Aric Almirola Fights Off Connor Zilisch to Win Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — Aric Almirola swept both stages en route to win Saturday’s Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Almirola took home his third win on the season in his part-time effort for Joe Gibbs Racing. More crucially, he locks the No. 19 team into the owners’ Championship 4.

Aric Almirola looked like the class of the field early in the event. He overtook Zilisch for second shortly after the start of the race. Then, he found his way to the lead on the restart on lap 29, taking over from polesitter Justin Allgaier and truly setting the tone for the rest of the night.

Almirola would go onto lead a race-high 107 of 201 laps. He fought his way to the lead four times throughout the stages.

“Our car was good, really good, but I struggled with the car on the long run the whole race,” Almirola said.

The mix of Almirola, Love, and Zilisch juggled the top three spots from the second stage onward.

The trio really put on an intense show in the final stage, running nearly nose to tail for 75 laps. Even a pit cycle kept the three close until Dean Thompson spun coming off turn four.

The final stops of the night relegated Love down to third, just after losing the lead to Zilisch right before the yellow came out. A good stop by Nick Sanchez and the No. 48 team gave him enough gusto to fight the top-three on the following restart.

Sanchez battled Almirola and Love as hard as he could but Almirola found his way around him and set his sights on the now-leading Zilisch with around 20 to go.

“My car took off on the last restart and I was able to set off after Connor after clearing the 48”

From there he closed the gap and found the correct time to challenge Zilisch for the top spot, finally getting by with eight laps left in the competition.

“I just could not wrap the line, we were just really loose,” Zilisch said about his final run to the flag, looking visibly frustrated to be on the other end of the battle for the win.

“The frustration comes from how much this means to me and my team to lock into Phoenix… plus 82 [on the cutline] is not bad but another win sticker would have been cool,” Zilisch highlighted.

With no new winner in the drivers’ championship, the Round of 8 move to the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway for the Saturday, Oct 18 race. Here are the Xfinity Series drivers’ standings heading into that race:

NASCAR Xfinity Series Standings After Race 1 of 3 in the Round of 8

1. Connor Zilisch (+82)
2. Justin Allgaier (+44)
3. Jesse Love (+20)
4. Sam Mayer (+8)
5. Brandon Jones (-8)
6. Sheldon Creed (-21)
7. Carson Kvapil (-22)
8. Sammy Smith (-24)

Below is an archive of the live race updates from the Focused Health 302.

Who won the Stages in the Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas?

Aric Almirola wins stage one! Followed by Zilisch, Love, Allgaier, R. Sieg, Hill, Eckes, Mayer, Gray, and Sanchez captures the final stage point in tenth.

Aric Almirola holds off a strong Jesse Love to sweep the stages today! Zilisch, Allgaier, R. Sieg, Hill, Eckes, Mayer, Day, and Carson Kvapil picks up the final stage point.

FINAL STAGE

FINISH – Aric Almirola comes around to capture the win of the Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas! He holds off Connor Zilisch by over half a second.

LAP 200 – Almirola takes the white flag.

LAP 199 – Zilisch’s car gets away from him in turn two. He gets to the white too far back to make a move.

LAP 198 – 3 to go. Zilisch has found some pace after Almirola fights past a lap car. He closes into a quarter of a second!

LAP 196 – 5 to go. Day has found his way around Sanchez for fourth. If this holds it will be his best career NASCAR Xfinity Series finish.

LAP 194 – Almirola now has extended his lead to over half a second now. He’s had a good last few corners and has set sail.

LAP 192 – NEW LEADER! Aric Almirola takes advantage of a loose Zilisch as he takes over the lead heading into turn three.

LAP 191 – 10 to go. The battle for the lead is super tight. Zilisch seems to be mirror driving as Almirola is trying different lanes to get past.

LAP 189 – Creed gets loose and falls out of the top 10! He now sits between Mayer and Kvapil as the fight for the lead heats up.

LAP 188 – Further back in the field, Creed has dropped two spots to eighth. Mayer and Kvapil sit 11th and 12th. Jones in 14th and Smith back in 20th.

