by Crystal Clay, Chief Motorsports Correspondent
LAS VEGAS–What better birthday gift to Matt Kaulig, owner of Kaulig Racing to stamp the first ticket into the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 in at Phoenix Raceway with a trophy?
“First of all, Happy Birthday Matt Kaulig! The boss's birthday! I told you I was getting a trophy, baby! Let’s go Matt, I love you” was sealed with a kiss to the camera in Allmendinger’s frontstretch interview.
“What an up and down year. What a crazy year. This is a racetrack that we felt like, if we could get into the round of 8, that we’ve been historically pretty good at.”
This is his first victory and 16th top-10 finish in 2024 and his second victory and top-20 finish in six races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“What a race to get our first win of the season.”
That’s the best gift AJ Allmendinger could afford Saturday night for the Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but it was a coordinated team effort including both the spotter and No.16 pit crew that brought Kaulig their first race win of the 2024 season.
“My spotter really impressed me, dude is phenomenal. By far the best spotter that’s out there and just the info that he gives me, every lap, every corner, what’s happening behind me, where we’re strong, where we’re weak, it just makes my job a lot easier.” said Allmendinger.
“Pit crew did phenomenal. To get the lead on those last couple of pit stops really made the difference so we could kinda set the pace there and that late race restart I just knew I had to hit the bottom the best I could, and I knew Ryan (Seig) was strong.”
In the era of “win and you’re in” Allmendinger who has 18 victories in 128 Xfinity Series races and has earned his way into the Playoff Round of 8 on points making this the most important win of the season if not, potentially the second most important win of the season come November in Phoenix. Although, another race win isn’t going to be necessary for him to win the 2024 Xfinity Series Championship.
“I’ve had a rough, I’d say, 6 months thinkin’ about getting AJ a win. Been so close, yet been so far away. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for me probably because AJ’s probably one of my best friends I ever had as a driver, so winning here was something pretty special.” said President of Kaulig Racing, Kris Rice.
The No.16 Chevrolet wrapped in blue and white, crossed the finish line first in the final lap after a clean, late race battle with the No. 28 Sci Aps Ford of Ryan Sieg who started from the 5th row alongside Allmendinger and had been strong all day.
Sieg was door to door and passed Almendinger nearing the closing laps of the evening and both drivers were getting free but Sieg got loose and ended up losing about 5 car lengths behind the race leader after passing the race leader.
“I’m not gonna make it” could be heard on the radio during lap 196 when the 7th caution of the day came out for the slowed on track vehicle of playoff driver Sammy Smith in the No.8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet. Smith, who had an earlier incident on the frontstretch with the No.19 Operation 300 Toyota of Taylor Gray on lap 98.
“He wasn’t getting to my bumper but he was getting free. I think when I saw him get under me and I knew that I was free, I didn’t even try to get on his door that tight. But I saw how loose he got as soon as he got under me, kinda opened my eyes up.” Allmendinger said, while commending Sieg for racing fair and clean, acknowledging how great an effort it was of the No. 28 despite them ultimately finishing 2nd after the restart.
Sieg posted his fifth top-10 finish in 19 races at LVMS.
Playoff driver Justin Allgaier placed third, posting his 18th top-10 finish in 21 races at LVMS.
Rounding out the top 5 finishes for the Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are Playoff driver Chandler Smith in 4th and Parker Kligerman in 5th.
Comments