Las Vegas win is exactly what A.J. Allmendinger needed after difficult season

Despite a consistent 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign, A.J. Allmendinger was missing the same championship-caliber speed he had in 2021 and 2022 when he won 10 races and made the Xfinity Series championship race for the first time. 

Allmendinger had 15 top-10 finishes in 29 races going into Saturday's Round of 8 playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and was searching for his first Xfinity Series win since Nashville in June of 2023. 

In just three hours, Allmendinger's 2024 season went from a consistent to a season that could potentially end with a championship. 

Allmendinger led 102 of the race's 201 laps en route to his first victory of the season. The win not only breaks a long winless streak for Allmendinger but also guarantees him a berth in the Xfinity Series championship race at Phoenix on Nov. 9. With a Final Four spot locked up, the No. 16 team now has two additional weeks to build their championship vehicle. 

While the win is important for Allmendinger's title chances this season, it also gives the veteran driver some much-needed momentum going into the 2025 season. Allmendinger is set to move back up to the NASCAR Cup Series for Kaulig Racing in 2025, and following a mostly lackluster Cup Series season in 2023, he needed a shot in the arm before returning to the grind of Cup Series competition. 

The win also gives Kaulig Racing something to cheer about, which has been a rarity in the playoffs. Josh Williams failed to qualify for the postseason, while Shane van Gisbergen — who had engine issues on Saturday evening — was eliminated in the Round of 12. Things haven't gone much better for Kaulig in the Cup Series, where the team is winless on the year and missed the playoffs with Daniel Hemric. 

For a team built on community and togetherness, Allmendinger's victory provides a much-needed spark