With spots in the championship race for NASCAR’s secondary series on the line, things were bound to get crazy at Martinsville Speedway.
That would be an understatement in describing Saturday’s finish.
Justin Allgaier won in a photo-finish over Sheldon Creed as calamity ensued behind the leaders. Creed and his Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill were battling for the win and made contact multiple times, allowing Allgaier to sneak by.
All three drivers, along with Sammy Smith and Cole Custer, were fighting to earn their way into the title race at Phoenix. Allgaier locked himself in with the win, while Custer, who was involved in the wreck, earned the final spot over Hill with a heads-up move as he backed his totaled car across the line.
Tempers flared after the race between Creed and Hill, the former of whom it has already been announced won’t be returning to RCR in 2024. It doesn’t sound like either
party is shedding any tears over the split.
Creed, who is rumored to be headed to Joe Gibbs Racing, accused RCR of giving Hill preferential treatment within the organization. Hill noted that this isn’t the first time the two of them have tangled this season, after they were also involved in a crash together at Bristol.
The race was eventful even prior to the final restart, which was the result of a lengthy red flag for an accident that littered oil all over the backstretch. There were 15 caution flags in total in only 256 laps of racing.
Allgaier and Custer will join Sam Mayer and John Hunter Nemechek in battling for a championship. Mayer won at Homestead to lock himself in, while Nemechek clinched his spot on points at the conclusion of Stage 2 on Saturday.