Saturday’s Xfinity Series race wasn’t filled with battles nor presented a fantastic product; instead, it was the Kyle Larson show. Bristol is expected to have a few battles throughout the field and maybe a bit of chaos due to the inexperience of the young drivers on such a difficult track, but that was not the case on Saturday. That said, what can we take away from the quite uneventful race?
Learn more about the race HERE
The chariots head into battle.
We are GREEN at Bristol! pic.twitter.com/v45HYevZS7— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) April 12, 2025
Kyle Larson won his first Xfinity race this season. He had dominated Miami but fell short of the win after a push gone wrong from Sam Mayer on the final restart. This time, he closed the deal. The driver of the 17 made no mistakes whatsoever and had a nearly 10-second lead over second at one point during the race; no one was even close.
In 2 races, Larson has more laps led on the Xfinity Series than the entire field does in 9 starts. Despite not winning the Truck race to try and go 3 for 3 this weekend, he will likely be in contention for the Cup race. In Xfinity, however, hardly anyone will challenge him when he returns to racing there again.
The Cup drivers are at the top level for a reason, and despite the lack of horsepower preventing them from showing more of their talent, it is still there, and that was clear as day on Saturday. Larson didn’t just win; he taught the field the pace of a Cup talent, how fast you have to be to get to that level.
Does it make for a boring race? Sure. But regardless, that is certainly much better than Ross Chastain walling people left and right or Chase Elliott running into another car under caution, as we saw at Darlington. Cup regulars should go up there and win; this is their talent, and they get the equipment to do so. Larson did his job and executed it perfectly. Though it is debatable if running into Allgaier to take the lead back was really necessary, he closed the deal and got the job done, and ultimately, that is the goal.
Sheldon Creed and Brennan Poole were the protagonists of a terrible crash off of Turn 4. Despite being only a half-mile, the racetrack is fast, and this type of incident is always scary. Poole’s car was Disintegrated, his suspension came off, and the right side was inexistent after the wreck. Despite feeling rib pain for a bit, the driver of the 44 seemed all right during his interview. He walked out of his car and was not injured.
The evolution in safety is something that fans already take for granted and aren’t thankful enough for. Maybe you don’t even remember how dangerous this sport can be, and I’m here to remind you about that; Though it is weird seeing a car be that destroyed, it is crucial to remember that a vehicle deforms so the impact on the driver is greatly reduced.
Allgaier’s performance early on the season has been flawless thus far, but how flawless? Well, among Xfinity regulars, he has the most wins, top fives, top tens, laps led, the best average finish, and best average start. His domination is shown on the point standings, where he has a whopping 83-point lead over 2nd place Sam Mayer. The most you can get in a race is 61, and that is if you win the race, all stages, and get the fastest lap. Allgaier could sit out for a race and still have the points lead, and that is through just 9 races.
Of course, things change fast in this sport; Allgaier should not take it for granted. He certainly hasn’t already won the regular season championship, but I would risk saying he is halfway there. With five straight top-three finishes, it has been made clear that he will not leave the front pack anytime soon. The only way Allgaier loses this trophy is if he starts wrecking every other race, which is extremely unlikely.
It wasn’t the most eventful race, but we saw a masterclass and the talent level it takes to be on the Cup level. Larson will likely battle for the win again on Sunday, but what did you think of this Xfinity Series race? Were you disappointed, or did you appreciate it? Let us know what you think on our Discord or X. Remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates.
