By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service

TALLADEGA, Ala. – A last lap pass for the win is a recurring theme at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and that’s exactly what landed JR Motorsports driver Sammy Smith in Victory Lane on Saturday. It was the only lap he led all day but it was good enough to win Saturday’s United Rentals 250 overtime thriller and earn Smith an automatic berth into the next round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.

Sammy Smith, driver of the #8 TMC Transportation Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 05, 2024 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

It was a huge turn of fortune for the 20-year old Iowa native, who came into the race ranked last among the 12 Playoff drivers and winless on the season. He started his No. 8 JRM Chevrolet 27th in Saturday’s 38-car field, but moved forward rapidly from the fall of the green flag, running near the front most of the day, avoiding multiple multi-car accidents and making the move to the checkered flag when it counted most.

“It’s been a really tough year,’’ said Smith. “It’s been a while and it’s been a struggle, but I’m very happy to be here and looking forward to getting better on these ovals and road courses.”

It was high-stakes, clutch performance for the young talent, whose only other victory came last April at the Phoenix Raceway one-miler. Just this week with Playoff elimination a possibility, he piqued his team owner’s brain for tips on racing on the Talladega 2.66-mile high banks – his team owner being Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won six NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega including an unprecedented four in a row.

“We sat down Wednesday,’’ Smith said. “It wasn’t a whole lot, but asking him what he would do in certain situations [on the big track]. Feels really good to win again.”

Smith beat RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg to the line by a slight .177-second with a three-wide battle on track right behind featuring Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith who rounded out the top-five.

AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #16 Morris-Shea Bridge Co. Inc. Chevrolet, and Chandler Smith, driver of the #81 Wheelers Toyota, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 05, 2024 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Herbst was leading with a lap remaining only to get passed in a massive push forward that included a run by Chandler Smith – ultimately both losing out to Sammy Smith and Ryan Sieg. Frustrated, after the race Herbst immediately walked over to Chandler Smith’s car and had words with the young driver.

“I was just telling him, he had his teammate behind him and was in the best spot you want to be in and I told him he made a right move but in the wrong place,’’ Herbst said. “He would have won the race and all he did was kill his run, my run and his teammate’s run and let the 8 [Sammy Smith] get away.”

Polesitter, rookie Jesse Love led a race best 28 of the 98 laps in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet finishing sixth in a race marked with six cautions, a brief red flag, 11 race leaders and 28 lead changes.

Although relatively calm through the early goings – Chandler Smith won the opening stage and RCR’s Austin Hill won the second stage – the final laps lived up to Talladega expectation. Only three of the 12 Playoff drivers managed to avoid being caught up – in varying degrees – in accidents on the afternoon.

Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, leads the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 05, 2024 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Two perennial championship favorites and current Playoff drivers, Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger and JR Motorsports Justin Allgaier were among those that led laps – as expected – but were also collected in multi-car accidents.

Allmendinger still rallied to an 11th place showing after his No. 16 Chevy suffered minor damage in a 12-car accident with three laps remaining that triggered a nearly 10-minute red flag stoppage and forced overtime. Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet suffered more damage in the crash and he finished 26th.

Reigning series champion, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer was also caught up in the accident and finished 27th.  Fellow Playoff competitor, Kaulig Racing’s Shane Van Gisbergen – a three-race winner this season – was a part of a multi-car accident earlier – with 18 laps remaining – and finished 36th.

Jeb Burton finished seventh with David Starr, Brennan Poole and Kyle Sieg rounding out the Top-10.

A general view of racing during the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 05, 2024 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Next week’s race at the Charlotte ROVAL will decide which eight drivers advance in the Playoffs.  With Smith’s win today, three positions will be decided next weekend. Chandler Smith now holds a strong 57-point edge on the cutoff points position with Hill, Custer, Creed, Love, Herbst and Sam Mayer rounding out the top-8.

Mayer holds a slim 10-point advantage in the final transfer position over Allmendinger and he’s 18 points up on his JRM teammate Allgaier.

