Driving the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Austin Hill ran down Cole Custer and simply handed the reigning sequence champion for the lead with simply 12 laps to go at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
After passing Custer, Hill drove off with the race win in hand. This will likely be his first ever look within the Championship 4, inflicting him to turn out to be emotional on the radio after taking the checkered flag. This victory is Hill’s fourth of the 12 months and the tenth of his Xfinity profession.
“I work so exhausting at this,” mentioned Hill after the race. “Lots of people doubt me however I get up on a regular basis to show everybody unsuitable. I should be right here. I should race for a championship. This No. 21 staff deserves it simply as a lot as I do.
“They labored their asses off every day identical to I do.I’ve to offer it as much as these guys. They gave me a hell of a automotive. I did not must go run the wall. I may run wherever I needed to … Oh my God, I’m out of breath. I can actually say I’ve by no means cried coming to the beginning/end line — I could not even get my feelings collectively entering into Flip 1 after the checkered. All of the exhausting work and dedication that goes into this. I do not assume anybody goes to grasp what this implies to me (and) my household.”
The run to the end
After the ultimate spherical of green-flag pit stops with about 40 laps to go, A.J. Allmendinger was really accountable for the race. He was already locked into the ultimate 4 through his Las Vegas win final weekend, so he selected to gamble for a late warning whereas saving his last set of tires. Kaulig Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen and JR Motorsports’ Brandon Jones did the identical.
As soon as Allmendinger lastly pitted from the lead with 20 laps to go, Custer regained management of the race. Nevertheless, it was short-lived as Hill quickly closed in, making the transfer to the skin and snatching the lead away.
Custer ended the race three seconds behind Hill with Aric Almirola, Jesse Love and Sheldon Creed rounding out the top-five. Riley Herbst, Ryan Sieg, Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, and Allmendinger stuffed out the remainder of the top-ten.
Van Gisbergen was the one driver to by no means use their last set of tires, stretching the gasoline to the very finish in hopes of a warning that by no means got here and ending seventeenth.
Heading into the Spherical of 8 elimination race at Martinsville, the next drivers are under the cut-line: Chandler Smith (-28 factors), Jesse Love (-35 factors), Sam Mayer (-47 factors), and Sammy Smith (-95 factors).
Allgaier is 35 factors above the cut-line and Custer is 28 after their showings at Homestead.
