On the restart to a two-lap overtime following a multi-car wreck in the final laps, RCR team-mates Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed tangled side-by-side several times with Hill leading at the white flag lap.
Heading into Turn 3 on the final of 256 laps, Creed got into Hill and shoved him up the track. The move also opened the door for Allgaier to dive inside of Creed and the two raced fender-to-fender to the checkered flag.
Allgaier edged out Creed by 0.032 seconds to claim the win and automatically advance to the Championship 4 next weekend at Phoenix. A multi-car wreck erupted behind them after the finish that left the cars of playoff contenders Cole Custer and John Hunter Nemechek briefly on fire.
When the dust settled, joining Allgaier in competing for 2023 series title at Phoenix will be Sam Mayer, Nemechek and Custer, who edged Hill by seven points.
“My guys kept telling me, ‘It’s not over.’ Coming to the start/finish line I don’t think I saw a single person sitting down,” Allgaier said. “I was just trying to hang on and go as fast as I can.
“This car has been lights-out all year. I cannot say about everybody at the shop, all our partners. We have a shot at going for the championship at Phoenix. This is an emotional one. I’ve been wanting to win at Martinsville for a long time.”
Sammy Smith finished third, Riley Herbst was fourth and Josh Berry rounded out the top five.
Completing the top-10 in the race were Daniel Hemric, Parker Retzlaff, Anthony Alfredo, Jeb Burton and Parker Kligerman.
Stage 1
Allgaier held off Custer by 1.292 seconds to take the Stage 1 win. Nemechek was third, Hill fourth and Sammy Smith finished fifth, slicing through the field after pitting for new tires under a late-stage caution.
Stage 2
Sammy Smith led every green flag lap and held off Berry by 0.437 seconds to claim the Stage 2 win, just his second stage victory of the season. Myatt Snider was third, Creed fourth and Kaz Grala completed the top five.
Stage 3
During the break between Stages 2 and 3, most of the lead-lap cars pit but Layne Riggs stayed on the track and inherited the lead. When the race resumed on lap 130, Riggs was followed by Ryan Sieg, Mayer and Sammy Smith.
Within four laps, Smith – who pit for new tires – powered back into the lead.
Mayer got into the back of Riggs on lap 153 which sent him around for a spin in Turn 2 and brought out the seventh caution of the race.
A handful of cars pit under the caution for new tires, including Allgaier and Hill, but Sammy Smith remained on the track and in the lead when the race returned to green with 90 laps remaining,
A caution for Kligerman sent most of the lead-lap cars down pit road with just over 70 laps remaining. Nemechek stayed out and inherited the lead while Samme Smith was the first off pit road. With 68 to go, Nemechek led Hill on the restart while Smith lined up 15th.
A wreck involving Connor Mosack and Jeremy Clements also collected playoff contender Custer with 65 laps remaining.
Nemechek continued to lead on the restart with 54 laps left followed by Hill and Allgaier. Sammy Smith lined up ninth.
After racing side-by-side for nearly two laps, Hill finally cleared Nemechek to take the lead in the race for the first time on lap 196.
Nemechek reclaimed the lead on a restart with 44 laps to go.
Grala spun around in Turn 1 to bring out the 13th caution of the race and set up another restart with 25 laps remaining. Nemechek led Hill, Creed and Sammy Smith.
Alfredo spun around off Turn 4 to bring out a caution and set up a restart with eight laps remaining and Nemechek trying to hold off Hill and Sammy Smith.
A multi-car wreck erupted on the backstretch and put the race under a nearly 29-minute red flag to clean the track of debris. Hill, who knocked Nemechek out of the lead on the previous restart, led the way to start a two-lap overtime.