Another heartbreak for Justin Allgaier as Chase Elliott wins Xfinity Series race

With 24 laps to go in Saturday's BetMGM 300 at Charlotte, Allgaier was battling for the race lead with Ty Gibbs. As the field roared down the front stretch, Allgaier attempted to block Gibbs, cutting across the nose of Gibbs' No. 20 car and sending Allgaier into the outside retaining wall. 

All Allgaier could do was drive his wrecked Camaro to the garage area as his team, including car owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., watched on in shock. 

While Gibbs started on the pole, Allgaier won Stage 1 and 2, leading 38 of the first 90 laps. Like Corey Heim in Friday's truck race, Allgaier and his dominant race car were relegated to the back of the pack due to a pit road speeding penalty. If Allgaier were going to win, he would have to mount a charge from the rear of the field. 

As it turns out, Allgaier did just that, cracking back into the top 10, and then the top five, and finally the lead on lap 170 after a lightning-quick pit stop. However, the crash occurred on the ensuing restart, ending Allgaier's chances at a victory on Memorial Day Weekend. 

2014 Xfinity Series champion and 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott was there to pick up the pieces of Allgaier's day, holding off a hard-charging Brandon Jones to score his first Xfinity Series victory since 2016, when he was just a rookie in the NASCAR Cup Series. Unlike most of the frontrunners, Elliott had a set of four sticker tires remaining with 30 laps to go, and along with Sammy Smith and Shane van Gisbergen, he let his fresh tires do the talking for him.

Despite a hungry Brandon Jones chasing after him in the closing laps, Elliott maintained the gap to pick up the win. 

With Jones finishing second, Smith finishing third, and Sam Mayer finishing fourth, Allgaier was the only JR Motorsports car to finish outside the top four despite leading by 40 laps.

Sometimes, auto racing is a cruel mistress.