With a last-lap maneuver, Aric Almirola conquered the GOVX 200 of the NASCAR Xfinity Series this Saturday at Phoenix Raceway after an intense duel with Alex Bowman. The difference of just .045 seconds at the finish line represents the second-closest margin in the history of this circuit.
The 40-year-old driver from Tampa completed an impressive comeback in the final laps to secure his eighth victory in the Xfinity category. Although he led 25 laps during the race, his decisive moment came in the final restart when he emerged from a four-car battle to then overtake Bowman with less than 200 feet to the checkered flag.
"I just knew I needed to get there first from there to here," Almirola commented next to his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota No. 19 at the finish line. "I knew I was going to have to push it a little bit, but I was trying to win the race. I feel like it was justified. I don't think I did anything overly aggressive. I just got on the gas, and it was a drag race to the finish line."
Bowman Frustrated After Final Contact
Local driver Alex Bowman, who competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series with Hendrick Motorsports' Chevrolet No. 48, showed his frustration with the outcome. After dominating much of the competition—starting from the pole, leading the first 70 laps and winning the first stage—he saw victory slip away in the final meters.
"I would have expected him to leave me a lane on the exit," expressed the Arizona native. "He just drove out as if I wasn't there. He had a better car than us, but I was just trying to take advantage of that restart and win the race. They pushed me against the fence and the car is wrecked. It's a shame, but congratulations to the HendrickCars.com team."
Allgaier Dominates but Goes Unrewarded
The current NASCAR Xfinity Series champion had reason to feel disappointed. His JR Motorsports Chevrolet No. 7 led 130 laps—more than any other driver—and was at the front for the final Over Time restart. However, although he got a good start, he was quickly overtaken in the four-car battle for the lead.
Incident Eliminates Contenders
A crucial moment occurred on lap 63 when Austin Hill, winner of the season-opening race at Daytona, crashed into the inside wall and bounced back onto the track, taking Sheldon Creed and Dean Thompson with him.
Final Results - GOVX 200 - Phoenix Raceway
| Position | Driver | Make | Laps | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aric Almirola | Toyota | 208 | Running |
| 2 | Alex Bowman | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 3 | Brandon Jones | Toyota | 208 | Running |
| 4 | Ryan Sieg | Ford | 208 | Running |
| 5 | Justin Allgaier | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 6 | Taylor Gray # | Toyota | 208 | Running |
| 7 | Sam Mayer | Ford | 208 | Running |
| 8 | Christian Eckes # | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 9 | Jesse Love | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 10 | Nick Sanchez # | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 11 | Parker Retzlaff | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 12 | Josh Williams | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 13 | William Sawalich # | Toyota | 208 | Running |
| 14 | Sammy Smith | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 15 | Jeb Burton | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 16 | Connor Zilisch # | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 17 | Brennan Poole | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 18 | Kyle Sieg | Ford | 208 | Running |
| 19 | Daniel Dye # | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 20 | Harrison Burton | Ford | 208 | Running |
| 21 | Jeremy Clements | Chevrolet | 208 | Running |
| 22 | Mason Massey | Chevrolet | 207 | Running |
| 23 | Josh Bilicki | Chevrolet | 206 | Running |
| 24 | Blaine Perkins | Chevrolet | 206 | Running |
| 25 | Kris Wright | Chevrolet | 206 | Running |
| 26 | Carson Kvapil # | Chevrolet | 206 | Running |
| 27 | Matt DiBenedetto | Chevrolet | 205 | Running |
| 28 | Joey Gase | Chevrolet | 205 | Running |
| 29 | Garrett Smithley | Chevrolet | 204 | Running |
| 30 | Nick Leitz | Chevrolet | 204 | Running |
| 31 | Greg Van Alst | Chevrolet | 201 | Running |
| 32 | Anthony Alfredo | Chevrolet | 193 | Running |
| 33 | Ryan Ellis | Chevrolet | 186 | Running |
| 34 | Thomas Annunziata | Chevrolet | 185 | Running |
| 35 | Dawson Cram | Chevrolet | 144 | Accident |
| 36 | Sheldon Creed | Ford | 64 | Accident |
| 37 | Austin Hill | Chevrolet | 61 | Accident |
| 38 | Dean Thompson # | Toyota | 61 | Accident |
Winner's average speed: 91.99 mph.
Race time: 2 hours, 15 minutes, 40 seconds.
Margin of victory: .045 seconds.
Caution flags: 6 for 46 laps.
Lead changes: 14 among 5 drivers.
Laps Led
- Justin Allgaier: 5 times, 130 laps
- Alex Bowman: 3 times, 50 laps
- Aric Almirola: 4 times, 25 laps
- Connor Zilisch: 2 times, 2 laps
- Carson Kvapil: 1 time, 1 lap
Stage Results
Stage 1 (Top 10): 17, 19, 7, 88, 00, 8, 48, 20, 2, 41
Stage 2 (Top 10): 7, 19, 17, 20, 8, 41, 2, 54, 1, 39
Championship (Top 5)
| Position | Driver | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesse Love | Leader |
| 2 | Justin Allgaier | -2 points |
| 3 | Brandon Jones | -X points |
| 4 | Austin Hill | -X points |
| 5 | Ryan Sieg | -X points |
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