LAP 186 – 15 to go now. Zilisch has expanded his lead over Almirola by over half a second. Sanchez still holds third as Allgaier finds his way around Love after his battle with Sanchez.

LAP 181 – 20 laps to go. After a hard fought battle for the lead, Connor Zilisch prevails as the leader of Almirola.

Almirola and Sanchez have contact heading into turn one. Almirola gets back by Sanchez out of the corner.

LAP 178 – Zilisch picks the bottom lane as Almirola restarts alongside him on the high side. Love, Sanchez, Allgaier, Creed, Hill, R. Sieg, Jones, and Gray round out the top 10.

LAP 175 – Connor Zilisch holds on to the lead heading off pit road. Aric Almirola leaps Jesse Love for second. Sam Mayer has a slower stop and slides to 15th.

Sheldon Creed’s luck turns around tonight as he needed a caution to close that tire gap. His wish is granted and he will restart sixth.

LAP 174 – The top three take a much needed breath after the intense racing up front.

Pit road opens once again. Teams are opting for four tires and fuel for what could be the final run to the flag.

LAP 173 – Caution! Dean Thompson spins just after Connor Zilisch takes the lead from Jesse Love.

Crucially, Sammy Smith earns the free pass just after he goes a lap down.

LAP 172 – The tire difference is starting to set in for Sheldon Creed. He sits 6th and is starting to fall back again.

The leaders are side by side coming to the line as they lap up to 19th! Jesse Love gets his line compromised by the lap car of Trevor Bayne which allows Zilisch to go around.

LAP 171 – 30 to go. Love is currently leading and has led 22 laps so far.

LAP 169 – Almirola has been running the very top as he chases down the front two.

LAP 165 – Zilisch attempts to pass Jesse Love for the lead but Love is able to predict his line and packs air on the nose of the 88 resulting in a big save for Zilisch.

LAP 162 – Zilisch is looking like the best car of the trio at the moment. Almirola has dropped back from the top two as the top three start to equal out.

LAP 161 – Jesse Love is struggling to get through some of the faster lap traffic. He, Zilisch, and Almirola are sitting nose to tail as the trio has lapped up to 22nd so far tonight.

LAP 155 – Connor Zilisch overtakes Aric Almirola for second place! Both drivers are still within touching distance of the now race leader Jesse Love as they zig and zag through traffic.

LAP 151 – 50 to go. The trio of Love, Almirola, and Zilisch are bunched together whilst fighting through lap traffic. Allgaier is sitting a net fourth after the cycle with Sheldon Creed rounding out the net top 5 after his early stop.

LAP 150- Daniel Hemric and four other drivers still have to come down pit road. Jesse Love retains what would be lead after the pit cycle comes to a close. He leads Almirola by under half a second and he’s followed closely by Zilisch another car length or two behind.

LAP 145 – Nick Sanchez takes the lead amid the pit stop cycle as Zilisch comes down for his stop.

LAP 144 – Leaders are coming in for their stop.

LAP 143 – Longest green flag run of the night – Almirola goes up the track as Love takes the lead!

Allgaier starts the pit cycle and gets his stop done without a problem.

LAP 139 – Sheldon Creed comes in a little earlier than they wanted as the driver reported a vibration. Coming to pit road he manages a huge save as he almost spins from the transition off the banking to pit road.

LAP 138 – Those problems reported earlier from Mayer and Smith have subsided along with the wind as the track shifts into night.

LAP 133 – Love starts to close that gap which sits at under half a second. Almirola is reporting the car is getting looser as the run goes on.

LAP 131 – 70 Laps to go. Almirola has extended his lead to about a second over Jesse Love. Love’s long run car should be coming into form about now.

Brandon Jones continues to fall, now back to 8th from his restart postion of 5th.

LAP 126 – Creed retakes 11th from Kvapil. From the start of the race to now is night and day for Sheldon… So is the weather, as the track lights are becoming more prominent.

LAP 123 – Still about 20 laps away from a pit stop cycle. Some drivers are starting to become wary of their tire fall off as the run continues.

