Kyle Busch was supposed to start from the pole and win Stage 1 of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series LS Tractor 200 at Phoenix Raceway, apparently nobody told the Xfinity Series regulars Austin Cindric and Justin Allgaier.
Busch didn’t lead the opening lap of the race, as Cindric worked around the No. 54 car from the high lane. Cindric would skillfully hold off Busch for the opening nine laps of the race. But finally, after several laps of applying pressure, Busch would get by on lap 10.
Cindric would stay close to Busch throughout Stage 1, but with 16 laps to go, Ross Chastain applied a slight nudge to take the runner-up spot.
However, a late Stage caution re-racked the field.
This gave Justin Allgaier a shot at the Stage win. Allgaier pressured Busch and with six laps to go, Allgaier took the lead. Busch subsequently slipped high and began to fade.
Allgaier took the Stage 1 win, while Chase Briscoe and Chastain finished second and third.
Busch would hold on for fourth, while Cindric would end the Stage in fifth.
Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Brad Keselowski, Harrison Burton and Brandon Jones rounded out the top-10 and also scored Stage points.
