That said, the postseason aspirations of Chase contenders Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones took a heavy hit on the 55th of 201 laps during Saturday’s Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Jones lost control of his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota shortly after a restart beginning Stage 2 at the 1.5-mile track. His sudden veer toward the outside wall collected the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Allgaier, wedging both cars against the barrier. Both drivers were evaluated and released from the infield care center.
I mean, in that scenario, like you’ve already had a couple corners, maybe you just pull down and get out of the way, right?
Allgaier finished 34th, initially one spot ahead of Jones. Allgaier’s crew made extensive repairs to get his No. 7 Chevy back on track for two extra laps, gaining him an extra finishing position and one extra point in The Chase presented by Mobil 1. But Jones was disqualified after his No. 20 entry was found with four or more loose lug nuts after its departure from the race, relegating him to last in the 36-car field. The penalty not only gave him last-place points, but stripped Jones of the seven stage points he had earned for finishing fourth at the first break.
Jones began the second stage in the lead after quick pit work helped him gain three spots, but the JGR driver had voiced concerns that the left-front wheel may not have been fully fastened. Allgaier had restarted eighth. Jones said the pit-stop miscue caused a major vibration as his No. 20 Supra tried to round Turn 1, and he lamented the lapse in execution after his care center check-up.
"Yeah, shoot, it’s just the pit stop," Jones said. "I mean, they’re trying to get me out front, I guess, and it’s just right now every mistake like this is a detriment to the season."
Allgaier said he’d hoped Jones would have slowed, rather than attempt to ride out the loose-wheel issue.
"I mean, in that scenario, like you’ve already had a couple corners, maybe you just pull down and get out of the way, right?" Allgaier said.
Allgaier, the 2024 series champion, entered the nine-race Chase as the top seed. Four races in, the 40-year-old veteran has slipped to fourth place in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, including Saturday’s two-spot drop after his early exit. He now ranks 30 points behind series points leader Sheldon Creed, who placed 13th as the final driver on the lead lap. Jones entered the postseason as the No. 6 seed. He’s now 11th, 137 points off the top — 23 points worse than before he started Saturday’s race.
