Almirola’s Quick Thinking Pays Off With Bristol Xfinity Win

Aric Almirola celebrates with his family in victory lane at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Jacob Seelman/Motorsports Hotspot photo)

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Sometimes, despite the best of knowledge from a crew chief atop the pit box, the driver behind the wheel knows best.

Wily NASCAR Xfinity Series veteran Aric Almirola’s gut instinct paid off Friday night under the lights, as he stayed out during a late pit cycle with 34 laps left in the Food City 300 and ultimately went to victory lane because of that decision.

Almirola had been running a close second to Zilisch in traffic through a 46-lap green flag run midway through the final stage, but couldn’t get past the talented rookie until a caution waved on lap 273 for the spinning car of Carson Ware.

At that point, Zilisch – who had dominated the second half and led a race-high 98 laps – came down for service after complaining of a slight brake issue in the waning moments.

With only a split second to react, Almirola made a quick dive from the flat back onto the banking in turn three, elevating himself into the top spot and into clean air for the first time all night at The Last Great Colosseum.

It turned out to be the race-winning move, as Almirola’s No. 19 Young Life Toyota took off like a shot on the two restarts that followed down the home stretch.

He cruised away from a mad scrum for position on the first green flag with 30 to go, but a spin by Almirola’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Taylor Gray – who washed up into traffic but miraculously wasn’t hit by oncoming traffic – slowed the pace for the seventh and final time with 26 laps left.

Despite those with fresher tires coming from behind him, Almirola used the run off the top of the banking to resume command on the final 18-lap dash to the checkered flag.

He reached traffic briefly in the final few circuits, but second-running Sam Mayer behind him couldn’t close in enough to make the pass, despite pulling alongside Almirola twice inside 15 to go.

That left Almirola enough space to motor home to a .381-second victory, while Mayer’s Haas Factory Team stablemate Sheldon Creed passed him for runner-up honors in the final corner.

After two decades of NASCAR racing and in his eighth Xfinity Series try at the iconic concrete high banks, Almirola earned his first victory at Bristol. It marked his second win this year and the ninth of his career.

As he climbed out in victory lane, Almirola’s son Alex and daughter Abby stood watching as their father pointed toward the sky in memory of late JGR president J.D. Gibbs, who passed away in 2019 and was an instrumental part of launching the Tampa, Fla., native’s career.

Aric Almirola (19) battles Sam Mayer (41) and Brandon Jones for the race lead at Bristol Motor Speedway Friday night. (Jacob Seelman/Motorsports Hotspot photo)

“I was just tired of getting beat by those guys, so I figured I’d try my chances with the lead,” Almirola said of his strategy decision. “They’ve been so fast, and they fire off so fast on new tires and I just didn’t think I could beat them straight up on stickers. It took me about 20 laps to get going, so I thought my best chance was to stay out on old tires.

“We watched the last two or three races here [on tape early in the week] and saw how the [No.] 9 car with [driver] Noah Gragson win with about 100 laps on his tires,” Almirola added. “So, I decided to stay out when they said pit. I know Seth would have been really mad at me if everyone had pitted and we got our doors blown off … but thankfully, it all worked out in our favor.”

Of note, Friday night’s win moves the JGR No. 19 into the second round of the owner’s championship playoffs. Almirola’s March win at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway qualified the team for the postseason.

Creed’s last-gasp pass of Mayer for second made the 27-year-old Californian a bridesmaid in Xfinity Series competition for the record extending 15th time.

While it wasn’t the summit of the mountain that he’s longed for the past four seasons, the second-place finish did jump Creed above the playoff cut line.

He leaves Bristol seven points to the good with two races left in the first round.

“This absolutely feels good, all things considered. I don’t want to say we were irrelevant at times, but I’m not going to lie, we’ve struggled … and we struggled a little bit tonight,” admitted Creed. “But we just worked on it and rallied.

“To come out with a top three finish and up on points is all you can ask for in an opening round.”

Mayer crossed third ahead of Carson Kvapil, with Zilisch coming back from ninth after his late pit stop to round out the top five.

Polesitter and defending series champion Justin Allgaier was sixth, leading 95 laps in his own right, followed by Harrison Burton, Christian Eckes, Jeremy Clements, and Brennan Poole.

Zilisch exits the first race of the playoffs leading the series standings, 85 points clear of the cut line, with Allgaier also in prime position at 53 above.

Those in danger after Bristol include Richard Childress Racing duo of Jesse Love and Austin Hill, as well as Big Machine Racing’s Nick Sanchez and JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith.

Smith is lowest among the 12 playoff drivers after an engine issue knocked him out of the race just 56 laps in. He finished 37 and sits 24 points below the transfer spot held by Taylor Gray.

The Xfinity Series field gets a week off before the middle race in the Round of 12 at Kansas Speedway.

Broadcast coverage of the Kansas Lottery 300 airs Saturday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.