Almirola wins Bristol Xfinity playoff opener on bold strategy

Almirola Triumphs at Bristol, Xfinity Series Playoff Opener

Bristol, TN – Aric Almirola capped a strategic race with a narrow victory in the Food City 300, the opening round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs, at Bristol Motor Speedway. This marks Almirola’s second win of the season and the ninth of his career.

During a critical caution with 36 laps to go, Almirola, running second, opted to stay out on older tires instead of pitting like series leader Connor Zilisch. This gamble paid off as he managed to fend off challengers, including several on fresher tires, to secure the win by a margin of 0.381 seconds over Sheldon Creed, who recorded his series-leading 15th runner-up finish.

“I figured I’d try my chances with the lead… my best chance was to stay out on old tires,” Almirola explained post-race.

Almirola’s victory strategy was supported by insights from previous races, where tire management proved key. “We watched the last two or three races here and saw how the nine-car with Noah Gragson won with like 100 laps on his tires,” he added.

Creed, who crossed the line second, had passed teammate Sam Mayer in the final lap but couldn’t catch Almirola. Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch, both JR Motorsports drivers, finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Zilisch maintains a strong playoff position with a series-best nine victories this season, despite his fifth-place result marking a record 15 consecutive top-five finishes.

Zilisch commented, “We had a really good day… we’ll move on to next week and keep on building,” highlighting his strategic management amidst stiff competition.

The top ten was rounded out by Harrison Burton, Christian Eckes, Jeremy Clements, and Brennan Poole, with three rookies making the cut. Almirola’s win keeps the playoff race intense, as ten of the 12 playoff contenders finished 14th or higher.

However, not all playoff hopefuls exited unscathed. Sammy Smith’s early engine failure left him ranked 12th in the standings, 24 points below the cutoff line, after being forced to retire just 55 laps in. He expressed disappointment for his team, stating he would need to perform exceptionally in the next two rounds.

The series continues with its next playoff race on September 27 at Kansas Speedway, where Almirola is the defending champion.