BROOKLYN, Mich. — AJ Allmendinger took the lead with four laps left in regulation and held on through three overtimes Saturday to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Michigan International Speedway.
Six days after winning the Cup Series’ Brickyard 200 at Indianapolis, Allmendinger beat Brandon Jones to the finish line by 0.163 seconds in, at 139 laps, the longest Xfinity contest ever on the two-mile track.
Allmendinger has won three Xfinity victories this season and eight overall.
He put the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in front by going to the high side of leader Josh Berry and side-drafting his way past, with Jones following him into second.
Allmendinger just had to survive three more restarts, getting help from Jones who was running right behind Allmendinger on the outside line all three times.
Noah Gragson finished third, and Berry was fourth.
For much of the day it appeared Berry was headed toward a dream finish – in the same week he took a full-time ride with JR Motorsports and just one day after finishing 15th in the Truck Series race in suburban St. Louis. This time, as the replacement for Michael Annett in the No. 1 Chevrolet, he charged through the field from the 40th and final spot on the starting grid to take the lead on Lap 88.