Austin Hill saved just enough fuel to hold on to win his second consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series race of 2024 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday (Feb. 24). Richard Childress Racing teammate Jesse Love dominated the race before running out of fuel in overtime, having led 157 laps to that point while Hill only led two laps all race — both of those being the green flag overtime laps. This was Hill’s eighth career win, sixth on superspeedways and third at his home track of Atlanta.
Love brought home the No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro 12th.
Love and Hill started on the front row for the second consecutive race, and Love led every lap of a stage one that featured Josh Williams suffering a flat tire, as well as Hill falling back while trying to make his way back to the front.
Stage two was more of the same for Love. He led all but one lap while battling with Parker Kligerman, going on to win a stage two that included a caution for JJ Yeley spinning on lap 59.
Stage two also saw John Hunter Nemechek make contact with the wall on lap 67. Nemechek and the No. 20 fell multiple laps down after the problem, finishing 32nd.
AJ Allmendinger led the field at the start of the final stage, but by lap 94, Love returned to the front once again.
The race had been caution-free outside of the stages and was shaping up to be a fuel-mileage affair, but with three to go, the Fords of Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, Hailie Deegan and Ryan Sieg ran out of fuel. Sieg, stopped on the apron, was the reason for the caution.
This threw the race into overtime, and the top seven stayed out. Sam Mayer, one of those who stayed out, ran out of fuel on pace laps, as well as teammate Justin Allgaier.
Love and Kligerman restarted out front but ran out of fuel, which handed the lead, and eventually the win, to Hill.
Chandler Smith brought his No. 81 Toyota Supra home second for his new team in Joe Gibbs Racing. He pitted during final stops before the overtime restart, but was unable to make a move for the win on the No. 21 Chevrolet.
Shane van Gisbergen finished third in his second career Xfinity Series race. Sheldon Creed followed his second place at Daytona International Speedway with a fourth-place finish, and Parker Retzlaff completed the top five.
Jeremy Clements, Anthony Alfredo, Jefferey Earnhardt, Ryan Truex and Sammy Smith rounded out the top 10.
The Xfinity Series races next at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, Mar. 2 at 5 p.m. ET….
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