Noah Gragson Wins Cheddar’s 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway

At the end of the 300 lap race around the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” Noah Gragson ultimately reigned supreme after making contact with his teammate Allgaier in the late laps of the race.  Gragson finished just ninth at the track last year. This victory marks Gragson’s second win of the 2020 season. 

“I really apologize to Justin and the 7 team. That’s not how I want to race. The track was like ice out there. We were slipping and sliding,” Gragson said of his win. “Man, I’m worn out. It’s Bristol baby,” said Gragson.

Behind Gragson was Chase Briscoe, who trailed by roughly three tenths of a second. Brandon Jones, Harrison Burton, and Myatt Snider rounded up the remainder of the top-five. 

Thunder Valley delivered in both close racing and cautions. The first caution appeared on lap six, when Ross Chastain made contact with Austin Cindric. Michael Annett was also collected in the accident. Then, the competition caution arrived on lap 35. Lap 65 brought the final caution of the first stage on account of debris from Joe Nemechek’s race car. After passing Burton on lap 47, Gragson was able to hold off Allgaier for the stage one win. 

The next 85 laps brought another handful of cautions. The first popped up on lap 102 as Timmy Hill spun and collected Vinnie Miller. On lap 124, AJ Allmendinger spun, bringing out the sixth yellow of the evening. Patrick Emerling was the cause of the caution just eighteen laps later, after contact from behind; this contact brought an end to his Xfinity Series debut. Ultimately, the roles were reversed from those in stage one, and Allgaier held off his teammate, Gragson, to come first in stage two. 

Tommy Joe Martins’ spin ushered in the first caution of the last stage on lap 223. Immediately after the restart on lap 215, Justin Haley and Riley Herbst collided to bring out yet another yellow flag. Colby Howard collected some damage from this incident. The eleventh caution of the night came with thirteen laps to go as Howard hit the wall with two flat tires. The last caution came as Gragson made contact with Allgaier with only five laps to go, which led to Allgaier’s spin. 

Not only was the race at the The Last Great Colosseum intense, but it also acted as the qualifier for the Dash for Cash initiative. The top four finishers of the Xfinity Series regulars qualified for the next event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where they will compete for a $100,000 bonus. These drivers are as follows: Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe, Brandon Jones, and Harrison Burton. 

Catch all the Xfinity Series racing action and the first Dash for Cash payout of the season this Saturday, June 6 at 4:30 on Fox.

Kaylee Hiner