The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway was dominated by two race shops. It was clear from the beginning that the winner of the Cook Out 250 would either come from Jr. Motorsports or Joe Gibbs Racing.
Both camps have four cars in their Xfinity Series programs, and all eight cars finished in the top-10. Though they weren’t the only teams who will be satisfied by their performances at Martinsville. Here’s how Sunday went down for the Xfinity Series’ top teams.
Jr. Motorsports
- First – Josh Berry
- Second – Noah Gragson
- Ninth – Justin Allgaier
- 10th – Michael Annett
Josh Berry’s first career Xfinity Series win was the icing on the cake for what was an amazing day for Jr. Motorsports. Berry put his Martinsville experience to good use against an Xfinity Series field that had only raced at the paperclip once before this weekend. Noah Gragson held off rival Daniel Hemric to finish in second. Justin Allgaier and Michael Annett had quiet days but still finished in the top-10.
Joe Gibbs Racing
- Third – Daniel Hemric
- Fourth – Ty Gibbs
- Fifth – Brandon Jones
- Seventh – Harrison Burton
Jr. Motorsports bookended the top-10, but Joe Gibbs Racing dominated the middle. Daniel Hemric appeared to have the fastest car during the final stage as he fought his way up to third after restarting near the midfield on Lap 211. But he was unable to overtake Gragson during the final laps. Ty Gibbs continues to impress. He led 28 laps, all in the last stage, and he remained in the top-five after losing the lead. Brandon Jones returned to form after two bad races at Atlanta and Phoenix. Harrison Burton is still JGR’s second-most consistent driver.
Kaulig Racing
- Eighth – Justin Haley
- 11th – Jeb Burton
- 13th – AJ Allmendinger
Another solid day for Matthew Kaulig’s team. They didn’t quite have enough to hang with the JRM and JGR teams, but Justin Haley earned another top-10, his fifth of the season. Jeb Burton is quietly one of the most consistent driver in the Xfinity Series this year. He didn’t earn a top-10, but he finished 11th for his sixth top-15 of the season. AJ Allmendinger’s streak of three-consecutive top-5s ended at Martinsville, but he finished 13th.
Team Penske
- Sixth – Austin Cindric
Team Penske brought a fast race car to Martinsville. Although Austin Cindric never led a lap in it, he kept it clean and in the top-10 all day. Cindric remains the points leader and is one of only two drivers with six top-10 finishes this year, the other is Hemric.
TOP IMAGE: James Gilbert/Getty Images
