgaier third, Parker Retzlaff fourth and Myatt Snider rounded out the top-five.

Rounding out the top-10 were Riley Herbst, Joe Graf Jr., Ryan Sieg, Cole Custer and Jeb Burton.

Stage 3

Following the caution between Stages 2 and 3, all the lead lap cars pit with Allgaier the first off pit road.

On the restart on Lap 67, Allgaier led the way followed by Hill, Josh Berry and Jones.

A group of Chevrolets elected to make green-flag pit stops on Lap 75 and Parker Kligerman went for a spin while approaching pit road.

A contingent of Fords and Toyotas pit on Lap 76.

Once the cycle of green-flag stops was completed on Lap 79, Berry cycled to the lead. He was followed by Hill, Allgaier and Mayer.

C.J. McLaughlin spun off Turn 4 and hit the wall to bring out a caution on Lap 90. Sammy Smith also appeared to suffer some damage in the incident.

A handful of cars pit but Berry remained on the track and in the lead when the race returned to green on Lap 95.

Hill was able to get around Berry to reclaim the lead on Lap 96.

With 10 laps remaining, the field remained mostly single-file with Hill holding a small lead over Berry, who was followed by his three JR Motorsports teammates.

With five to go, Hill reported a “bad vibration” in his No. 21 Chevrolet.

Jones came down on Berry on Lap 119 and spun into the infield to bring out a caution and send the race into a two-lap overtime.

On the overtime restart, Hill continued to lead followed by Allgaier, Mayer and Alfredo. During the caution, Berry’s No. 8 Chevrolet ran out of fuel.

Stage 2

Allgaier got around Mayer with one lap to go and held him off to take the Stage 2 win. Sammy Smith went for a spin on the frontstretch as the stage came to a close.

Jones was third, Hill fourth and Brett Moffitt rounded out the top-five.

Following the caution between Stages 1 and 2, several lead-lap cars elected to pit with Jones first off pit road.

Sheldon Creed was among those who stayed out and inherited the lead. Ryan Ellis had to restart from the rear of the field for an uncontrolled tire and interfering with another pit stop.

The race returned to green on Lap 37 with Creed followed by Kligerman and Mayer.

From the outside lane, Mayer got around Creed to take the lead for the first time on Lap 38.

Allgaier went three-wide and got loose in the middle of the field and spun which triggered a multi-car wreck on Lap 41. Also collected were Kligerman, Stefan Parsons, Creed, Hill and Justin Haley.

The race returned to green on Lap 46 with Mayer still out front followed by Kligerman and Jones.

Kligerman powered to the lead on the restart only to see Mayer reclaim the top spot on Lap 47.

Hill worked his way back up front and grabbed the lead on Lap 50 with Allgaier right behind him in second.

Allgaier reclaimed the lead on Lap 54 and Mayer powered past him back to the front on Lap 56.

Stage 1

Hill held off a late charge from Chandler Smith to claim the Stage 1 win.

Allgaier was third, Haley fourth and Burton rounded out the top-five.

Hill, who started on the pole, had to pit before the green flag to fix a radio issue. Kligerman started the race as the control car.

Custer edged past Kligerman to grab the lead on Lap 1, but Allgaier quickly got around him to lead Lap 2.

On Lap 8, NASCAR was forced to display a caution for potential fluid on the track as the No. 4 of Bayley Currey suffered an engine issue.

A handful of cars elected to pit under the caution but Nemechek remained on the track and in the lead when the race resumed on Lap 12.

Allgaier edged ahead of Nemechek to lead Lap 13 as Haley moved into third.

Blaine Perkins spun off Turn 4 after contact from Mayer and collected Daniel Hemric on Lap 20 to bring out the second caution of the race.

Several drivers took the opportunity to pit but Allgaier stayed out and led the way when the race resumed on Lap 26.

Haley got around Allgaier in Turn 3 to move into the lead on the restart and Hill – who drove from the rear of the field – passed Haley to take the lead for the first time in the race on Lap 27.

