{"id":40217,"date":"2022-09-16T21:55:16","date_gmt":"2022-09-17T02:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=40217"},"modified":"2022-09-17T19:00:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-18T00:00:17","slug":"noah-gragson-claims-third-straight-xfinity-victory-in-bristol-shootout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2022\/09\/16\/noah-gragson-claims-third-straight-xfinity-victory-in-bristol-shootout\/","title":{"rendered":"Noah Gragson claims third straight Xfinity victory in Bristol shootout"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Noah Gragson, driver of the #9 Bass Pro Shops\/TrueTimber\/BRCC Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16, 2022 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Reid Spencer<\/em><\/p>\n

NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

BRISTOL, Tenn.\u2014 Make it three in a row for Noah Gragson, who has built enormous momentum as the NASCAR Xfinity Series moves into its seven-race Playoff.<\/p>\n

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Noah Gragson, driver of the #9 Bass Pro Shops\/TrueTimber\/BRCC Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16, 2022 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

On 90-lap older tires, Gragson held off Brandon Jones, the driver who will take his seat in the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet next year, in a 20-lap green-flag run to the finish of Friday night\u2019s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.<\/p>\n

The victory was Gragson\u2019s third straight in the series, his sixth of the season and the 11th of his career.<\/p>\n

The race also settled the series Playoff picture. Despite power-steering issues, Daniel Hemric clinched one of the two available spots in the 12-driver Playoff field with a 20th-place finish. Ryan Sieg claimed the final berth, finishing 10th\u2014his first top-10 run in 16 Bristol starts\u2014after brake issues sent Landon Cassill to the garage for 112 laps and relegated him to 35th.<\/p>\n

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Noah Gragson, driver of the #9 Bass Pro Shops\/TrueTimber\/BRCC Chevrolet, crosses the finish line ahead of Brandon Jones, driver of the #19 Menards\/Jeld-Wen Toyota, to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16, 2022 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Logan Riely\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

AJ Allmendinger clinched his second straight Regular Season Championship with a sixth-place result.<\/p>\n

When J.J. Yeley slammed the inside wall after slight contact from race leader Justin Allgaier, on Lap 271, Gragson and crew chief Luke Lambert opted to stay on the track while all the other lead-lap cars pitted for fresh tires.<\/p>\n

After the restart on Lap 281, Gragson pulled out to a one-second lead before Jones began to close the gap on new rubber. Jones got to Gragson\u2019s bumper but couldn\u2019t find a way past the No. 9 Chevrolet. Gragson crossed the finish line .145 seconds ahead of Jones\u2019 No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat last caution came out, and I knew if I could ring the top, it was going to be hard for them to get there,\u201d said Gragson, who will graduate to a full-time NASCAR Cup Series ride with Petty GMS in 2023. \u201cI appreciate Brandon Jones racing us clean. He gave us the bumper with two (laps) to go, and I was hanging on, scrubbing the fence.<\/p>\n

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Justin Allgaier, driver of the #7 BRANDT Chevrolet, and Noah Gragson, driver of the #9 Bass Pro Shops\/TrueTimber\/BRCC Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16, 2022 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe won here in Bristol in 2020 and there were no fans here (because of the coronavirus pandemic)\u2026 What a great opportunity to race here in front of fans and have the opportunity to win the race. Our car was fast all day. We got to the top and we were rolling. I had a blast.\u201d<\/p>\n

A rueful Jones provided a post-mortem of the event on pit road.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one hurt the most because this was our race to lose, I thought,\u201d Jones said. \u201cFresher tires certainly paid off there at the end. I just caught him (Gragson) at the wrong time every time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gragson\u2019s stiffest competition\u2014his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier\u2014wasn\u2019t at the front of the field for the ending. Allgaier led the procession of lead-lap cars to pit road when Gragson stayed out, but a speeding penalty sent him to the rear of the field for the final restart.<\/p>\n

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Noah Gragson, driver of the #9 Bass Pro Shops\/TrueTimber\/BRCC Chevrolet, and Brandon Jones, driver of the #19 Menards\/Jeld-Wen Toyota, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16, 2022 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Logan Riely\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI know what happened; I didn\u2019t really think I was speeding, but obviously I was,\u201d said Allgaier, who has led 791 laps in his last seven Bristol races without winning. \u201cI just hate it for everybody. It was cool for (Noah) to get the win. I cannot believe that they were able to stay out there and still run the speed they were.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love to hate this place. I\u2019m close to 1,000 career laps led here (actually 1,004) and only one win, and that was over 10 years ago (2010). So, I\u2019ve just got to do a better job next time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allgaier led a race-high 148 laps on Friday, to 89 for Ty Gibbs, 34 for Sheldon Creed and 25 for Gragson.<\/p>\n

