Xfinity Breakdown: Fresh Tires Boost Kyle Busch to Surprise Henry 180 Victory at Road America
July 3, 2021
Tires were the topic of conversation for much of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America. Some teams planned to save enough fuel to go the entire distance of the Henry 180 on two stops to save a fresh set of tires for a late-race caution. Others wanted to pit to keep the freshest rubber underneath them at all times.
In the end, AJ Allmendinger abused his front tires as he charged through the field. Under caution for the conclusion of stage two, the No. 16 Kaulig Racing team was penalized for men over the wall too soon. Allmendinger then methodically worked his way back to the front. The race restarted for the final time with six laps remaining on lap 40, and Allmendinger took the lead from Noah Gragson in turn 9. Both were on older tires compared to third-place Kyle Busch.