LAP 118 – Tight racing between Brandon Jones and Nick Sanchez as they slide and swap positions in turns 3 & 4. Corey Day looks on in 7th as the young dirt racer is making a mark tonight.

LAP 116 – Meanwhile the battle for 10th is heating up between three Round of 8 drivers. Sam Mayer is tenth followed by Carson Kvapil and Sheldon Creed.

LAP 115 – The battle for the lead has cooled of considerably. Almirola has retained his half second lead over Love with Zilisch now a further second behind Love and falling into the grasp of his teammate Allgaier.

LAP 109 – Almirola fends off the contact and takes the lead into turn one. Love takes advantage of the stalled run because of that contact and grabs second place from Zilisch in the same go.

LAP 108 – The sun has mostly set behind the track now and that is helping the groove widen out. Almirola and Zilisch are testing those limits as they have contact off of turn four!

LAP 107 – Really tight up front now – Almirola and Love are side by side a cars length behind Zilisch.

LAP 104 – Zilisch has just set the fastest lap of the race now.

LAP 103 – JRM teammates Kvapil and Smith have restarted well, both gaining 5+ spots since the restart.

LAP 101 – 100 to go and halfway through the Focused Health 302. Zilisch with under a half second lead over Love and Almirola now.

LAP 99 – Massive launch for Zilisch as he commands the lead out of turn 2. Three wide from 5th on back as Day makes contact with Sawalich into the tri-oval and keeps going.

LAP 98 – Zilisch chooses the inside lane as he sets off alongside Jesse Love. Almirola, Hill, Jones, Mayer, Allgaier, Sawalich, Day, and Sanchez are your top ten as we go green again.

The other Round of 8 drivers restarting outside the top ten are Creed in 11th, Kvapil in 18th after a socket snapped off of the air hose gun, and Smith in 25th.

LAP 93 – Pit road opens again. Connor Zilisch wins the race off pit road as Aric Almirola slips to third during the stops.

Almirola and his 19 team are apart of the owners championship. Sweeping the stages during this event has shown their strength in their quest for the owners title.

Points after stage two

• Connor Zilisch (+78)
• Justin Allgaier (+42)
• Jesse Love (+22)
• Sam Mayer (+7)
• Brandon Jones (-7)
• Carson Kvapil (-11)
• Sheldon Creed (-19)
• Sammy Smith (-22)

STAGE TWO WINNER: Aric Almirola

LAP 90 – Aric Almirola holds off a strong Jesse Love to sweep the stages today! Zilisch, Allgaier, R. Sieg, Hill, Eckes, Mayer, Day, and Carson Kvapil picks up the final stage point.

LAP 89 – Love closes in on Almirola with 2 to go in the stage. Lap traffic might decide who wins this stage.

LAP 86 – 5 to go in the stage – Lap traffic has begun. No change in the top ten as we are late in this current green flag run.

Sammy Smith, in 24th, will have to make a big swing at the next pit stops to help his Round of 8.

LAP 81 – 10 to go in the stage – Almirola is married to the bottom as the sun starts to set in the west. Still a half a second over Jesse Love.

LAP 77 – Austin Hill sideways on the exit of turn 4. What a save! He keeps it going, only dropping one spot to Ryan Sieg.

LAP 76 – 15 Laps to go in this stage. Almirola still in front by a decreasing margin over Love. Zilisch, Allgaier, and Hill round the top 5.

LAP 70 – Halfway through the stage – Almirola leads Love still by half a second. He has led a race high of 39 laps so far.

LAP 66 – Updates on the Round of 8 drivers. Zilisch is 3rd with a reported radio issue just over a second back of the battling Almirola and Love.

Allgaier is now back to fifth, Mayer is up in the top ten in eighth, just behind him in Kvapil in ninth. Jones sits 13th, Creed has bounced back to 17th, and Smith round out the group in 20th.

LAP 62 – Jesse Love looks to the inside of Almirola for the lead. He’s just dogging him for the lead.

LAP 55 – Contact for Zilisch and Love heading into 3 off of an aggressive side draft from the two friends.

