Chase Briscoe collected his series-high ninth win of the season Saturday night at Kansas Speedway and earned a spot in next month’s championship race at Phoenix.
Briscoe dominated, leading 159 of the 200 laps.
Daniel Hemric placed second after his left front tire went down and he hit the wall early and lost two laps. Ryan Sieg finished third and was followed by Justin Haley and Austin Hill, who placed third in the Truck race earlier in the day there.
The race soured early for playoff drivers Austin Cindric and Noah Gragson. On a Lap 15 restart, Cindric and Gragson made contact. As Cindric went under Ross Chastain to take the lead, Cindric and Gragson hit and bounced off each other.
“I was so close down the backstretch when Noah and Austin and them guys crashed,” Briscoe said. “Honestly Austin, I don’t know how he kept it going straight. He was wrecked in front of me three or four times.”
Gragson’s team could not complete repairs in time before the damaged vehicle policy clock expired. He finished last in the 36-car field. Cindric remained in the race after quick repairs. He later returned for extended repairs behind pit wall and lost more than 15 laps. Cindric placed 28th, finishing 27 laps behind Briscoe.
Cindric entered the race second in the points and leaves holding the fourth and final transfer spot to the championship race. He has a two-point lead on Justin Haley. Chastain trails Cindric by 12 points. Sieg trails Cindric by 17 points. Gragson trails Cindric by 33 points.
Anthony Alfredo walked away from an incident that saw his car get upside down and slide on its roof after a late restart. He was evaluated and released from the infield care center.
“That was the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced,” Alfredo told NBCSN’s Marty Snider. “That shows you how fast things happen in racing.”
STAGE 1 WINNER: Chase Briscoe
STAGE 2 WINNER: Chase Briscoe
WHO HAD A GOOD RACE: Daniel Hemric rallied from an early incident that put him two laps down to finish second. It is his fourth consecutive top-five finish. Hemric next is in the No. 8 car for JR Motorsports in the season finale at Phoenix. … Ryan Sieg’s third-place finish is his fourth consecutive top-10 finish at Kansas. … Brett Moffitt, who won the Truck race earlier in the day, finished seventh in the Xfinity race.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Noah Gragson was eliminated in a crash on an early restart and finished last in the 36-car field. That snapped his career-long seven-race streak of top-10 finishes. … Austin Cindric’s car was damaged in the incident with Gragson. After meeting minimum speed, Cindric’s car went behind the wall for repairs. Cindric finished second in the July race. Cindric placed 28th Saturday.
NOTABLE: Chase Briscoe’s ninth Xfinity win of the season is the most by a Ford driver in any year.
NEXT: The series races Oct. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway (4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).
