Austin Hill scores Atlanta win in Focused Health 250

HAMPTON, Ga. — Continuing a new tradition, Austin Hill won for the fourth time in the last five NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Hill led the final 12 laps Saturday in the Focused Health 250 to claim his third win of the year. It’s the ninth of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career.

In all, seven of his nine victories have come at drafting-style tracks.

“I was doing everything in my power to win the race,” Hill said. “We had to work for that one. The car didn’t drive the best, but we were there when it mattered.”

Hill avoided a six-car crash with 19 laps to go that took out leaders like Cole Custer and Justin Allgaier. After a 15-minute red flag, and six laps under caution, Hill cleared leader Chandler Smith in turn four.

Hill was able to hold off Smith’s rebuttal and charges from Corey Heim, Parker Kligerman and A.J. Allmendinger to win his first race since Atlanta in February.

“I was on the edge of my seat too. I was trying not to wreck,” Hill said.

Chevrolet drivers swept the first three spots. Parker Kligerman earned his third career runner-up finish. He’s still missing something very important, though.

“Just want to win one of these, I mean it’s just so close and I can see it, feel it,” Kligerman said. “I love this game and I love being a part of it and I love being in it and I hope that we can find a way.”

A.J. Allmendinger won Stage 2 and 40 laps before getting third. It is his fourth Top-5 finish of the season.

Chandler Smith and Corey Heim rounded out the Top-5 finishers.

STAGE 1

Jesse Love and Taylor Gray led the field to the green flag. Love led 23 of the opening 24 laps before Justin Allgaier led the final 15 laps of the stage.

Allgaier, in a side-by-side battle with Austin Hill, prevailed for the stage victory. Chevrolet led all but one lap in the opening stage.

The stage featured one caution for cause, with Ryan Sieg coasting to a stop along the backstretch on lap 13.

STAGE 1 TOP-10 (LAP 45): Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill, Riley Herbst, Sheldon Creed, Jesse Love, Sam Mayer, Brandon Jones, Cole Custer, Chandler Smith, Taylor Gray

STAGE 2

A.J. Allmendinger elected not to pit and inherited the lead from Allgaier. Allmendinger stayed in the lead through the end of the stage to collect his first of the season.

With two laps to go in the stage, Sam Mayer moved up the track and made contact with Taylor Gray that put him in the wall. That ultimately caused the rear of Mayer’s car to ignite in flames, putting him in 36th for the day.

“That’s just racing, it’s a part of it,” Mayer said.

STAGE 2 TOP-10 (LAP 80): A.J. Allmendinger, Sammy Smith, Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, Taylor Gray, Chandler Smith, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Hill

OUTLOOK

Two races remain before the playoffs start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series: Watkins Glen (Sept. 14) and Bristol (Sept. 20)

Justin Allgaier leads the regular season points with 866 points over Cole Custer (-34), Chandler Smith (-67) and Austin Hill (-71).

Parker Kligerman (+74) and Sammy Smith (+44), who are not locked into the playoffs, currently hold the final playoff positions over Ryan Sieg (-44) and Brandon Jones (-139)