Before the green flag, Burton had to make a stop on pit road for a battery change.

Cla # Driver Manufacturer Laps Time Gap Interval Laps Led
1 21 United States Austin Hill Chevrolet 125 2:21'29.984     39
2 20 United States John Hunter Nemechek Toyota 125 2:21'30.360 0.376 0.376 8
3 7 United States Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 125 2:21'30.361 0.377 0.001 36
4 31 Parker Retzlaff Chevrolet 125 2:21'30.361 0.377 0.000  
5 19 United States Myatt Snider Toyota 125 2:21'30.362 0.378 0.001  
6 98 United States Riley Herbst Ford 125 2:21'30.629 0.645 0.267  
7 39 Joe Jr. Ford 125 2:21'30.742 0.758 0.113  
8 38 United States Ryan Sieg Ford 125 2:21'31.302 1.318 0.560  
9 00 United States Cole Custer Ford 125 2:21'31.583 1.599 0.281 1
10 10 United States Justin Haley Chevrolet 125 2:21'31.584 1.600 0.001 1
11 27 United States Jeb Burton Chevrolet 125 2:21'31.773 1.789 0.189  
12 16 Chandler Smith Chevrolet 125 2:21'32.152 2.168 0.379  
13 45 Stefan Parsons Chevrolet 125 2:21'32.394 2.410 0.242  
14 9 United States Brandon Jones Chevrolet 125 2:21'32.395 2.411 0.001  
15 92 United States Josh Williams Chevrolet 125 2:21'32.976 2.992 0.581  
16 24 United States Parker Chase Toyota 125 2:21'34.477 4.493 1.501  
17 51 United States Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 125 2:21'39.692 9.708 5.215  
18 53 United States Joey Gase Ford 125 2:21'39.693 9.709 0.001  
19 18 Sammy Smith Toyota 125 2:21'39.694 9.710 0.001  
20 08 United States Gray Gaulding Chevrolet 125 2:21'41.898 11.914 2.204 1
21 28 Kyle Sieg Ford 125 2:21'46.462 16.478 4.564  
22 02 United States David Starr Chevrolet 125 2:22'04.300 34.316 17.838 2
23 48 United States Parker Kligerman Chevrolet 125 2:22'12.288 42.304 7.988 1
24 78 Anthony Alfredo Chevrolet 125 2:22'33.025 1'03.041 20.737  
25 5 United States Jade Buford Chevrolet 125 2:22'37.015 1'07.031 3.990  
26 8 Josh Berry Chevrolet 125 2:23'01.233 1'31.249 24.218 17
27 1 Sam Mayer Chevrolet 124 2:20'39.194 1 Lap 1 Lap 14
28 44 United States Jeffrey Earnhardt Chevrolet 124 2:21'44.980 1 Lap 1'05.786  
29 25 United States Brett Moffitt Ford 124 2:21'54.972 1 Lap 9.992  
30 34 United States Jesse Iwuji Chevrolet 110 2:06'49.794 15 Laps 14 Laps  
31 35 CJ Mclaughlin Chevrolet 87 1:39'19.540 38 Laps 23 Laps  
32 26 United States Kaz Grala Toyota 82 1:35'30.596 43 Laps 5 Laps  
33 6 United States Brennan Poole Chevrolet 81 1:34'36.815 44 Laps 1 Lap  
34 2 United States Sheldon Creed Chevrolet 41 53'17.205 84 Laps 40 Laps 5
35 43 United States Ryan Ellis Chevrolet 41 55'59.992 84 Laps 2'42.787  
36 11 United States Daniel Hemric Chevrolet 20 20'17.158 105 Laps 21 Laps  
37 07 Blaine Perkins Chevrolet 19 19'26.160 106 Laps 1 Lap  
38 4 United States Bayley Currey Chevrolet 8 9'48.870 117 Laps 11 Laps  
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