Dale Earnhardt Jr’s #1 driver almost failed to make it to the next round of Xfinity playoffs. The Drive for the Cure 250 race could have just as easily been won by his JR Motorsports teammate, if not for the late restart crash caused by veteran racer Jeff Burton’s nephew.
Justin Allgaier’s coincidental pit stop all but guaranteed another victory for Dale Jr‘s #7 team. However, Bubba Wallace’s spotter was not entirely convinced about the suspicious turn of events.
Bubba Wallace’s spotter makes astounding allegations about NASCAR’s race interference
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NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr successfully translated his driving expertise to his NASCAR team, JR Motorsports. After winning three owner’s titles, Dale Jr is in contention for a fourth championship this season. With three drivers in the Round of 12, the elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway was particularly significant. A victory in Bristol meant straight qualification for Justin Allgaier, but Sam Mayer and Josh Berry still needed to confirm their seats for the next playoff round.
Although Berry’s third-place finish was not enough to secure his spot, Junior’s #1 driver Sam Mayer proved his mettle with a sensational victory that secured his seat in the Round of 8. However, a clever bout of strategy from the #7 team briefly turned the tables in Allgaier’s favor. Anticipating a late race caution, the #7 driver went for fresher tires with 12 laps to go. Fortunately for him, a caution for debris came out as soon as Allgaier came out of the pit road, giving him the opportunity to race near the front when most other drivers, including Mayer, went to the pit during the caution.
However, Bubba Wallace‘s spotter, Freddie Kraft, found the timing of Allgaier’s sudden pit, immediately followed by a caution, extremely questionable. In the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Kraft expressed his misgivings about the situation.
He wondered, “I don?t know if somebody from NASCAR called Justin and told him debris caution was coming, but he pit right before.” Kraft wasn’t entirely certain why Allgaier went to the pit road out of the blue, but he gathered the #7 team was hoping for a caution.
He continued, “And sure enough, as soon as he leaves pit road, put it out [signal for caution]! We got a f**king sign on the front, we got to throw a yellow now, apparently. I don?t know how long it was but nobody talked about it. It didn?t need to be caution, I don?t think. And it jumbled the race up. Almost cost Sam Mayer. Sam Mayer did a phenomenal job, marvelous, whatever terrific job you want to say. He had to race his way in and he was the best car all day. So it was good to see him win. But this caution almost cost him the chance at the win.”
Fortunately, Jeff Burton’s nephew, Jeb Burton, accidentally came to Mayer’s rescue.?
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Freddie Kraft details how Jeb Burton’s silly mistake ended up helping Sam Mayer
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As race leaders Sam Mayer and Cole Custer went into the pits, Jeb Burton’s #27 and Justin Allgaier’s #7 Chevrolet replaced them at the front. Allgaier had just come out with new tires, and Burton continued with old tires to retain his lead. According to Freddie Kraft, that became a recipe for disaster for the #7 team and a blessing in disguise for prior race leader Sam Mayer.
Kraft recalled, “I saw him [Jeb Burton] stay out, and I was like, I know what they are doing, but this is not going to work. If it was a green-white-checkered, you maybe take that chance, but I think it was still 10 to go, something like that. It?s not going to work.” Kraft’s experienced premonition came true when the #27 car overshot on Turn 1 and rammed into the #7, resulting in another caution.
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The Top 8 would now prepare for their next race in Las Vegas, leaving the racing community to ponder on Freddie Kraft’s staggering suspicions.
Read More: Dale Earnhardt Jr?s Departing Ace Fails To Progress As He Takes His Talent to the Cup Series in 2024