| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 28 of 33 in the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season | |||
 Talladega Superspeedway | |||
| Date | October 3, 2020 | ||
| Location | Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.66 mi (4.28 km) | ||
| Distance | 113 laps, 300.58 mi (483.74 km) | ||
| Average speed | 140.458 mph | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Stewart-Haas Racing | ||
| Grid positions set by competition-based formula | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | |
| Laps | 73 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | |
The 2020 Sparks 300 was a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held on October 3, 2020. It was contested over 113 laps on the 2.66-mile (4.28 km) tri-oval superspeedway. It was the twenty-eighth race of the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the second race of the playoffs, and the second race in the Round of 12. Kaulig Racing driver Justin Haley collected his third win of the season.
Report
Background
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4 km) tri-oval.
The race was added to the schedule because of pandemic related cancellations, and spectators were restricted to campers in lots assigned by the speedway. No grandstands were open.
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Qualifying
Chase Briscoe was awarded the pole based on competition based formula.[3]
Qualifying results
Race
Race results
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 25
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 98 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 21 | Anthony Alfredo | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 18 | Riley Herbst (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 20 | Harrison Burton | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 8 | Daniel Hemric | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage Two Laps: 25
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 98 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 8 | Daniel Hemric | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 20 | Harrison Burton | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 68 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Final Stage Results
Laps: 63
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 54 | Running |
| 2 | 7 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 42 | Running |
| 3 | 2 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 113 | 35 | Running |
| 4 | 10 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 113 | 45 | Running |
| 5 | 5 | 8 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 42 | Running |
| 6 | 13 | 10 | Ross Chastain | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 31 | Running |
| 7 | 17 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 30 | Running |
| 8 | 26 | 07 | Garrett Smithley | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 29 | Running |
| 9 | 14 | 68 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | 113 | 30 | Running |
| 10 | 23 | 36 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 27 | Running |
| 11 | 32 | 13 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 113 | 26 | Running |
| 12 | 6 | 21 | Anthony Alfredo | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 31 | Running |
| 13 | 33 | 90 | Caesar Bacarella | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 24 | Running |
| 14 | 37 | 66 | Timmy Hill (i) | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 113 | 0 | Running |
| 15 | 21 | 44 | Tommy Joe Martins | Martins Motorsports | Chevrolet | 113 | 22 | Running |
| 16 | 34 | 47 | Joe Nemechek | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 0 | Running |
| 17 | 31 | 74 | Mike Harmon | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 20 | Running |
| 18 | 35 | 99 | Josh Bilicki | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 113 | 19 | Running |
| 19 | 1 | 98 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 113 | 38 | Running |
| 20 | 16 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 17 | Running |
| 21 | 27 | 5 | Matt Mills | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 113 | 16 | Running |
| 22 | 28 | 78 | Vinnie Miller | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 113 | 15 | Running |
| 23 | 11 | 20 | Harrison Burton (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 113 | 22 | Running |
| 24 | 36 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 112 | 13 | Accident |
| 25 | 20 | 4 | Jesse Little (R) | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 112 | 12 | Accident |
| 26 | 19 | 93 | Myatt Snider (R) | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 112 | 11 | Accident |
| 27 | 15 | 02 | Brett Moffitt (i) | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | Accident |
| 28 | 30 | 52 | Kody Vanderwal (R) | Means Motorsports | Chevrolet | 100 | 9 | Running |
| 29 | 4 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 95 | 15 | Engine |
| 30 | 29 | 6 | Ryan Vargas | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 92 | 7 | Suspension |
| 31 | 25 | 08 | Joe Graf Jr. | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 77 | 6 | Engine |
| 32 | 24 | 0 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 76 | 5 | Accident |
| 33 | 18 | 61 | Austin Hill (i) | Hattori Racing Enterprises | Toyota | 75 | 0 | Accident |
| 34 | 3 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 75 | 21 | Accident |
| 35 | 12 | 18 | Riley Herbst | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 48 | 7 | DVP |
| 36 | 22 | 15 | Colby Howard | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 45 | 1 | Accident |
| 37 | 9 | 1 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 113 | 1 | Running |
| Official race results | ||||||||
Race statistics
- Lead changes: 13 among 9 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 7 for 25
- Time of race: 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 24 seconds
- Average speed: 140.458 mph (226.045 km/h)
- Fastest lap speed: 195.900
- Fastest lap: 48.882
References
- ↑ "Entry List" (PDF). jayski.com. September 30, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ↑ "Race Results" (PDF). jayski.com. October 3, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ↑ "Chase Briscoe Earns Xfinity Pole at Talladega". Fronstrech. September 30, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2021.