AVONDALE, Ariz.—Justin Allgaier gave his all in the Xfinity Series Championship but still came up short at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday.
In his 13th attempt, Allgaier came up .608 seconds short of the win and the title. The 37-year-old racer finished third for the second consecutive season finale and second in the series standings in the No. 7 Brandt Chevrolet.
But while last year was sheer disappointment for the driver, Allgaier was proud of his performance and the JR Motorsports team.
“I’m happier this year with the effort, and I’m not as sad leaving tonight,” Allgaier said. “I can’t give any more than I gave right there. That was all I had. We just came up short.
“Last year I left here gutted, heartbroken, just miserable. I’m going to walk out of here tonight, I’m going to hold my head up high knowing that we gave it all we had. The sun is going to come up in the morning, and on Monday we’re going to go back to work.”
Cole Custer won the race and the Xfinity Championship. Sheldon Creed finished second in the race followed by Allgaier, whose second-place finish in the standings tied his career-best result.
But his journey to the checkers was fraught with challenges, starting on the third lap. Allgaier spun while battling fellow final four contender John Hunter Nemechek for fifth-place. After pitting, Allgaier restarted 35th and had to go to work.
Even under the pressure of a champion race, the atmosphere appeared light between the driver, crew chief Jim Pohlman and spotter Eddie D’Hondt. Allgaier threw barbs at the team—and Pohlman and D’Hondt fired back.
After Allgaier climbed to seventh after the first stage, he asked the Pohlman why the crew hadn’t removed a windshield tear-off. When Allgaier mentioned that the crew forgot, Pohlman replied, “That’s payback for the spin earlier.”
Allgaier finished eighth at the end of Stage 2 and restarted seventh—behind race leader Custer—for the final 90 laps. While the lead traded hands between Creed, Nemechek and Custer, Allgaier never really sniffed the point. With 30 laps remaining, the four champion contenders ran first to fourth. Allgaier was third, three seconds behind Custer. He cut Custer’s advantage to two seconds just prior to the seventh caution.
Pohlman called Allgaier to the pits and he lined up third for the Lap 189 restart and quickly moved up to second. Five laps later, Nemechek knocked Allgaier to third before the eighth and final caution when Dawson Cram hooked Anthony Alfredo.
As he prepared for the race to go into overtime, Allgaier radioed to the team, “We’re going for it.” While he took the leaders three-wide, Custer went to the inside and captured the lead—and ultimately the win.
Allgaier thanked his team and told Pohlman, “Leaving here, I’ve got nothing left. I gave you all I had.” The crew chief didn’t doubt Allgaier for a second.
“He always gives 110 percent,” Pohlman said. “I’ve never questioned that and I don’t know that many have ever questioned that. He’s phenomenal at it. He does really good at that. He definitely got all he could out of that race car today. If we could have given him just a tick better piece on the restart…
“We didn’t have enough short-run speed there at the end. Obviously, you’ve seen us hunt them back down on the long run and put ourselves back in the game. If it could have gone green, it might have been a different story.
“That ifs, ands, or butts—those are horseshoes and grenades. Those are all things that they don’t matter right now.”
What does matter is that Allgaier has been strong enough to advance to the Championship 4 for six of the past eight seasons. But this season, he did it his way. After seven seasons working with crew chief Jason Burdett, he requested a change. While it was a big ask, the results have been game changing for the No. 7 team.
“I’ve had more fun this week and throughout the whole process than I probably have at any time in my career,” Allgaier said. “I’ve been doing this my entire life, I’m 32 years into racing. I’ve never had more peace than what I’ve had this week.
“I knew we came in here with the team I wanted to come in here with. I knew we came in here with the pit crew I wanted to come in here with. And I know we came in here with the car I wanted to come in here with. Did it work out for us, no, but the lack of stress was just merely me enjoying what I’m doing.
“I don’t know how many more opportunities I’m going to have to come make a Final 4. I’m six in without getting one. Odds-wise I’m not doing really great, so don’t bet on me next year, I guess. I don’t know. But on the other side of it, to do it six times, to put ourselves in the Final 4 six times, there’s nothing like it.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: [email protected].
