Brandon Jones Wins First NASCAR Xfinity Series Race At Kansas Speedway

Brandon Jones Wins First NASCAR Xfinity Series Race At Kansas Speedway

by October 20, 2019 0 comments

SPARTA, Kan. – Brandon Jones captured his first-ever win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday after holding off Tyler Reddick and taking the checkered flag in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.

The 22-year-old upset the Round of 8 NASCAR Playoff contenders as he led only the final 10 laps of the 200-lap race. Jones started the race alongside of pole-sitter Christopher Bell. The driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Flow Toyota took the lead with just 10 laps to go and then he survived one final restart after an accident in Turn 1 brought the caution out with seven laps to go. On the restart, Jones held off a hard charging Reddick for the win. The victory came in his 134th NASCAR Xfinity Series start.

“This is incredible,” Jones said. “I knew this was going to happen – that we were going to come here and have an amazing run like we did today. It’s only because of those guys here. They have fought with me for a long time, and this feels way better because it has been tough to get to this point. Everyone that has been a part of my career to this point – Flow was on today, a new sponsor with us, we have had Menards in the past, iK9, Toyota, for all they do. I don’t think I could have done this without the manufacturer. I wish my parents were here. They have been through a bunch of wins with me. All-in-all, I cannot wait to celebrate with these guys.”

Finishing second was Reddick. After the race, Cole Custer who finished 11th approached Reddick on pit road to discuss on-track action. Custer put his hands on Reddick and immediately, a scuffle ignited between the two drivers and their teams.

“I understand Cole’s frustration 100%,” Reddick said. “We’re trying to lock ourselves into Homestead, and he came up to talk after the race, and as soon as he put a hand on me, I put a hand on him back. That’s just how it’s going to be if we’re going to have a conversation that way.”

Following the altercation, Custer said, “We went through (Turns) one and two there and Reddick couldn’t hold his car on the bottom and washed us up into the fence. I just wasn’t very happy with it and was just going to tell him that and he went berserk on me. I guess that is part of it. I just wasn’t very happy with it. He just said, ‘Don’t touch me,’ then he started grabbing on me.”

Despite being caught up in a lap 185 accident involving the lapped car of Garrett Smithley and fellow NASCAR Playoff contender, Bell, Briscoe finished in the third position.

“I know I got tagged in the left rear by Bell but at the same time it felt like the 0 car was going to put me in the fence regardless,” Briscoe said. “These last three races I feel like we have been the car to beat and all three slipped away due to stuff out of our control. It is encouraging that we finished third but we should be locked into Homestead and instead we are two points back.”

Rounding out the top-five were NASCAR Playoff contenders, Michael Annett and Justin Allgaier. Completing the top-10 was South Carolina’s Jeremy Clements, Justin Haley, John Hunter Nemechek, Ryan Sieg and Ross Chastain.

Throughout the afternoon, there were 12 lead changes among five leaders. Custer led a race high of 85 laps.

Bell led every lap to win Stage 1, while Custer took the victory in Stage 2.

There were also eight cautions for 41 laps.

Bell leads the Round of 8 standings, 11 points ahead of Custer. Reddick is third (-12), followed by Allgaier (-47), Briscoe (-49), Annett (-59), Noah Gragson (-64) and Austin Cindric (-77).

The second race of the Round of 8 will be held at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, November 2. Live coverage of the O-Reilly Auto Parts 300 will broadcast on NBCSN and the Performance Racing Network (PRN) at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

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