Sam Mayer won his seventh career NASCAR Xfinity Series race, coming at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in overtime after passing Parker Kligerman in turn 7 on Saturday, Oct. 12.
With a fast car, Mayer battled a shifting issue in the closing laps and was able to take a walkoff win that locked himself into the Round of 8 of the Xfinity playoffs.
Mayer took his third win of the 2024 season by 1.474 seconds.
Kligerman, who initially nearly had the race won before the caution flew inches before he took the white flag, faded to sixth.
AJ Allmendinger raced his way into the playoffs after racing in the top five all day. This race was the first of Allmendinger’s career in which he did not win at the ROVAL. Kaulig Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen finished third but was the first driver eliminated from the playoffs, finishing two points behind Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love.
Austin Hill crossed the line fourth for RCR, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chandler Smith completed the top five.
Kligerman, Justin Allgaier, Josh Bilicki, Aric Almirola and Sammy Smith rounded out the top 10.
Mayer was able to pass polesitter van Gisbergen at the start of the race, but he launched too soon on the start, earning himself a start violation and a trip down pit road. Mayer had to work his way back through the field through the caution-free stage one.
Van Gisbergen inherited the lead back momentarily, but he didn’t have the most comfortable setup in his No. 97 Chevrolet, losing the lead to his teammate Allmendinger. Additionally, he missed the backstretch chicane and had to stop and go to avoid a penalty, moving the New Zealander back to sixth.
With cars deciding to pit, van Gisbergen was able to make it back to second behind Allmendinger, and Mayer pitted from the top 10 before the end of the stage to fight for the win.
Mayer got by Bilicki to take the lead in stage two and showed that he had the strongest car throughout the stage.
Then came a multi-car crash involving two playoff drivers. Riley Herbst and Sheldon Creed, who battled a shifting issue that sent him to the back of the field, were caught up in the wreck, and eventually, both cars had to go behind the wall.
Mayer took the lead once more in stage three from Connor Mosack, but after a wreck by Thomas Annunziata in turn 1, strategy split between the leaders as van Gisbergen stayed out on old tires and most of the leaders pit.
Van Gisbergen was no match for the…
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