The 2021 Food City 300 was the 26th stock car race of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the final race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season, and the 40th iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, September 17, 2021 in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race was extended from the scheduled 300 laps to 306 due to a late race caution, setting up a NASCAR overtime finish. In a wild finish, Austin Cindric and A. J. Allmendinger wrecked across the line after a wild restart saw numerous passes for position in the lead positions. The person who crossed the line first was A. J. Allmendinger, cementing a win for Allmendinger, his 9th win of his career and the 4th of the season.[1] To fill out the podium, Riley Herbst of Stewart-Haas Racing would finish 3rd.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 26 of 33 of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
| Date | September 17, 2021 | ||
| Official name | Food City 300 | ||
| Location | Bristol, Tennessee, Bristol Motor Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 0.533 mi (0.858 km) | ||
| Distance | 306 laps, 163.098 mi (262.548 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 300 laps, 159.9 mi (257.334 km) | ||
| Average speed | 75.026 miles per hour (120.743 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | JR Motorsports | ||
| Grid positions set by competition-based formula | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | |
| Laps | 92 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBCSN | ||
| Announcers | Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Dale Earnhardt Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
Background
edit
The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.
Entry list
editStarting lineup
editQualifying was determined by a qualifying metric system based on the last race, the 2021 Go Bowling 250 and owner's points. As a result, Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports won the pole.[2]
Race results
editStage 1 Laps: 85
| Fin | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 18 | Daniel Hemric | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 8 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 2 |
| 10 | 20 | Harrison Burton | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 85
| Fin | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Daniel Hemric | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 6 |
| 6 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 10 | Jeb Burton | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 136
References
edit- ^ "AJ Allmendinger slides across finish line to win Xfinity race - NBC Sports". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
- ^ Tomlinson, Joy (2021-09-15). "Noah Gragson Grabs Pole For Bristol Xfinity Race". www.frontstretch.com. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
- ^ "2021 Food City 300 - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2021-10-08.