Race Report: Charlotte

Justin Allgaier battled at the front of the field for much of Saturday’s Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but involvement in a late-race, multi-car wreck ended the BRANDT Professional Agriculture team’s day early. The Illinois native now sits sixth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series point standings.

Starting the 200-lap race in 10^th, Allgaier began working his way closer to the front. Running in seventh when the caution flag came out, he reported to his team that he was free into Turn 3. The BRANDT team opted to stay out under the yellow and Allgaier restarted in seventh on lap 27. He battled hard for position in the closing laps of Stage One to take the green-and-white checkered flag in the sixth spot, collecting five stage points. Under the caution, Allgaier came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. The team made a lightning-fast stop, setting Allgaier up for a second-place start for Stage Two.

Back under green for Stage Two, Allgaier raced inside the top five and was running in the fifth position when a caution came out on lap 80. Under the yellow, he reported to his team that the BRANDT Chevy bounced loose through the bumps. Restarting in fifth on lap 83, he was able to remain inside the top 10 to end Stage Two in eighth and collect three additional stage points. Allgaier’s Chevrolet was still looking for help with handling, so the team made a left-rear wedge adjustment when they made a pit stop for four tires and fuel under the stage-ending caution.

When the green flag dropped for the final stage, Allgaier advanced from sixth on the restart up to fifth. He came over the radio to report that the No. 7 Camaro fired off tight. The handling on the BRANDT Chevy eventually came to him though as he was able to work his way up to second by lap 107. With a caution coming out right after, Allgaier took the time to let his crew know that he was pretty happy with the car. He restarted in second on lap 113, and held on to the position until he got loose and made slight contact with the wall on lap 125. He was running in fourth, when just two laps later another caution flag waved. He came with a majority of the field down pit road for four tires and fuel. In the sixth position on the restart, Allgaier continued to race inside the top 10. He reported that his Chevy was free on entry and plowing through the center and exit of the turns. Allgaier survived a series of cautions in the later stage of the race and was running in the ninth spot when yet another came out on lap 168 that eventually turned into a red flag for rain.

Rain halted the race for just over an hour, but the green flag came back out on lap 177. Allgaier was racing for the seventh position on lap 180 when he was involved in a multi-car incident that forced his day to end early. Allgaier was ultimately scored with a 32^nd-place finish. Brad Keselowski won the race and was followed by Cole Custer and Christopher Bell, with Ty Dillon and Elliott Sadler rounding out the top five.

Justin Allgaier, driver No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture team

“Today was tough. We had a really fast BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevy and I thought we had a chance at a top-five finish, but we just got caught up in that wreck. Definitely not how we wanted this day to go. I’m really proud of this team. They made great adjustments and fast pit stops today. Now, I’m ready to get to Pocono. That is a good track for us and I always have a lot of fun racing there.”