Van Gisbergen, who has won three road course races already this year, goes into the Charlotte road course-oval hybrid 21 points back. Parker Kligerman, who finished 12th Saturday despite being collected in multiple wrecks, is 26 points off Mayer for that final transfer position.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to competition next week at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course for Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (4 p.m. ET, CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Mayer is the defending the race winner.

Interview:

NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – United Rentals 250

Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega, Alabama

Saturday, October 5, 2024

                1. (27)  Sammy Smith (P), Chevrolet, 98.

                2. (15)  Ryan Sieg, Ford, 98.

                3. (7)  Riley Herbst (P), Ford, 98.

                4. (4)  Sheldon Creed (P), Toyota, 98.

                5. (3)  Chandler Smith (P), Toyota, 98.

                6. (1)  Jesse Love # (P), Chevrolet, 98.

                7. (16)  Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 98.

                8. (23)  David Starr, Chevrolet, 98.

                9. (30)  Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 98.

10. (34)  Kyle Sieg, Ford, 98.

                11. (5)  AJ Allmendinger (P), Chevrolet, 98.

                12. (6)  Parker Kligerman (P), Chevrolet, 98.

                13. (38)  Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 98.

                14. (19)  Leland Honeyman #, Chevrolet, 98.

                15. (32)  Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 98.

16. (12)  Sam Mayer (P), Chevrolet, 98.

                17. (33)  Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 98.

                18. (21)  CJ McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 98.

                19. (31)  Blaine Perkins, Ford, 98.

                20. (9)  Aric Almirola (P), Toyota, 98.

                21. (22)  Dean Thompson(i), Toyota, 98.

                22. (29)  Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 98.

                23. (37)  Carson Ware, Ford, 98.

                24. (2)  Austin Hill (P), Chevrolet, 98.

                25. (36)  Dylan Lupton, Ford, 97.

                26. (14)  Justin Allgaier (P), Chevrolet, 97.

                27. (10)  Cole Custer (P), Ford, 97.

                28. (18)  Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, Accident, 91.

                29. (20)  Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, Accident, 91.

                30. (13)  Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 91.

                31. (24)  Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 91.

32. (35)  Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 87.

                33. (11)  Taylor Gray(i), Toyota, Accident, 75.

                34. (26)  Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Accident, 75.

                35. (17)  Josh Williams, Chevrolet, Accident, 75.

                36. (8)  Shane Van Gisbergen # (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 75.

                37. (28)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, Brakes, 60.

                38. (25)  Nick Leitz, Chevrolet, Accident, 41.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  124.927 mph.

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 5 Mins, 12 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.177 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  6 for 27 laps.

Lead Changes:  28 among 11 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   A. Hill (P) 1-3;A. Allmendinger (P) 4-5;S. Mayer (P) 6;A. Allmendinger (P) 7-8;R. Sieg 9;J. Love # (P) 10-20;C. Smith (P) 21-27;B. Perkins 28;J. Love # (P) 29-41;J. Allgaier (P) 42-48;A. Hill (P) 49-52;D. Starr 53;R. Herbst (P) 54-59;J. Love # (P) 60-63;R. Herbst (P) 64-66;S. Smith (P) 67;R. Herbst (P) 68;C. Smith (P) 69-72;A. Allmendinger (P) 73-80;S. Smith (P) 81;A. Allmendinger (P) 82;R. Herbst (P) 83-86;S. Smith (P) 87;R. Herbst (P) 88;S. Smith (P) 89;J. Allgaier (P) 90;R. Herbst (P) 91-97;S. Smith (P) 98.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Jesse Love # (P) 3 times for 28 laps; Riley Herbst (P) 6 times for 22 laps; AJ Allmendinger (P) 4 times for 13 laps; Chandler Smith (P) 2 times for 11 laps; Justin Allgaier (P) 2 times for 8 laps; Austin Hill (P) 2 times for 7 laps; Sammy Smith (P) 5 times for 5 laps; Sam Mayer (P) 1 time for 1 lap; David Starr 1 time for 1 lap; Blaine Perkins 1 time for 1 lap; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 81,16,7,21,18,5,19,1,00,26

Stage #2 Top Ten: 21,8,2,97,81,98,16,18,00,9