The 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race was the 33rd and final stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the Championship 4 race, and the 26th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, a 1 mile (1.6 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 200 laps, but was increased to 213 laps due to numerous overtime restarts. In an action-packed race, Riley Herbst, driving for Stewart–Haas Racing, would make a last lap pass on Justin Allgaier for the lead to earn his third career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, his second of the season, and the final win for SHR in the Xfinity Series.[9] Herbst was also the class of the field, winning both stages and leading a race-high 167 laps. To fill out the podium, Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, and Aric Almirola, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 33 of 33 of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | November 9, 2024 | ||
| Official name | 26th Annual NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race | ||
| Location | Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1 mi (1.6 km) | ||
| Distance | 213 laps, 213 mi (342 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 200 laps, 200 mi (320 km) | ||
| Average speed | 88.545 mph (142.499 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Time | 26.832 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Riley Herbst | Stewart–Haas Racing | |
| Laps | 167 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart–Haas Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | The CW (produced by NBC Sports) | ||
| Announcers | Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
Despite mid race penalties and a second place finish, Allgaier claimed the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, finishing six positions ahead of the rest of the final four drivers.[10] This is Allgaier's first championship in the series, after previously competing in the final four six different times.[11]
Report
editBackground
edit
Phoenix Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Phoenix Raceway is home to two annual NASCAR race weekends, one of 13 facilities on the NASCAR schedule to host more than one race weekend a year. The track is both the first and last stop in the western United States, as well as the fourth and the last track on the schedule.
Championship drivers
edit- A. J. Allmendinger advanced after winning at Las Vegas.[12]
- Austin Hill advanced after winning at Homestead–Miami.[13]
- Justin Allgaier advanced by virtue of points.[14]
- Cole Custer advanced by virtue of points.[15]
Entry list
edit- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
- (CC) denotes championship contender.
- (OP) denotes owner's playoff car.
Practice
editThe first and only practice session was held on Friday, November 8, at 3:05 PM MST, and would last for 50 minutes.[16] Jesse Love, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.587, and a speed of 130.496 mph (210.013 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.587 | 130.496 |
| 2 | 7 | Justin Allgaier (CC) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.700 | 129.964 |
| 3 | 88 | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.706 | 129.936 |
| Full practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
editQualifying was held on Saturday, November 9, at 2:00 PM MST.[16] Since Phoenix Raceway is a mile oval, the qualifying system used was a single-car, one-lap system with only one round. Drivers will be on track by themselves and will have one lap to post a qualifying time, and whoever sets the fastest time won the pole.[17]
William Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 26.832, and a speed of 134.168 mph (215.922 km/h).[18]
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Qualifying results
editRace results
editStage 1 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 81 | Chandler Smith | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 18 | Sheldon Creed | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 21 | Austin Hill (CC) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 5 | 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 7 | Justin Allgaier (CC) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 7 | 00 | Cole Custer (CC) | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 0 |
| 8 | 19 | William Sawalich (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 9 | 20 | Aric Almirola (OP) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 2 |
| 10 | 2 | Jesse Love (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 18 | Sheldon Creed | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 20 | Aric Almirola (OP) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 2 | Jesse Love (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 00 | Cole Custer (CC) | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 0 |
| 6 | 88 | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger (CC) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 8 | 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 19 | William Sawalich (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 10 | 7 | Justin Allgaier (CC) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
Stage 3 Laps: 123
| Pos.[19] | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 213 | 167 | Running | 60 |
| 2 | 37 | 7 | Justin Allgaier (CC) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 213 | 4 | Running | 35 |
| 3 | 38 | 20 | Aric Almirola (OP) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 213 | 0 | Running | 44 |
| 4 | 21 | 88 | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 38 |
| 5 | 4 | 81 | Chandler Smith | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 213 | 0 | Running | 41 |
