Erik Jones runs away with Texas Xfinity win
The final stage of Saturday’s My Bariatric Solutions 300 turned out to be clean and green and Erik Jones emerged the winner at Texas Motor Speedway.
Race winner Erik Jones, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
NASCAR Media
While there were some wrecks in the first two stages in part due to the newly repaved and reconfigured track surface, Stage 3 was caution free and Jones’ excellent green-flag pit stop proved to be the difference in earning his first NASCAR Xfinity Series of the season.
Ryan Blaney led the way before green-flag stops, but Jones emerged as the leader once the cycle of stops with 43 of 200 laps remaining. He was never seriously challenged by Blaney after that.
Kevin Harvick finished third, Austin Dillon was fourth and Cole Custer rounded out the top-five and was the highest finishing series regular.
Jones led a race-high 112 laps on his way to his seventh career series victory.
“I think we just have to take a look at how the track changed over the race and what our car did,” Jones said about how his victory would help in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.
“Really, we didn’t make many adjustments. They did a good job getting the car freed up for today. The track was definitely a lot tighter. It’s an awesome day to get back to Victory Lane.”
Jones’ last series victory came at Chicagoland Speedway last September.
Stage 2
William Byron, who elected to stay out on a late-stage caution, claimed the victory in the second 45-lap stage over Elliott Sadler.
Garrett Smithley’s spin on Lap 84 prompted several drivers – including then-leader Blaney – to pit while most of the series regulars remained on the track to collect bonus points for a top-10 finish in the stage.
“Now we have to be patient here and get back up to the front,” Byron said after pitting following the segment. “We’ll see what happens.”
Ryan Reed finished third in the segment, Justin Allgaier was fourth and Brandon Jones completed the top-five.
On Lap 65, a four-car wreck erupted in Turns 3 and 4 involving Darrell Wallace Jr., Tyler Reddick, Brennan Poole and Allgaier. Poole was the only one who could not continue on in the race.
Casey Mears dropped a lot of fluid around the track shortly after the completion of Stage 1, which prompted an extended caution and then about a five-minute red flag.
Stage 1
Jones easily held off Blaney to win the first 45-lap stage.
He and Blaney got by then-leader Joey Logano on Lap 20 when Logano appeared to get loose, drifted up the track and dropped back several positions.
Logano finished third, Byron was fourth and Reed rounded out the top-five. Six of the top 10 finishers in the segment were regulars in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
On Lap 12, Daniel Hemric, who was running second at the time, got loose, spun and backed his car into the Turn 1 wall. He was able to make repairs and continue but ended up multiple laps down.
Cla | # | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 20 | Erik Jones | Toyota | 200 | 2:16'53 |
2 | 22 | Ryan Blaney | Ford | 200 | 0.512 |
3 | 41 | Kevin Harvick | Ford | 199 | 21.480 |
4 | 2 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 199 | 24.619 |
5 | 00 | Cole Custer | Ford | 199 | 25.496 |
6 | 6 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | Ford | 199 | 27.592 |
7 | 9 | William Byron | Chevrolet | 199 | 27.800 |
8 | 3 | Ty Dillon | Chevrolet | 199 | 28.192 |
9 | 19 | Matt Tifft | Toyota | 199 | 30.350 |
10 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | Chevrolet | 199 | 1 lap |
CLICK HERE for complete race results
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