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DAYTONA BEACH — Truex wins at Daytona!
No, not that one.
Ryan Truex, younger brother of former Cup Series champ Martin Truex Jr., won Friday night’s eventful Wawa 250 Xfinity Series race at Daytona with the ultimate right-place/right-time moment.
He was leading after the first lap of a two-lap overtime, when a big wreck broke out behind him and brought out the yellow to essentially end the racing and usher Truex back to the checkers under yellow.
“Oh my gosh, man, it’s so exciting to race here,” said Truex, whose brother is famously (or infamously) 0-for-38 at Daytona in his Cup Series career, though he did also win here in the Xfinity Series.
For Ryan Truex, it’s the second win in just eight 2024 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing. He’s also won each of the past two years at Dover.
“I don’t get to race that often,” he said after climbing from his No. 20 Toyota. “I can’t believe this. I felt good this week coming in. I felt we’d have a shot. Every time we come here, I make a dumb mistake. I’m glad we were able to finish one out.”
The race was red-flagged after a seven-car crash on Lap 96 of 100. The cars were stopped, the track was cleaned, and after some caution laps, things restarted for a two-lap dash that lasted just more than one.
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Truex was leading through the white flag entering Turn 1, with AJ Allmendinger and Parker Kligerman running second and third. Kligerman made a move to the left to go under Allmendinger, who responded by sliding left to stay in front of Kligerman.
It didn’t work. Kligerman tagged Allmendinger and ignited a crash that collected several others and sent Allmendinger low and then up the track into the outside wall.
Allmendinger departed without talking to anyone, helmet still stuck tight on his head. Kligerman, meanwhile, gave his version of the incident.
“Love him like a brother,” he said of Allmendinger. “I just had a run and had to go, and it was a run I had to take. I don’t want to turn someone like that.
“I turned left and he tried to come with me. I want to win one of these things so damn bad. I’ve gotta win one of these damn races.”
When the dust cleared, Chandler Smith was credited with second place, followed by Kligerman, Riley Herbst and Ryan Sieg. The rest of the top 10: Jordan Anderson, Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, Leland Honeyman and Kyle Weatherman.
The Xfinity Series season continues next Saturday afternoon at Darlington. Four races remain in the circuit’s regular season, with the seven-race playoffs beginning Sept. 28 at Kansas.
The top 12 teams make the Xfinity playoffs, with that field dropped to eight after three playoff races, and four after three more races ahead of the championship weekend at Phoenix in November.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250 win for Ryan Truex at Daytona
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