Race Report: Michigan

Justin Allgaier drove the BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevy to his sixth top-five finish of the season, placing fifth in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Michigan International Speedway. The 33-year-old driver remains fifth in the NXS point standings 13 races into season.

Qualifying 12^th for the 250-mile race, Allgaier advanced his position to ninth before the first caution flag of the day waved on lap 5. Under the yellow, Allgaier relayed that the BRANDT Camaro was good in Turns 1 and 2 and free into Turn 3. He restarted in ninth and continued to battle for position for the remainder of the first stage, taking the green-and-white checkered flag in seventh. Crew chief Jason Burdett called Allgaier to pit road under the stage-ending caution for four tires, fuel and adjustments.

Allgaier took the green flag for Stage Two in seventh on lap 37 and fell back to 10^th, but moved his way back forward as the stage went on. He radioed to the team that the balance was the same on the BRANDT Chevrolet, but fought through it to end the second stage in seventh. During the caution, Allgaier reported that the No. 7 Camaro was chattering the front through the center of the turns and was still free into Turn 3. He came to pit road for four tires, fuel and multiple adjustments.

A fast stop by the team helped Allgaier gain positions on pit road and he lined up for the final stage in the fourth spot. He quickly moved to second and continued to race inside the top three until the caution flag waved on lap 71. The JR Motorsports driver communicated to the team that the most recent changes made the BRANDT Chevrolet tight. Deciding not to pit, Allgaier restarted in third, but a wreck brought out another caution before the field could complete a lap under green. Under the yellow, Burdett called the driver of the No. 7 Camaro to pit road for a fuel-only stop in an effort to not have to pit again if the remainder of the race went green.

Allgaier restarted in 11^th on lap 81 and was quickly back inside the top 10. The strategy ended up working out in the team’s favor as the remainder of the race went caution free. Allgaier was running in seventh and with the top-two cars needing to pit in the closing laps, he was able to advance his position to fifth before the checkered flag waved.

Tyler Reddick won the race and was followed by JRM drivers Noah Gragson and Michael Annett, with Paul Menard and Allgaier rounding out the top five.

Justin Allgaier, driver No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture team

“Having that pit stop helped us tremendously, coming in and getting fuel and not having to come back down pit road. We couldn’t quite find the balance we needed on this BRANDT Professional Agriculture Camaro, but we battled through it and got a great finish. Hats off to everybody at JR Motorsports. To have all four cars finish inside the top 10, and three in the top five, is pretty awesome.”