Noah Gragson parlayed his fourth random draw pole position of the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season into a Stage 1 win in Thursday’s Shady Rays 200 at Kentucky Speedway.
Gragson led every lap in the Stage, but had some fierce competition from Austin Cindric for the majority of the Stage.
Harrison Burton suck past Cindric in the final laps of the Stage for the runner-up spot as Cindric was having a big battle with Ross Chastain.
Cindric finished third in Stage 1 and he was followed closely by Chastain in fourth and Anthony Alfredo in fifth.
Alfredo had a worrisome moment on pit road before the race began, as the entire steering column on his No. 21 Richard Childress Racing machine popped out of place. However, the crew was able to get it repaired in time for Alfredo to make the start of the race.
Michael Annett, Justin Haley, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Sieg and Brett Moffitt rounded out the top-10 in Stage 1.
Stage and Playoff Points Awarded in Stage 1:
| Finish | Driver | Stage Points | Playoff Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah Gragson | 10 | 1 |
| 2 | Harrison Burton | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | Austin Cindric | 8 | 0 |
| 4 | Ross Chastain | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | Anthony Alfredo | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Michael Annett | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | Justin Haley | 4 | 0 |
| 8 | Justin Allgaier | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | Ryan Sieg | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Brett Moffitt* | 0 | 0 |
*indicates driver who is ineligible for series points.
