Almirola Claims Victory in Competitive Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV – In a thrilling finish at the Focused Health 302 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff race, Aric Almirola outmaneuvered young stars Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love to secure a hard-fought victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday.
Almirola, driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, dominated much of the race, leading for a race-high 107 laps. He seized the lead from championship frontrunner Zilisch with just nine laps remaining, ultimately finishing 0.696 seconds ahead, marking his third victory of the 2025 season and the tenth of his career.
“This is such an awesome opportunity to race for an owner’s championship with J.D. Gibbs’ name on the car,” said Almirola. He noted his car’s performance, mentioning challenges with tightness in Stage 3, but praised his ability to capitalize on Zilisch’s struggles late in the race.
Zilisch’s runner-up finish extends his remarkable streak to 18 consecutive top-five finishes, reinforcing his position as the series leader. Despite his success, Zilisch expressed disappointment about not clinching a spot in the Phoenix finale. “I gave it my all…but I just have to do a better job,” he remarked.
Finishing in third place was Zilisch’s JR Motorsports teammate, Justin Allgaier, while Corey Day from Hendrick Motorsports and Nick Sanchez from Big Machine Racing rounded out the top five.
Jesse Love, who led for a total of 22 laps, finished sixth after a late-race scuffle with Sanchez. “I had words with him… I’m extremely frustrated,” Love stated, reflecting on his mixed performance.
As the playoff standings tighten, Zilisch maintains an 82-point advantage over the cutoff line. Allgaier is second, 44 points above, and Love has moved to third, while Sam Mayer is fourth, just eight points ahead.
The Xfinity Series will continue its playoff campaign next week at Talladega Superspeedway for the United Rentals 250. Sammy Smith is the defending race winner as the series prepares for another round of intense competition.
Results Summary:
- Aric Almirola
- Connor Zilisch
- Justin Allgaier
- Corey Day
- Nick Sanchez
- Jesse Love
- Ryan Sieg
- Taylor Gray
- Sam Mayer
- Austin Hill
Upcoming Event: United Rentals 250, Talladega Superspeedway, Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.
