Almirola edges Bowman in thrilling last-lap Phoenix Xfinity battle
Aric Almirola executed a thrilling last-lap pass in overtime to win the GOVX 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway, edging out Alex Bowman by just 0.045 seconds - the second-closest finish in track history.
Race cars on curved racing track
The 40-year-old Tampa native, driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, emerged victorious from a four-wide battle on the final restart, making contact with Bowman's No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the final two turns before crossing the finish line.
Key Race Highlights:
- Almirola led 25 laps total
- Bowman started on pole and led the first 70 laps
- Justin Allgaier led a race-best 130 laps but lost the lead in overtime
- The dramatic finish came after a late-race caution forced overtime
Top 5 Finishers:
- Aric Almirola
- Alex Bowman
- Brandon Jones
- Ryan Sieg
- Justin Allgaier
A significant incident occurred on lap 63 when Austin Hill hit the inside wall and collected Sheldon Creed and Dean Thompson, impacting the championship standings. Jesse Love now leads the points standings by two points over Allgaier.
Racing officials discussing during event
The NASCAR Xfinity Series continues next Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the LiUNA! race, airing at 4:30 p.m. ET on CW.
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