Aric Almirola takes a 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Sequence sweep at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday within the Nationwide Debt Aid 250.
MARTINSVILLE, Va.—Tickets punched and punches thrown—it was Martinsville in any case, and in Saturday’s Nationwide Debt Aid 250, Aric Almirola made Martinsville Speedway his playground.
Aric Almirola Takes a 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Sequence Sweep at Martinsville
Main 150 of 250 laps in a No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota that was the clear class of the sphere, Almirola gained his second race in his second NASCAR Xfinity Sequence begin on the 0.526-mile brief monitor and earned a spot for his automotive within the collection homeowners’ Championship 4.
Within the course of, Almirola denied JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith and JGR’s Chandler Smith an opportunity to advance to the Championship 4 Race for the drivers’ title.
Pulling away after a restart on lap 235, the part-time Xfinity Sequence driver beat runner-up Sammy Smith to the end line by 0.587 seconds, with Chandler Smith trailing in third.
With Almirola profitable the race, Justin Allgaier (fifth Saturday) and defending collection champion Cole Custer (fourth) certified for the Nov. 9 Championship 4 Race at Phoenix on factors, becoming a member of Spherical of 8 race winners AJ Allmendinger and Austin Hill.
Jesse Love (twelfth Saturday) and Sam Mayer (thirtieth) have been eradicated from the Playoffs together with the 2 Smiths, although Chandler gave a parting shot within the type of a punch to Custer, with whom he had tangled on the race monitor.
An Almirola Sweep at Martinsville
For Almirola, who gained at Martinsville in April in his first Xfinity try, the victory was the third of the season in 13 begins and the seventh of his profession.
“We had a tremendous automotive right here within the spring, and we made a couple of tweaks to it,” mentioned Almirola, who additionally swept the primary and second levels. “I wasn’t completely pleased with it, actually, within the spring. And we confirmed up (Friday) and we have been terrible. I used to be like ‘Oh, no, what did we do?’
“They went to work final evening and got here up with quite a lot of modifications to make to the automotive, and it was so connected at present. It will simply do every thing I wished it to. That is such a particular place. That is by far my favourite race monitor. I’m simply so grateful.”
Cole Custer Prevails in a Contentious Battle with Chandler Smith
Chandler Smith executed a bump-and-run on Custer for a cross on lap 220. Within the ensuing restart, Custer lined up behind Smith on the skin for a restart on lap 227. Maybe denying Smith an opportunity at profitable, Custer shoved Smith’s Camry towards the wall within the first flip.
After the race, Smith confronted Custer, throwing a punch on the reigning champion.
“I used to be planning on doing much more than that, to be fully frank with you,” Smith mentioned. “I used to be extraordinarily pissed off. I gave him 5 laps earlier than that warning got here out (for Brandon Jones spin on lap 220). I beat his bumper off and by no means shipped him or something. The laps have been winding down, and I used to be in a must-win. The 20 (Almirola) began to drive away—he was actually good all day—I can’t waste any extra time with him.
“I lastly had a ok run and pushed him up the race monitor and went on our manner. However I gave him an opportunity for 5 laps earlier than that. I believe he was the primary man all day that selected the skin lane from third place (for the lap 227 restart). That was very attention-grabbing, and he didn’t even give me an opportunity to make the nook once we received to show one.”
Custer thought that made the drivers all-square, although Smith disagreed.
“Clearly, he wasn’t comfortable, however what goes round comes round,” Custer mentioned. “He put us within the wall a couple of occasions this yr. He used the bump-and-run on me. I used the bump-and-run on him…
“I don’t know the way we’re not even. After which he punched me within the face. I couldn’t actually inform if he even punched me within the face, it was so smooth.”
Together with Almirola, Hill, Allmendinger, and Allgaier put his No. 7 Chevrolet within the Championship 4 for the homeowners’ title.
The Season Finale is Up Subsequent
The NASCAR Xfinity Sequence Championship Race is subsequent Saturday, November ninth at Phoenix Raceway. The championship title race begins at 7:30 pm ET with protection on CW, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Stewart Haas Racing driver of the No. 00 Ford, Cole Custer is the defending winner and 2023 collection champion.