Gragson also was instrumental in changing the complexion of the race in the middle of Stage 2. Pole winner Gibbs had won the first stage wire-to-wire, but on Lap 129, while Gibbs and Creed were battling for the lead, contact from Gragson\u2019s Chevrolet sent Gibbs\u2019 Toyota into Creed\u2019s Camaro.<\/p>\n

Both Gibbs and Creed crashed hard into the outside wall and were eliminated from the race.<\/p>\n

Austin Hill finished third, followed by Sam Mayer and Riley Herbst. Allmendinger, Josh Berry, Stefan Parsons, Allgaier and Sieg completed the top 10.<\/p>\n

Interview:<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NXS Winner – Noah Gragson (No. 9 JRM Chevrolet) –<\/p>\n

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NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – 41st Annual Food City 300<\/b><\/p>\n

Bristol Motor Speedway<\/b><\/p>\n

Bristol, Tennessee<\/b><\/p>\n

Friday, September 16, 2022<\/b><\/p>\n

                1. (9)  Noah Gragson, Chevrolet, 300.<\/span><\/p>\n

                2. (11)  Brandon Jones, Toyota, 300.<\/span><\/p>\n

                3. (15)  Austin Hill #, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                4. (5)  Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                5. (12)  Riley Herbst, Ford, 300.<\/p>\n

                6. (4)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                7. (2)  Josh Berry, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                8. (14)  Stefan Parsons(i), Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                9. (3)  Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                10. (10)  Ryan Sieg, Ford, 300.<\/p>\n

                11. (20)  Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                12. (21)  Jeffrey Earnhardt, Toyota, 300.<\/p>\n

                13. (18)  Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                14. (6)  Sammy Smith, Toyota, 299.<\/p>\n

                15. (7)  Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 299.<\/p>\n

                16. (19)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 299.<\/p>\n

                17. (33)  Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 299.<\/p>\n

                18. (31)  Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 299.<\/span><\/p>\n

                19. (28)  Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 299.<\/span><\/p>\n

               20. (8)  Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 298.<\/p>\n

                21. (30)  Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 298.<\/p>\n

                22. (36)  Myatt Snider, Chevrolet, 298.<\/p>\n

                23. (37)  Joe Graf Jr, Ford, 298.<\/p>\n

                24. (35)  CJ McLaughlin, Ford, 297.<\/p>\n

                25. (34)  Kris Wright(i), Chevrolet, 297.<\/p>\n

                26. (25)  Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 297.<\/p>\n

                27. (23)  Patrick Emerling, Chevrolet, 294.<\/span><\/p>\n

                28. (32)  Ronnie Bassett Jr, Chevrolet, 294.<\/span><\/p>\n

                29. (24)  Nicholas Sanchez, Chevrolet, 294.<\/span><\/p>\n

                30. (27)  David Starr, Ford, 293.<\/p>\n

                31. (38)  Bobby McCarty, Chevrolet, 288.<\/p>\n

                32. (17)  Mason Massey, Chevrolet, Oil Line, 271.<\/p>\n

                33. (26)  JJ Yeley, Toyota, Accident, 267.<\/p>\n

                34. (29)  BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, Brakes, 220.<\/p>\n

                35. (16)  Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 188.<\/p>\n

                36. (1)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, Accident, 129.<\/p>\n

                37. (22)  Sheldon Creed #, Chevrolet, Accident, 128.<\/p>\n

                38. (13)  Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, Accident, 45.<\/p>\n

Average Speed of Race Winner:  80.996 mph.<\/p>\n

Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 58 Mins, 27 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.145 Seconds.<\/p>\n

Caution Flags:  8 for 58 laps.<\/p>\n

Lead Changes:  6 among 5 drivers.<\/p>\n

Lap Leaders:   T. Gibbs 1-89;J. Allgaier 90;S. Creed # 91-124;J. Allgaier 125-175;B. Currey 176-179;J. Allgaier 180-275;N. Gragson 276-300.<\/p>\n

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Justin Allgaier 3 times for 148 laps; Ty Gibbs 1 time for 89 laps; Sheldon Creed # 1 time for 34 laps; Noah Gragson 1 time for 25 laps; Bayley Currey 1 time for 4 laps.<\/p>\n

Stage #1 Top Ten: 54,7,9,1,16,8,27,11,10,39<\/p>\n

Stage #2 Top Ten: 7,9,16,19,98,21,27,11,1,18<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service BRISTOL, Tenn.\u2014 Make it three in a row for Noah Gragson, who has built enormous momentum as the NASCAR Xfinity Series moves into its seven-race Playoff. On 90-lap older tires, Gragson held off Brandon Jones, the driver who will take his seat in the No. 9 JR Motorsports […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":40234,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[177,16,181,511],"class_list":["post-40217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","tag-bristol-motor-speedway","tag-nascar","tag-nascar-xfinity-series","tag-noah-gragson"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/GettyImages-1424446011-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-asF","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40217"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40217\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40241,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40217\/revisions\/40241"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}