LAP 54 – Almirola retakes the lead from Love

LAP 50 – Jesse Love takes the bottom lane for the restart. He is alongside Aric Almirola, Hill behind him, then Zilisch, Mayer, Allgaier, R.Sieg, Sawalich, Eckes, and Taylor Gray.

LAP 48 – Pit road opens and Jesse Love emerges as the new leader!

Points after stage one

1. Connor Zilisch (+73)
2. Justin Allgaier (+38)
3. Jesse Love (+22)
4. Sam Mayer (+9)
5. Brandon Jones (-9)
6. Carson Kvapil (-20)
7. Sammy Smith (-20)
8. Sheldon Creed (-29)

STAGE ONE WINNER: Aric Almirola

LAP 45 – Aric Almirola wins stage one! Followed by Zilisch, Love, Allgaier, R. Sieg, Hill, Eckes, Mayer, Gray, and Sanchez captures the final stage point in tenth.

LAP 43 – Sammy Smith radio “I have no power!”. He runs 18th and it could just be the wind effecting the car as they are around 35mph winds at Las Vegas.

LAP 41 – 5 to go in stage 1. Jesse Love passes Justin Allgaier for 3rd. Love seems to be really good on the long run. Brandon Jones has fallen to 18th as the car is “going tight”.

LAP 36 – 10 laps to go in the stage. Aric Almirola leads Connor Zilisch by two car lengths as Allgaier lurks behind them.

LAP 31 – Allgaier is now down to fourth after leading the first 28 laps in the race.

LAP 29 – New Leader! Aric Almirola takes the lead as he and Jesse Love had great runs off of turn 2.

LAP 28 – Allgaier chooses the bottom lane and leads the field through the restart zone.

LAP 25 – Pit road is open. Sheldon Creed comes down alongside Dean Thompson. The 00 group will tighten up his Dark Horse Mustang to try and right the ship.

LAP 24 – Caution at just over halfway through the stage! Debris on the track.

Justin Allgaier leads by a second over Almirola. Love, Zilisch, Jones, Hill, Ryan Sieg, Sanchez, Eckes, and Gray are the top ten.

LAP 21 – Sam Mayer radio “Losing oil pressure and voltage”. The Round of 8 driver runs 15th

LAP 17 – Creed is still falling down the order now to 26th. Round of 8 driver Sammy Smith is also starting to tumble down the order as well. He sits 18th.

LAP 14 – Lap times are starting to fall quick – Allgaier sits slightly more than a second ahead of the battling Zilisch and Almirola now.

LAP 9 – Zilisch regains 2nd from Almirola. Some early risers so far are Nick Sanchez, Austin Hill gaining spots while Brandon Jones fell to fifth and fellow playoff driver Shledon Creed down to 20th from his 10th starting spot

LAP 3 – Aric Almirola takes advantage of a tight Connor Zilisch and takes 2nd place from him.

LAP 1 – Allgaier leads the first lap to kick off the Round of 8 for the Xfinity Series. A stackup on the initial start nearly caused playoff drivers Sammy Smith and Sam Mayer their race early but everyone started cleanly.

Justin Allgaier starts on the inside of teammate Connor Zilisch, the eighth front row lockout for JRM this season.

Race Start

Justin Allgaier will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series field to the green at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to kick off the Round of 8. He will be joined on the front row by his teammate and current points leader Connor Zilisch.

• Justin Allgaier steals the NASCAR Xfinity Series pole from JGR at Las Vegas

Allgaier looks to defend his win from the previous Las Vegas Xfinity race in the spring while Zilisch starts the Round of 8 nearly a race ahead of the current cutline, he’s 57 points ahead.

Parker Retzlaff and Ryan Ellis did not make a lap in qualifying and will start from the rear.

• Focused Health 302
• CW, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• 201 Laps / 301.5 miles
  • Stages 45 / 90/ 201
• Average time of race: 2:20:000
• Pit road speed: 45mph
• Caution vehicle speed: 55mph
• Fuel Window: 60-64 Laps

MORE:

• Sammy Smith advances to the NASCAR Xfinity Series round of 8 after Nostradamus call at the Charlotte Roval