John Hunter Nemechek has won the Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway after capitalizing on an overtime restart with a car that he struggled with handling all night long.
The three Kaulig Racing cars were in control of the race at the Georgia track with fewer than 10 laps remaining, and it appeared that Justin Haley, Daniel Hemric, or Chandler Smith would deliver a win. However, an Austin Hill spin brought out the caution and sent the race to overtime.
Nemechek lined up on the front row in the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota GR Supra next to Haley in the #10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro, and he jumped to the lead when Smith ran out of gas on the second row.
This unexpected issue stalled out Haley’s lane and opened up the opportunity for Nemechek to take the lead after a push from Hemric.
All Nemechek had to do was control the air during the final two laps. Hemric had multiple runs in the #11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, but he could not pull off the pass. He also lost his teammate, Haley, who pulled out of line. The Cup Series regular later said that he was sputtering and running out of gas.
Nemechek crossed the finish line first while Hemric was second. Chicago winner Cole Custer finished third while Haley was fourth. JR Motorsports driver Sam Mayer rounded out the top five.
Nemechek entered the Atlanta weekend with two wins to his name and the lead in the regular-season standings. He now ties Hill with a series-high three wins, and he has even more advantage as he tries to close out the regular-season championship.
Hill was the dominant story early. He had the best car in the field and he was on a mission to win his third consecutive Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The driver of the #21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro showed his strength early. He started at the rear of the field after a transmission change, and he worked his way to the top 10 in only 20 laps. This is not a simple feat at a drafting track that requires running in tandem with other cars.
Hill finished fifth in Stage 1 and then he finished second in Stage 2 behind teammate Sheldon Creed. He then spent the final stage running the Kevin Harvick line along the bottom of the track while other drivers used the outside lane.
While Hill had the best car in the field, he was not able to capture his third win at his home track. One reason is that no other drivers other than Parker Kligerman were willing to help him on the bottom lane. The other reason is that he spun with fewer than 10 laps remaining after the field went three-wide.
Hill had a race-winning car, but he ultimately had to settle for 12th overall. He will continue to be a factor in the battle for the regular-season championship, but he will lose out on some crucial points to Nemechek.
Get the latest NASCAR news, stats, and US racing coverage at Speedcafe US
Discussion about this post