HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Noah Gragson gave JR Motorsports two drivers in the Xfinity Series championship finale with his win Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Gragson led 127 of the 200 laps then held off Ty Gibbs and AJ Allmendinger on a late restart to to earn his his eighth win of the season and the 13th of his Xfinity Series career.
Gragson joins teammate Josh Berry, who won last week at Las Vegas for the Chevrolet team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., as the first two drivers locked into the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 5. The remaining two spots will be determined next week at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.
“I wanted this so bad the last three years," Gragson said. "Words can’t describe how thankful I am for everyone at JR Motorsports.”
Gragson was dominant throughout, sweeping the stages and holding off runner-up Ty Gibbs and Allmendinger on a late restart.
Gibbs will head to Martinsville third in the playoff standings.
“That's a place we were really fast at earlier this year and probably had a shot to win,” Gibbs said. “I'm excited to go back there.”
Allmendinger, the regular-season champion, finished third after entering the race below the playoffs cutline after a late pit stop for two loose wheels caused him to finish 22nd last weekend.
Gragson, with three victories more than any other driver in the series this season, opened the playoffs by becoming the first driver in 39 years to win four races in a row.
___
More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP
