Late-race issues in the first two NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase races cost top-seeded Justin Allgaier the Chase lead.
That’s a situation the driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet hopes to remedy in Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Having lost a lead of more than 200 points at the Chase reset, Allgaier finished 17th at Darlington after late contact with the outside wall and followed that with a 13th-place run at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
Allgaier’s difficulties paved the way for Sheldon Creed to seize the Chase lead with a victory at Darlington and a second-place run last Saturday. Creed comes to Bristol with a three-point edge over the top seed.
“I can’t think of a better place to head to than Bristol this weekend,” said Allgaier, who has collected two wins and 13 top fives in 27 starts at the 0.533-mile concrete speedway. “This has always been one of my favorite tracks. We’ve always been really strong here, and I know that we will have that same capability again on Friday.
“(The team) has been locked in all week, and we know what we need to do when we hit the track. We’ve had this race circled on the calendar, and we’re ready to get out there and see what we can do.”
Creed managed to finish second at Gateway in the No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet, despite his crew having to make significant adjustments to the car throughout the race.
“The guys are just doing a really good job and bringing the best stuff we have in the shop right now,” Creed said after the race in a video posted by Braking Bob. “It’s a fun time to be driving the 00. When we show up and can be fast, even when it’s not driving great, we’re still up there towards the front. That makes it really enjoyable.”
Carson Kvapil left the St. Louis-area track with a fifth-place finish and a nine-point deficit to Creed. Gateway race winner Jesse Love is fourth in the Chase standings, 16 points back, but there’s considerable distance back to the next two places.
Sam Mayer and Austin Hill both are 61 points out of the lead, though Mayer has gained five positions in the standings since the Chase began.
— NASCAR Wire Service —