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Austin Dillon wins rain-shortened Xfinity race at Michigan

Richard Childress Racing is a winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series again.

Race winner Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet Camaro Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's

Race winner Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet Camaro Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's

Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Images

Austin Dillon held off RCR teammate Daniel Hemric on a restart with 37 laps remaining before a caution was displayed for rain and he was declared the winner of Saturday’s LTi Printing 250 at Michigan International Speedway.

The race was officially called after 91 of the scheduled 125 laps.

The win is the first for RCR in Xfinity since August 2016, when Michael McDowell won for RCR at Road America.

 

It’s the ninth career win for Dillon, the grandson of RCR owner Richard Childress, and his first at Michigan.

“This feels good. I’m glad we could put the No. 3 in Victory Lane,” Dillon said in Victory Lane. “It’s been a little bit of a slump. All of these guys have worked really to put the program back to where it needs to be.

“Wow – I was wanting that rain to come. We played a great strategy. Nick Harrison (crew chief) gets the credit for that. I just held on to the wheel.”

The race was the second consecutive in the series to utilize a new aero package that features front air ducts, restrictor-plates, larger rear spoilers and splitters previously used in 2014.

Hemric ended up a career-best second, Cole Custer was third, Ryan Reed was fourth and Paul Menard completed the top-five.

During the break between Stages 2 and 3, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Truex, Reed and Kaz Grala elected not to pit and continued out front when the race went green on Lap 66.

Grala moved into the lead on Lap 68 just as Christopher Bell spun for the second time in the race to bring out the caution. “Where is the rain?” Grala asked over his team radio and reports continued of rain again in the area.

The race returned to green on Lap 71 with Grala out front, followed by Sadler and Custer.

With 54 to go, Dillon – with a push from Hemric – got around both Grala and Sadler to move into the lead for the first time.

Austin Cindric wrecked on Lap 73 which brought out the caution. Sadler and Bowman also made contact on the track. The race returned to green with 50 to go with Dillon leading the way followed by Reed and Custer.

Reed grabbed the lead for the first time right after the restart. Dillon, again with a push from Hemric, moved back into the lead with 49 to go.

Ceasar Bacarella and Brandon Hightower wrecked with 46 to again place the race under caution with rain still threatening. The race returned to green with 37 to go and Dillon leading the way.

The race returned to caution shortly after the restart as the rain picked up.

Stage 2

Sadler led the way on a one-lap dash to claim the Stage 2 victory over Truex.

“This package has really changed the racing here,” Sadler said during the break. “We’re going to see if we can hang on.”

Reed finished third, Matt Tifft was fourth and Grala completed the top-five.

Following the break between Stages 1 and 2, many of the lead-lap cars elected to pit but Kevin Harvick and seven others stayed out and he took over the lead when Stage 2 went green on Lap 36.

Harvick was followed by Menard, Bowman, Hemric and Justin Allgaier. Custer, who restarted ninth, was the first of the drivers who had elected to pit. Grala had to restart from the rear of the field after his team was assessed an uncontrolled tire penalty during his pit stop.

Menard moved into the lead for the first time on Lap 37.

Alex Labbe and Bacarella got together on Lap 38 to bring out another caution. Menard continued to lead the way on the restart on Lap 42.

Bowman moved into the lead on Lap 42 as Harvick moved into the runner-up position and Menard dropped to third.

Ryan Sieg spun out in Turn 4 on Lap 45 to bring out the caution. Bowman held the lead on the restart on Lap 50.

After the restart, Harvick retook the lead with a big push from Menard as Sadler moved into third.

With five laps remaining, Matt Mills wrecked off Turn 2 which brought out a caution. Sadler stayed out and inherited the lead while several other teams pit for fuel and tires.

On the restart with one lap left in Stage 2, it was Sadler, Tifft, Dillon, Truex and Grala.

Stage 1

Busch held off a spirited charge by John Hunter Nemechek to take the Stage 1 victory.

Reed finished third, Custer fourth and Brandon Jones completed the top-five.

With the new rules package, the race began with the lead changing hands several times before Kyle Busch was able to cement himself in the top position to lead 13 of the first 15 laps.

Bell was running third when he spun off Turn 4 and hit the wall on Lap 17 which brought out the first caution of the race.

A handful of cars elected to pit while Busch remained on the track and held the lead on the restart on Lap 21.

With five laps remaining in the first stage, Busch led the way followed by Custer and Nemechek.

Two drivers – Allgaier (unapproved adjustments) and Chad Finchum (engine change) – had to begin the race from the rear of the field.

Cla#DriverManufacturerLapsTimeLaps Led
1 3 united_states Austin Dillon  Chevrolet 91   18
2 21 united_states Daniel Hemric  Chevrolet 91 0.189 1
3 00 united_states Cole Custer  Ford 91 1.028  
4 16 united_states Ryan Reed  Ford 91 1.317 1
5 22 united_states Paul Menard  Ford 91 1.843 8
6 18 united_states Kyle Busch  Toyota 91 2.119 30
7 9 united_states Tyler Reddick  Chevrolet 91 2.472  
8 98 united_states Kevin Harvick  Ford 91 2.722 11
9 7 united_states Justin Allgaier  Chevrolet 91 2.918  
10 11 united_states Ryan Truex  Chevrolet 91 3.219  
11 20 united_states Christopher Bell  Toyota 91 3.583  
12 61 united_states Kaz Grala  Ford 91 3.975 5
13 42 united_states John Hunter Nemechek  Chevrolet 91 4.231  
14 4 united_states Ross Chastain  Chevrolet 91 5.084  
15 51 united_states Jeremy Clements  Chevrolet 91 5.632  
16 2 united_states Matt Tifft  Chevrolet 91 6.360  
17 5 united_states Michael Annett  Chevrolet 91 7.006  
18 19 united_states Brandon Jones  Toyota 91 7.624  
19 39 united_states Ryan Sieg  Chevrolet 91 8.109  
20 38 united_states J.J. Yeley  Chevrolet 91 8.163  
21 23 united_states Alex Bowman  Chevrolet 91 9.183 8
22 76 united_states Spencer Boyd  Chevrolet 91 9.609  
23 60 united_states Austin Cindric  Ford 91 10.302  
24 78 united_states Tommy Joe Martins  Chevrolet 91 11.177  
25 01 united_states Vinnie Miller  Chevrolet 91 11.912  
26 0 united_states Garrett Smithley  Chevrolet 91 12.374  
27 45 united_states Josh Bilicki  Toyota 91 12.822  
28 74 united_states B.J. McLeod  Chevrolet 91 13.310  
29 40 united_states Chad Finchum  Toyota 91 14.136  
30 1 united_states Elliott Sadler  Chevrolet 91 42.968 10
31 66 united_states Timmy Hill  Dodge 90 1 lap  
32 90 united_states Josh Williams  Chevrolet 89 11.824  
33 52 united_states David Starr  Chevrolet 82 9 laps  
34 8 united_states Caesar Bacarella  Chevrolet 79 12 laps  
35 55 united_states Brandon Hightower  Toyota 79 12 laps  
36 15 united_states Matt Mills  Chevrolet 54 37 laps  
37 36 canada Alex Labbé  Chevrolet 52 39 laps  
38 89 united_states Morgan Shepherd  Chevrolet 34 57 laps  
39 35 united_states Joey Gase  Chevrolet 33 58 laps  
40 93 united_states Jeff Green  Chevrolet 5 86 laps

 

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