LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Aric Almirola in the #19 car took the victory in Saturday’s Xfinity Series playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
It was the first of three races in the round of eight, giving Almirola a crucial victory as the playoffs wind down.
Almirola led a race-high 10 laps, passing Connor Zilisch with 10 laps to go to secure his first-ever victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The race featured multiple lead changes and position battles. Almirola swept the first two stages and held off Zilisch in the final laps, despite contact between the two as they raced side by side through turns 1 and 2.
“I’m having so much fun, this is the time of my life,” Almirola said post-race. “Our car was really good, but the longer I ran, the tighter I got. On the final restart, I took off incredibly tight, but was able to pass the 48 and chase down the 88, who looked pretty loose, which I was able to capitalize on.”
Zilisch finished as the runner-up.
“I gave it my all. I drove as hard as I could, but, yeah, I guess that’s all we had today,” Zilisch said.
Justin Allgaier rounded out the top three, earning valuable points that strengthen his position ahead of the playoff cutline.
Tickets for Sunday’s South Point 400 NASCAR Cup Series race are available at LVMS.com or by calling (800) 644-4444. Fans can also renew their tickets or campsites for 2026 while on-site to receive a free gift or online.
As for the Xfinity Series, it heads to Alabama’s iconic Talladega Speedway next week for the race in the playoffs, The United Rentals 250.
You can catch that race on The CW on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
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