In a thrilling overtime finish at Talladega Superspeedway, Sammy Smith clinched his first win of the season, securing an automatic berth into the next round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. The 20-year-old JR Motorsports driver made a daring last-lap pass in the United Rentals 250, leading only the final lap but making it count for his second career Xfinity Series victory.
Smith, who entered the race ranked last among the 12 Playoff drivers and winless this season, started from 27th but quickly moved through the field. He avoided multiple multi-car crashes and was in the right place at the right time to capitalize on a massive push that propelled him to the front when it mattered most.
“It’s been a really tough year,” Smith admitted after the race. “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.”
Smith’s victory came after consulting with team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., a six-time Talladega winner, for advice. “We sat down Wednesday,” Smith revealed. “It wasn’t a whole lot, but asking him what he would do in certain situations… Feels really good to win again.”
Smith narrowly edged out Ryan Sieg by 0.177s at the line, while a chaotic three-wide battle behind them saw Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst, and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith round out the top five.
Herbst, who was leading on the final lap, expressed frustration with Chandler Smith after the race, feeling the young driver made a crucial mistake that cost both of them a chance at victory. “He would have won the race,” Herbst said, “but all he did was kill his run, my run, and his teammate’s run and let the No. 8 get away.”
Polesitter Jesse Love, a rookie for Richard Childress Racing, led a race-high 28 laps and finished sixth, in a race that featured six cautions, a red flag, 11 race leaders, and 28 lead changes.
Among the Playoff drivers, many were caught in late-race crashes. A.J. Allmendinger managed to recover from damage to finish 11th, but Justin Allgaier, reigning series champion Cole Custer, and Shane Van Gisbergen were all involved in accidents, finishing outside the top 25.
Next week’s race at the Charlotte ROVAL will determine which eight drivers advance in the Playoffs. Chandler Smith holds a 57-point advantage on the cutoff, while Sam Mayer occupies the final transfer spot, 10 points ahead of Allmendinger and 18 points up on teammate Allgaier. Van Gisbergen and Parker Kligerman face uphill battles to make the cut.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns next Saturday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course for the Drive for the Cure 250 (4 p.m. ET, CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
