With the win at Las Vegas, AJ Allmendinger is now leading the top 8 in the Xfinity Series. The victory at Vegas not only put him at the top of the standings but also secured him a spot in the top 4. Now that AJ Allmendinger is in the finals, the next two races will decide who will he be racing against. Among the drivers who have some Xfinity Series experience, Jesse Love is in his debut full-time season and despite that, he has made it into the playoffs.

Jesse Love secured his playoff spot by winning at Talladega and after clearing the top 12, he is down into the top 8. He is just one win away from being in the finals and to make that happen, he has a plan. Although Love is in the top 8, he sits at the risk of being eliminated as he is 6th under the cutoff. Currently 13 points behind, Love would need 2 strong races or a victory to make it into the finals. Chase Elliott was one of the drivers to win the Xfinity Series title in his debut season, So what is Jesse Love’s strategy to make it into the finals? Let’s take a look.

Jesse Love wants to make it to the finals in his debut

There’s no doubt that being in the playoffs during a debut run in NASCAR is quite rare; however, Jesse Love proved that he not only made it into the playoffs but survived the first round too. So far, Love has won just 1 race in the season, but it’s his consistent top-10 finishes that have him in the top 8. Now with just 3 races left for the season to end, Love was asked about his plans for the next 2 rounds in the post-race interview.

Frontstretch’s Dalton Hopkins spoke to Love after his performance as he asked the Richard Childress Racing driver, “You talk about the next two rounds. How confident do you feel going into, uh, Homestead and then Martinsville?” Love was quick to respond, saying, “Um, yeah, I feel good. I’ve never been to Homestead, but I’m going to have to give it my all, rip the fence, go to Homestead, knock everybody out of the way, and then get knocked out of the way.”

Although Love will be participating in a race where he is not very confident, he is up for the challenge. Love added, “Then knock your rails out of the way, get knocked out of the way, and be part of the ping pong. So, it’ll be fine. But, um, hopefully, we can go win at Homestead or do the best job we can, maximize our potential, and keep on digging so we can be like AJ over there.” With this, Love made it clear that he wants to win a race to advance into the next round like AJ Allmendinger did.

Hopkins continued to interview Love as he spoke about the driver’s redemption from starting at the back after a mid-race stack-up. However, Love did not lose heart and proved that his team had given him a good car by climbing up the ranks and finishing P6 at the race. Hopkins asked Love, “Does it give you any confidence knowing that after everything, you still finished P6?” As simple as the answer could be, Love credited his team and replied, “Um, yeah. I mean, I think this is kind of what we’re capable of doing, so it doesn’t surprise me, but I’m still proud of our guys.”

How did AJ Allmendinger win the Las Vegas Xfinity race?

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AJ Allmendinger punched his ticket to the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship race with a victory at the Ambetter Health 302 in Las Vegas. The 42-year-old Californian held off a charging Ryan Sieg by just 0.156 seconds, leading 102 of the 201 laps in his Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. After a wild final restart with two laps to go, Allmendinger came out on top, claiming his first win of the season and his 18th career victory, all while celebrating his team owner Matt Kaulig’s birthday.

The race wasn’t without drama as Sieg put up a fierce fight, even passing Allmendinger with nine laps to go before being overtaken again. While Sieg’s runner-up finish marked the fifth of his career, he was left frustrated, still chasing that elusive first win after 364 Xfinity starts. Allmendinger’s fellow playoff competitors, Justin Allgaier and Chandler Smith followed closely behind, finishing third and fourth respectively, with Allgaier now leading the points standings.

As the series moves to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the next round, playoff hopes are still alive for several drivers. However, tensions are high for those hovering around the elimination line. Meanwhile, Allmendinger’s victory guarantees him a shot at the championship in Phoenix, and the veteran driver is fired up, determined to bring home the trophy. With that said, do you think that AJ Allmendinger will be able to secure his first title in the Xfinity Series this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below.