Justin Allgaier rallies to win first NASCAR Xfinity title

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Justin Allgaier won his first NASCAR Xfinity season championship Saturday night at Phoenix Raceway, making a stunning comeback after dropping a lap midway through the race.

Allgaier worked his way back through the field, passing Austin Hill and Cole Custer on an overtime start with two laps remaining. Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet took four tires during his pit stop before overtime, including two new ones on his right side, before he shot past Hill and Custer on the restart.

After Allgaier passed, a crash followed, bringing out another caution, but the JR Motorsports driver survived the final restart to take home a long-awaited title.

“This is mind-blowing, it really is,” Allgaier said. “We tried to give it away any way we could.”

Allgaier, 38, finished second in the race to Riley Herbst, but it didn’t matter because he beat the other three championship finalists: Custer was eighth, AJ Allmendinger was ninth and Hill was 10th.

It’s a big moment for Allgaier, who had won 25 Xfinity races in his career but had never won a championship despite making the final four seven times over the past nine years. He finished second in 2020 and 2023.

Allgaier had an eventful night, starting at the back of the field after switching to a reserve car due to a crash during Friday’s practice. Either way, he quickly shot up the rankings early in the race, taking just 26 laps to break into the top 10.

But Allgaier ran into trouble midway through the race when his front left tire began to lose air after contact with Herbst. Allgaier lost a few places but was able to reach the end of the second stage in 10th place.

His championship hopes looked dashed on the ensuing restart as he received back-to-back penalties for an incorrect restart and then speeding on pit road. That dropped him to a lap behind the field, but he got back on the lead lap after a well-timed caution when Anthony Alfredo crashed into the wall.

With new life, Allgaier methodically worked his way back through the field before the decisive pass by Hill and Custer with two laps to go.

Allmendinger also started at the back of the field because he changed brakes after qualifying. He moved up to the middle of the pack fairly quickly, but struggled with his car most of the night. Custer was in position to win back-to-back Xfinity titles most of the night, but he couldn’t hang with Allgaier’s fast car in the final laps.

Herbst also won the first two stages, both of which were 45 laps.

Custer and Allmendinger both advance to the Cup Series next season.