AJ Allmendinger chose the perfect moment to capture his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of 2024, winning Saturday’s Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and securing his place in the Championship 4 finale. The veteran driver’s dramatic victory, his 18th career win in the series, came in a thrilling battle that went down to the final lap.

Allmendinger, who led a commanding 102 of the 201 laps, had to fend off a determined Ryan Sieg in the closing stages, ultimately prevailing by a mere 0.156 seconds. The win was especially meaningful as it came on team owner Matt Kaulig’s birthday, adding an extra layer of celebration to the victory.

“I absolutely love these guys and girls at Kaulig Racing,” an ecstatic Allmendinger declared after the race. “It’s been such up-and-down but what I love about them is we stick together, we keep fighting.”

The race featured intense competition, particularly in its final moments, with Sieg briefly taking the lead with nine laps remaining, only to have Allmendinger reclaim it one lap later. For Sieg, the second-place finish marked his fifth career runner-up showing and second in the last three races, continuing his quest for an elusive first victory in 364 Xfinity Series starts.

“We had the best car on the longer run and I needed a long run and we were getting there,” Sieg reflected after the race. “Just sucks to finish second again with a great car. One of these days it’s going to go our way.”

Playoff drivers Justin Allgaier and Chandler Smith finished third and fourth respectively, with Parker Kligerman rounding out the top five. Allgaier’s strong performance, which included winning Stage 2 and leading 42 laps, helped him maintain the series points lead, sitting 32 points above the cut line.

The victory holds special significance for Allmendinger, who will move to the NASCAR Cup Series next year. With this win, he secures his spot in the Championship 4 at Phoenix, where he’ll compete for the title in what could be his final Xfinity Series season.

As the series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway next week, the championship picture continues to take shape. Behind points leader Allgaier, Cole Custer sits 16 points above the cut line, with Chandler Smith holding the fourth position, eight points above the elimination line. Austin Hill (-8), Jesse Love (-13), Sam Mayer (-23), and Sammy Smith (-53) will need strong performances in the remaining races to advance.

The dramatic Vegas finish sets up an exciting conclusion to the 2024 Xfinity Series season, with Allmendinger now locked into the championship finale and seven drivers battling for the remaining three spots over the next two races.

Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images