Sammy Smith falls short of Martinsville win, Championship Four berth

Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith. Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Sammy Smith comes up one spot shy of Martinsville win, Championship Four berth

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Nov 2, 2024 9:49 PM ET

After a largely disappointing 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Sammy Smith found himself with an opportunity to race himself into the Championship Four on Saturday afternoon.

Smith made his way up to second place after the final restart of Saturday's National Debt Relief 250 but was unable to chase down leader Aric Almirola. The loss eliminates Smith and the No. 8 team from the Xfinity Series playoffs, leaving Justin Allgaier as the lone JR Motorsports car that will compete for the Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix on Nov. 9.

"I was starting to catch him for a second, thought I might have a chance," Smith told Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass. " We just kept getting freer and freer and he (Almirola) just kept getting better."

Sammy Smith comes up one spot short in a must-win situation. His thoughts on his night: pic.twitter.com/VFdEGClAqK
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) November 2, 2024

"(We were) very close. A lot to be proud of. It's been a frustrating season. To come in here and have to win is not ideal, but we were able to do that as a team and show up. We just need to continue to be better and try to go win next week at Phoenix."

"I definitely would've tried to move (Almirola)," Smith said when asked about how aggressive he would've been had he gotten to Almirola's back bumper. "I'm not going to full-throttle it and wreck him. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for Aric. He was the best car today. It's tough to say. In the moment I might've, but I was way too far back to make a move. "

Smith got the first win of his Xfinity Series career at Phoenix in March of 2023 and will be looking for another victory in the desert to give the No. 8 team momentum going into 2025.

Smith, Jesse Love, Sam Mayer and Chandler Smith were the four drivers eliminated from championship contention on Saturday. Austin Hill, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier and Cole Custer will compete for the Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix on Nov. 9.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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