NASCAR Xfinity Series: Justin Allgaier wins 2018 Lilly Diabetes 250

Justin Allgaier earned his fifth victory of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season in the regular season’s penultimate race, the Lilly Diabetes 250.

The Lilly Diabetes 250, the penultimate race of the 26-race 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season, was scheduled to take place on Saturday. But rain caused the race to be postponed until this morning.

JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier earned his fifth victory of the season in the delayed 100-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Speedway, Indiana in his #7 Chevrolet after starting in second place.

Allgaier won the race by 0.092 seconds over teammate Tyler Reddick in second place in his #9 Chevrolet. This victory is his third victory in the last five races, and it is his 13th consecutive top nine finish.

Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, who started the race from the pole position, was the highest finishing Ford driver of the race. He finished in third place in his #22 Ford. GMS Racing’s Chase Elliott and Richard Childress Racing teammates Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft rounded out the top six in fourth, fifth and sixth in their #23 Chevrolet, #21 Chevrolet and #2 Chevrolet, respectively.

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Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell was the highest finishing Toyota driver of the race. He finished in seventh place in his #20 Toyota. Kaulig Racing’s Austin Dillon, Roush Fenway Racing’s Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones rounded out the top 10 in seventh, eighth and ninth place in their #10 Chevrolet, #60 Ford and #19 Toyota, respectively.

The race featured a total of 14 lead changes among nine drivers. Aside of Allgaier, who led more laps than anybody else in the field with 41 laps led, eight other drivers led at least one lap of the race. Those drivers were Reddick, Elliott, Hemric, Tifft, Dillon, John Hunter Nemechek, J.J. Yeley and Ty Dillon.

Nemechek won stage one and Hemric won stage two. Nemechek’s stage one victory came via an impressive four-wide finish involving himself, Custer, Allgaier and Ryan Preece in first, second, third and fourth place, respectively.

The race also featured a total of seven caution flag periods for 31 laps. Of those seven caution flag periods, four took place as a result of on-track incidents. There was one competition caution flag period during stage one in addition to the regular two caution flag periods that took place as a result of the endings of stage one and two.

Of the 40 drivers who started the race, 24 finished it. Of the 24 drivers who finished it, 16 finished it on the lead lap.

Here are the full race results of the 2018 Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Be sure to tune in to the 26th and final race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season next Saturday, September 15 before the seven-race playoffs begin. This race is the DC Solar 300, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network from Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET.