Sam Mayer wins, SVG eliminated in wild Roval Xfinity race

Sam Mayer, who was put in this position after being disqualified at Talladega, won in overtime at Charlotte to salvage his 2024 title hopes. The driver of the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet is now a back-to-back winner at the Charlotte Roval in NASCAR Xfinity competition.

However, it was not without some controversy. Parker Kligerman was in control of the race and as he took the white flag, the caution flag few for a car buried in a tire pack at the other end of the track.

While the starter briefly flew the white flag, the timing loop showed the yellow light just before Kligerman reached the line. In moment of confusion, NASCAR reviewed the footage and confirmed that the race was not yet over because the caution had come out a fraction of a second before cars crossed the line. It was a matter of inches that pushed the race into overtime.

On the ensuing restart, Mayer was able to get around Kligerman and snatch the victory away. The win saved Mayer from playoff elimination, leaving Kligerman to dwell on what could have been.

“To come out here to the Charlotte Motor Speedway, go back-to-back with a fast car — to do it at home is something special. We certainly had to work for it though,” said Mayer. 

Speaking on the winning pass, he added: “We were all crossed up getting in there. I was loose into (Turn) 6. I know that it was my only shot if I got a good angle into that corner. He blocked the bottom, which was good for me. It gave me a better angle up off the corner. This Chevrolet was hooked up and we were going from there.”

In the battle around the playoff bubble, Shane van Gisbergen was in a tight battle with Jesse Love. SVG held the final transfer spot at the white flag, but Love managed to pass just enough cars to move forward in the championship fight. Van Gisbergen finished third and was eliminated by just two points. Riley Herbst and Sheldon Creed were also eliminated after being collected in a mid-race pileup exiting the final chicane. And then there is Kligerman, who went from thinking he won the race to being knocked out of the playoffs.

The race started with Mayer actually getting penalized for jumping the initial start. He was able to quickly rebound as A.J. Allmendinger won the opening stage and Justin Allgaier won Stage 2. Both drivers collected enough points to secure their advancement into the Round of 8. 

The race was slowed by seven…