Winners: Kyle Larson (Cup); Ty Gibbs (Xfinity); Austin Hill (Trucks); Corey Heim (ARCA West) plus Marcus Ericsson (IndyCar)
NASCAR Cup Series
Kyle Larson Holds Off Chase Elliott For Fifth Win
Kyle Larson had to navigate lapped traffic in the closing laps and hold off his hard-charging Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott – the track’s most prolific winner of late – to earn the victory in Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen.
His 2.430-second victory over Elliott was good enough to move him into a tie with Denny Hamlin for the regular-season championship with only three races remaining before the playoffs.
It marked the eighth Hendrick Motorsports victory in the last 11 races and the fourth time Larson and Elliott have finished 1-2 – the third time at a road-course event.
Larson led the final 27 laps of the 90-lap event, taking the lead for good from Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr., who had paced the field for a race-best 34 laps. Elliott got around Truex with nine laps remaining to claim second place.
“Chase was already catching me pretty quick, even with me being in open track so when I caught those, I think four (lapped) cars and got into the 38 (Anthony Alfredo) right here, I thought I would look at my mirror and the 9 (Elliott) would be right on me, but thankfully had a comfortable enough gap to where I could make a mistake like that,” said Larson, who apologized to Bell during his post-race interview. The two made contact racing door-to-door for second place late in the race.
“Incredible race today, hats off to Hendrick Motorsports,” Larson added. “It’s awesome. It really just shows how good the organization is, all the people that they’ve assembled at the race shop, all the men and women. All four of us (Hendrick drivers) could not be getting these wins like we have been without them. Thanks to them and thanks to everybody else I get to race for.”
#HendrickNation, how did you celebrate @KyleLarsonRacin's victorious day @WGI? 🎉 pic.twitter.com/0TB1oEt9ma
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) August 9, 2021
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Ty Gibbs Wards Off AJ Allmendinger
Ty Gibbs beat one of the track’s all-time bests, AJ Allmendinger, by .938 seconds to take the victory, passing him with two laps remaining to seal his fate and raise his third trophy of the year.
Gibbs was all smiles and few words after climbing out of his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The fans gave him a huge ovation. He is the youngest driver in Watkins Glen’s storied history to win an Xfinity Series race.
“Probably the most fun racing with AJ (Allmendinger), the 7 (Justin Allgaier), and the 22 (Austin Cindric); those guys are very experienced veterans in this racing series and being able to race and beat them means a lot,” Gibbs said. “I learned a lot, too.”
“Ty did a great job, he was clean, made a great move on me and I couldn’t really do anything to defend it,” Allmendinger said, noting that although he initially took the lead on the race’s final restart with four laps remaining, he knew he would have to deal with Gibbs for the win.
“It’s really mind blowing.” 🤯 @TyGibbs_ is only 18-years-old, won his third race this season AND isn’t even a full time driver.
— Andrew Kurland (@AndrewKurlandTV) August 8, 2021
That’s crazy. 👇pic.twitter.com/yLOMZwjErP
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Austin Hill Wins Shortened Trucks Regular-Season Finale
Race leader Austin Hill was declared the winner of Saturday’s United Rentals 176 at the famed Watkins Glen International road course after lightning in the immediate area forced the field to stop on pit road 11 laps from the scheduled race finish.
Hill had taken a 1.023-second lead over John Hunter Nemechek before the trucks headed to pit road where they waited under red-flag conditions for nearly an hour before the race was officially called.
“It was nerve-wracking that’s for sure, I didn’t know if we were going to go back to green or not,” said Hill, 27, of Winston, Georgia. “It feels so good to win on a road course.
“I was really biting my nails a little bit when that rain came, I didn’t know what was going to happen with the lightning and all that. But they gave me a really great piece today and we were able to go out there and get it done. It’s really special to get a win at Watkins Glen.”
It’s been a long time coming.. All the way back to the legend car days since I won at a road course last. Finally put the @UnitedRentals @ToyotaRacing tundra in victory lane at a RC! My guys are badasses. Even sweater to get it done with it being the #UnitedRentals176 #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/Wb7nI1IR8b
— Austin Hill (@_AustinHill) August 8, 2021
ARCA Menard Series
Corey Heim Wins Clean Harbors 100 at The Glen
Corey Heim won his fifth ARCA Menards Series race of the year and sixth overall dating back to last season and closed the gap to points leader Ty Gibbs in the championship standings. Just two points separate the series’ top title contenders after 13 races.
“Everything we possibly could bring to the racetrack, we brought today,” said Heim, who led the final 18 of 41 laps on the 2.45-mile road course. “This Venturini Motorsports team has battled back from a lot this year. I’m really proud of them; this Craftsman Camry was rolling really good today.”
Here are the @reeses Sweet Move of the Race nominees from @wgi 👀 pic.twitter.com/GVtSPdXoHB
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 7, 2021
IndyCar
Marcus Ericsson Overcomes Accident for the #Win
IndyCar drivers took to Downtown Nashville racing 80 laps through 2.17 miles at first ever Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, and according to fans, it didn't disappoint.
Throughout the three-day weekend, around 100,000 fans watched IndyCar and stadium truck racing, along with live entertainment, food, and other festivities.
Race Winner Marcus Ericsson, a 30-year-old Swedish driver, overcame trouble early in the race, which was filled with crashes and yellow flags. Ericsson ran into the back of Sebastien Bourdais' car on the fifth lap and became airborne.
Ericsson's Honda was was damaged in the crash and remained damaged, yet he managed to lead the most laps at 36 in the 80-lap race.
The sweet sounds of victory in the Music City.@Ericsson_Marcus wins the inaugural @MusicCityGP.#INDYCAR // #MusicCityGP pic.twitter.com/PSd7rp3zbf
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) August 9, 2021
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