DOVER, Del. – Justin Allgaier held off Elliott Sadler in a clash of JR Motorsports teammates to win Saturday’s OneMain Financial 200 at Dover Int’l Speedway after a wild run to the checkered flag.
Allgaier also pocketed an extra $100,000 as the final Dash 4 Cash winner in the program’s four-race run.
Though Allgaier took control of the race for good with 90 to go, Sadler never let him out of his sight, with three cautions in the final 75 laps bunching the field up and allowing the field a chance to strike.
The final yellow flag of the day came with 32 to go, when Ty Majeski spun exiting turn four and collected Dylan Lupton on the frontstretch, setting Allgaier up on the front row alongside a hungry sophomore driver in Daniel Hemric.
Allgaier opted for the top lane, relegating Hemric to the bottom. When the green flag waved, Allgaier rocketed to the lead and brought Sadler with him into second, as the field raced three- and nearly four-wide behind them.
But as it had all day, Allgaier’s car began to fade over a long run, while Sadler’s machine came to life.
Sadler’s first shot at the top spot came with 13 to go, when he took a peek to Allgaier’s inside coming off the second corner before losing a little bit of momentum and falling back in line. At that point, Allgaier stretched his margin back out to about a half-second as Sadler regrouped for another pass attempt.
The second challenge for the top spot came with seven laps left, when Allgaier was held up while lapping the slower car of Chad Finchum and Sadler got a run to the outside. Though Finchum was there, Sadler gave a shot to Allgaier’s right-rear fender that got both cars sideways going down the frontstretch.
Sadler took a third look with three circuits remaining, again peeking to the inside of Allgaier’s car off turn two, but it was on the white flag lap where things got crazy – and nearly turned disastrous.
Entering turn three, the two JRM teammates were approaching the slower car of Joe Nemechek, who drifted high as Allgaier began to take the upper groove in the corner. Allgaier quickly shifted to the middle lane as Sadler charged in on the bottom, with the pair making contact at the exit of turn four.
Sadler bounced into Allgaier and nearly spun, while Allgaier slapped the outside wall with the right side of his Chevrolet but still carried enough momentum to get the car straightened up and take the checkered flag first by .306 of a second.
Saturday marked Allgaier’s sixth-career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, his first of the season and his first at the Monster Mile.
Allgaier also becomes the 10th different winner in 10 Xfinity Series races so far this year.
“I thought the 15 (Nemechek) was going to go to the bottom, and when he went to the top I had to get on the brakes and almost spun myself out,” said Allgaier in victory lane. “That race … I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Everyone at JR Motorsports has done a fantastic job preparing these race cars and we had so much speed today.
“Elliott and I had a great race, especially at the end there. That was so much fun and he raced me hard but absolutely respectfully. We got together at the checkered, but he had to do what he had to do, just like I did.”
Dover was Allgaier’s second time claiming the Dash 4 Cash bonus by winning the race outright. He previously accomplished that feat at ISM Raceway last April.
“I told Matt Lederer (Executive Director of Sports Brand Marketing for Comcast) before the race that I’d be smiling when I got out of my car today,” said Allgaier. “I’d say we’re making good on that promise.”
Though Sadler finished a heartbreaking second in both the race and the Dash 4 Cash battle, he was able to smile at the hard-fought duel between himself and Allgaier in the final laps.
“To be that close is a bummer, it really is,” admitted Sadler. “When we went into turn three, I was trying to peek around the corner and do the opposite of what Justin did. It all depended what the 15 did, and when he went high, Justin had to slow down to change his line and I got a big run underneath him.
“It was all or nothing at that point,” Sadler added. “I was getting loose underneath him, but he’s my teammate and I didn’t want to wreck both of us. It’s just a tough situation and it didn’t quite work out in our favor today.”
Hemric finished third for the third time in five races, followed by Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick.
Brandon Jones and Ryan Sieg, who were also contending for the Dash 4 Cash on Saturday, finished 10th and 17th, respectively.
