XFINITY Winner Gallagher Suspended Indefinitely as NASCAR Heads to Dover
Mike Aguilar
Click Here to Begin Slideshow
The NASCAR world was rocked this past week when the news came out that Spencer Gallagher was suspended indefinitely. Johnny Sauter won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Jeg’s 200 Friday night, then put in a strong performance on Saturday, taking over for Gallagher.
Friday’s Jeg’s 200 kept fans either on their feet or on the edge of their seats. The race wasn’t a wreck-fest, but the racing was hard and fast with action and excitement throughout the field. Noah Gragson came out strong in the Kyle Busch Racing Number 18 truck and took the Stage 1 win.
After that it was pretty much the Johnny Sauter Show. Sauter ran up his record of top ten stage finishes to 26 top ten stages by getting his tenth stage win in the Second Stage. The sun came out at Lap 108 and changed conditions for many drivers, but not Johnny. He held on in his GMS Racing Number 21 truck for the win. There were a total of five yellows for contact during the race.
Elliot Sadler and Justin Allgaier were the cream of the crop in Saturday’s OneMain Financial 200. Sadler came from fourth starting position to take the win in Stage 1. From then on the name of the game was basically “Keep your eyes on Justin.” Allgaier sliced and diced his way from his sixth starting position to handily win the Second Stage and he really never looked back.
Some XFINTIY races can be boring, with everybody just lining up and marking laps. Saturday’s race was not like that. There were two and three wide passes throughout the field all day. In fact, Allgaier went three wide to gain four positions to put himself into a strong position to pass Sadler for the lead before the end of the stage. With ten to go, Elliot did his best to overtake and pass Allgaier, but Allgaier was able to keep fighting back for the win. Allgaier was also one of the four shooting for the Dash4Cash $100,000 prize.
Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism could also have been called “The Kevin HarvickShow,” as
Harvick was dominant in his Stewart-Haas Racing Number 4 throughout the race. Although there were other leaders, it was Kevin’s race all day. There was good action throughout the field all race, and pit strategy was important in the first stage.
A number of cars pitted during the race’s first caution at Lap 3, while many others didn’t. These waited until a yellow at Lap 21 (for Corey LaJoie’s engine going away). This resulted in a number of those cars which pitted at Lap 3 running out of gas just prior to the end of the stage.
In keeping with this year’s tradition so far, there was a short red flag for rain with 80 to go in the race. Once the yellow came out, the sun started trying to make an entrance, worrying a number of drivers and crew chiefs about how it would affect the track. Their prayers seemed to have been answered when the clouds came back. With about ten laps to go, Harvick hit the lightspeed button and checked out. Clint Bowyer had another strong finish in his SHR Number 14, while Daniel Suarez brought his Joe Gibbs Racing Number 19 in for a strong third place finish. The win makes Kevin the first to four victories this season.
