Another week of a NASCAR Cup Series double dipper spoiling the party for the NASCAR Xfinity Series regulars.
While that’s true, it didn’t happen exactly the way you might think.
Chase Elliott took the win in the BetMGM 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after some late cautions took out some of the leaders out of contention. A good pit strategy by Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Greg Ives allowed Elliott to use sticker tires while the majority of the field were stuck on older tires. He held off late advances from Brandon Jones to claim his sixth Xfinity victory and first since 2016.
Jones took second, while fellow JR Motorsports drivers Sammy Smith and Sam Mayer finished third and fourth, respectively. AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top five.
Winners
The 2020 Cup champion started 30th and eventually got near the front, going off a different pit strategy than the leaders. However, drivers like Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs and Justin Allgaier all made their way to the front on fresher tires than Elliott had at the time.
All was not lost for Elliott, though, as veteran crew chief Ives played a good game and saved a set of tires, banking on late cautions. With how hot and slick the track has been the last couple of days, the spins and troubles in qualifying appeared to continue through Saturday (May 25). Sure enough, a few cautions within the final 30 laps of the 200-lap race allowed the No. 17 crew to put on fresh, sticker tires.
That’s what set Elliott above the rest by the end of the race. Well, that and clean air.
It also helped that some of his stronger competitors ran into trouble, but Elliott still showed the grit that those who started at the front may not have had. It’s not easy to drive through traffic, but when you have a good team like Hendrick, you can be confident in your equipment, your spotter and your crew. Of course, a Cup win in Elliott’s book this season also helped his own confidence.
It could’ve been a near-perfect day for JRM had Allgaier not made a mistake late. But the team does have a lot to be thankful for this weekend, with three of its drivers taking positions second through fourth.
Jones has had a good couple of races, earning two straight top 10s at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte. It’s a huge confidence booster for the Atlanta, Ga., native, who finished outside the top 10 from Circuit of the Americas through Dover Motor Speedway. His best finish during that span was a 13th at…
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