DARLINGTON, S.C. — After diligently working through a 98-race winless streak over the last three NASCAR Xfinity Series seasons, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones reminded his competitors — and his fans — Saturday that he’s still a race winner and a title contender.
The well-liked 28-year-old Atlanta native took the lead on a re-start with 12 laps remaining in Saturday’s Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at the historic Darlington Raceway – beating 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott to the finish line by a healthy 1.105 seconds to hoist his first trophy since April, 2022 — a span of 98 races.
The 1.366-mile Darlington track may be nicknamed Too Tough To Tame, but it certainly presented a tamer race than the series produced a week ago on the typically wild and wooly Martinsville half-miler.
This weekend featured 14 lead changes among nine drivers – none of the changes up front a result of overly aggressive driving.
Instead, strategy, a fast car and unwavering belief in himself and his team made the difference for Jones.
“It’s nice for my confidence, right, but it’s also to prove to the haters and people that said I was incapable of doing it, wrong again,’’ said Jones, whose No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 24 of the races 137 laps.
“This place is freaking awesome man, I love coming to Darlington, ‘’ he added, “Second win and just huge momentum. I knew we were on a high just didn’t know when it was going to happen.’’
Justin Allgaier, who led the most laps (56) on the afternoon and won Stage 2, finished third in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, followed by teammates Ross Chastain and rookie Carson Kvapil.
The team, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, had all five of its Chevys in the top 10 with rookie Connor Zilisch finishing sixth and Sammy Smith ninth.
Rookies punctuated the top 10 despite it being the first time most of them had ever raced at the famously challenging venue. In addition to Kvapil and Zilisch, rookies Christian Eckes and Nick Sanchez claimed seventh and eighth place with Smith and veteran Sheldon Creed rounding out the top 10.
Harrison Burton’s AM Racing team won the opening stage and JGR’s Taylor Gray was credited with the Xfinity Fastest Lap (160.706 mph) of the day.
“I am proud of Brandon Jones, I know how hard the kid has worked, he’s done a good job and I’m happy to see him get to victory lane’’ said the reigning series champion Allgaier, who has now tied NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Mark Martin with nine-consecutive top 10s in Xfinity Series races at Darlington.
It’s been that kind of year for Allgaier. He’s finished top 10 in six of the last seven races of 2025, including back-to-back victories at Las Vegas and Homestead-Miami in March and a runner-up finish at Atlanta in February.
“Disappointed,’’ Allgaier conceded of his Darlington day, however, noting his Chevy’s speed was good and the team overcame an early race pit road miscue.
“We were able to get the track position back, at least for the most part. But clean air was too important today. When we were up front, we had it. But I really needed the long runs and just didn’t have that at the end of the race today. Proud of everybody on our BRANDT Chemical Chevrolet. We’re on a heckuva run with top fives right now.’’
The series’ popular Dash 4 Cash incentive program returns with next week’s SciApps 300 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
The highest finisher among Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, Haas Factory Team’s Creed, Allgaier and Alpha Prime Racing’s Brennan Poole will win the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus check from Xfinity, having earning eligibility based on their results in the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway race last week.
Next week marks the first spring race at Bristol since 2019. Christopher Bell was the race winner.
