Haley wins at Talladega
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Justin Haley took the lead on the final lap of the Unhinged 300 – with help from Kaulig Racing teammate Ross Chastain – and held on Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway for his first Xfinity Series victory.
Haley passed Jeb Burton, who held the lead on a restart with three laps to go, on the outside with a push from Chastain and finished 0.299 seconds ahead.
Haley also won the rain-shortened Cup race at Daytona last July and is a three-time Truck Series winner, giving him victories in each of NASCAR’s three top national series.
He celebrated with Chastain, who won the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash. Burton finished third.
There were no fans allowed in the grandstands because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Haley dedicated the win to late crew chief Nick Harrison, who died last July the morning after the Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
NASCAR: Talladega will admit up to 5,000 fans for the Geico 500 on Sunday.
The 5,000 fans in the grandstands will arrive just 48 hours after StewartHaas Racing confirmed two unidentified employees tested posted for COVID-19. Team Penske said Saturday it had one employee test positive. The employees are quarantined and are not part of the limited crew members permitted to go to the track under virus rules.
NASCAR has refused to divulge any information on positive coronavirus tests or if personnel have been denied entrance at events after going through the mandatory health screenings at the track.
Talladega is a warm-up for expanded admission next month. NASCAR said this week as many as 30,000 people can attend the All-Star race in Tennessee, and Texas Motor Speedway plans to allow fans at its event.