Custer secures NASCAR Xfinity playoff

Cole Custer, reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, won at Pocono Raceway and secured his spot in the playoffs after a close battle with Justin Allgaier.

Custer, who led the points standings before the race, earned his first victory of the season by crossing the finish line 0.670 seconds ahead of Allgaier. This triumph also marks the first win of the season for Ford Performance in the series.

Custer had led at the start of the race but was overtaken by Allgaier when he decided to skip a pit stop to save fuel. With newer tires, Custer passed Allgaier with nine laps to go, although they exchanged the lead in the final restart.

"You try to manage it the best you can, but it depends on who gets the best push on the restart. It was all thanks to Doug Yates' horsepower. We made a lot of passes on the straightaways today," said Custer, who now has 14 career wins.

Race Development:

Justin Allgaier stayed in front for much of the race, outperforming Custer by winning the first stage and extending his fuel in the third. However, pit strategies and multiple restarts worked in Custer's favor, as he benefited from having fresher tires to overtake Allgaier in crucial moments.

William Byron, despite a flat tire, finished third. Sheldon Creed and Taylor Gray completed the top five, with Allmendinger, Hill, Kligerman, Sammy Smith, and Mayer in the top ten.

Custer led the second stage, maintaining a lead over his competitors. On a restart on lap 26, Byron hit the wall, causing a yellow flag for debris on the track. During the third stage, most lead lap cars opted to pit, with Hill coming out first. Byron stayed on track and inherited the lead when the race resumed with 44 laps remaining.

An incident on the restart caused a four-car crash, leading to another restart with 40 laps to go. Creed was the first to pit under green for fresh tires and fuel. Allgaier took the lead on lap 67 by stretching his fuel, but a yellow flag on lap 70 helped his cause.

Custer passed Allgaier with nine laps remaining and held the position until the end. Shane van Gisbergen crashed after contact with Mayer, causing the eighth yellow flag of the race and a restart with four laps to go. Custer won the final duel and secured his victory.