| 6 | 6 | 2 | Jesse Love (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 6 | Running | 39 |
| 7 | 2 | 18 | Sheldon Creed | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 213 | 20 | Running | 47 |
| 8 | 7 | 00 | Cole Custer (CC) | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 213 | 7 | Running | 29 |
| 9 | 9 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger (CC) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 28 |
| 10 | 5 | 21 | Austin Hill (CC) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 5 | Running | 27 |
| 11 | 8 | 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 35 |
| 12 | 17 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 25 |
| 13 | 1 | 19 | William Sawalich (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 213 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 14 | 31 | 48 | Parker Kligerman | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 2 | Running | 23 |
| 15 | 15 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 22 |
| 16 | 16 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 17 | 13 | 10 | Daniel Dye (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 2 | Running | 0 |
| 18 | 33 | 9 | Brandon Jones | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 19 |
| 19 | 24 | 15 | Dylan Lupton | AM Racing | Ford | 213 | 0 | Running | 18 |
| 20 | 22 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 17 |
| 21 | 32 | 91 | Josh Bilicki | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 16 |
| 22 | 25 | 29 | Blaine Perkins | RSS Racing | Ford | 213 | 0 | Running | 15 |
| 23 | 23 | 28 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 213 | 0 | Running | 14 |
| 24 | 28 | 44 | Brennan Poole | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 13 |
| 25 | 20 | 43 | Ryan Ellis | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 12 |
| 26 | 11 | 38 | Matt DiBenedetto | RSS Racing | Ford | 213 | 0 | Running | 11 |
| 27 | 34 | 35 | Joey Gase | Joey Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | 213 | 0 | Running | 10 |
| 28 | 30 | 07 | Patrick Emerling | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 212 | 0 | Running | 9 |
| 29 | 29 | 39 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 212 | 0 | Running | 8 |
| 30 | 36 | 53 | Garrett Smithley | Joey Gase Motorsports | Ford | 212 | 0 | Running | 7 |
| 31 | 26 | 42 | Leland Honeyman (R) | Young's Motorsports | Chevrolet | 210 | 0 | Running | 6 |
| 32 | 27 | 92 | Dawson Cram (i) | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 209 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 33 | 19 | 11 | Josh Williams | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 208 | 0 | Running | 4 |
| 34 | 10 | 31 | Parker Retzlaff | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 204 | 0 | Accident | 3 |
| 35 | 18 | 26 | Jeffrey Earnhardt (i) | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 169 | 0 | Engine | 0 |
| 36 | 12 | 5 | Anthony Alfredo | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | 152 | 0 | Accident | 1 |
| 37 | 35 | 14 | Greg Van Alst | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 108 | 0 | Suspension | 1 |
| 38 | 14 | 45 | Stefan Parsons (i) | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 61 | 0 | Accident | 0 |
| Official race results | |||||||||
Standings after the race
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References
edit- ^ "2024 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Phoenix Raceway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. Archived from the original on April 30, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ^ "Entry list" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ "Practice results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- ^ "Qualifying Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ "Starting lineup" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ "Race Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ Srigley, Joseph (November 9, 2024). "Riley Herbst Earns Dominant Victory; Allgaier Claims Xfinity Series Championship". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ Albert, Zack (November 9, 2024). "Custer, Allmendinger, Hill come up short of Xfinity Series crown in Phoenix finale". NASCAR.com. The Official Site of NASCAR. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ Crane, John (November 9, 2024). "Justin Allgaier triumphs at Phoenix to capture first career Xfinity Series title". NASCAR.com. The Official Site of NASCAR. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ "AJ Allmendinger clinches Championship 4 spot by winning Xfinity race at Las Vegas". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. October 19, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ "Austin Hill dominates Xfinity race at Homestead, clinches spot in Championship 4". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. October 26, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ Spencer, Reid (November 2, 2024). "Aric Almirola sweeps '24 Xfinity Series races at Martinsville, Championship 4 set". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Wire Service. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ Spencer, Reid (November 2, 2024). "Aric Almirola sweeps '24 Xfinity Series races at Martinsville, Championship 4 set". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Wire Service. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race Page". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. April 26, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NASCAR Qualifying Procedures". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ Christie, Toby (November 9, 2024). "William Sawalich Secures NASCAR Xfinity Pole at Phoenix". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.