The 2022 Ag-Pro 300 was the ninth stock car race of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the 31st iteration of the event, and the third race of the Dash 4 Cash. The race was held on Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Lincoln, Alabama at Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66 mile (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The Dash 4 Cash in this race is consisted of Brandon Jones, Landon Cassill, A. J. Allmendinger, and Austin Hill, since they were the highest finishing Xfinity regulars after Martinsville Speedway. The race was extended from 113 laps to 124 laps, due to three NASCAR overtime attempts. At race's end, Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports would grab the win, after being able to take the lead on the final restart. This was Gragson's seventh career Xfinity Series win, and his second of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeffrey Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing and A. J. Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Allmendinger would win the Dash 4 Cash, after finishing ahead of Cassill, Jones, and Hill.
This was the debut race for Chandler Smith.
Background Talladega Superspeedway, nicknamed “Dega”, and formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. A tri-oval, the track was constructed in 1969 by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family. As of 2021, the track hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval, with a length of 2.66 miles (4.281 km), compared to the Daytona International Speedway, which is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The total peak capacity of Talladega is around 175,000 spectators, with the main grandstand capacity being about 80,000.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake1Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet02Brett MoffittOur MotorsportsChevrolet2Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet3Jeffrey EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet5Matt MillsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet6Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet08David StarrSS-Green Light RacingFord8Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet11Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet13Natalie DeckerMBM MotorsportsFord16A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet18Drew DollarJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet23Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet26Chandler Smith (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet28C. J. McLaughlinRSS RacingFord31Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet34Jesse Iwuji (R)Jesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet35Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet38Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord39Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord44Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet47Gray GauldingMike Harmon RacingChevrolet48Kaz Grala (i)Big Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53Shane LeeEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord54Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota66J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsChevrolet68Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet78Josh WilliamsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet91Mason MasseyDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, April 22, at 4:30 PM CST. Since Talladega Superspeedway is a superspeedway, the qualifying system used is a single-car, one-lap system with two rounds. In the first round, drivers have one lap to set a time. The fastest ten drivers from the first round move on to the second round. Whoever sets the fastest time in Round 2 wins the pole.
Jeffrey Earnhardt, driving the iconic No. 3 for Richard Childress Racing, scored the pole for the race with a time of 52.454 seconds and a speed of . It was Earnhardt's first career pole in NASCAR, along with his first at Talladega. It was also the first pole for Larry McReynolds as a crew chief since 2000.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime ()Speed ()Time ()Speed ()13Jeffrey EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet52.604182.03952.454182.560221Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet52.591182.08452.514182.351354Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota52.567182.16852.551182.22342Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet52.684181.76352.589182.091511Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet52.754181.52252.699181.711610Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet52.797181.37452.709181.67776Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet52.737181.58052.713181.663848Kaz Grala (i)Big Machine RacingChevrolet52.799181.36752.798181.371918Drew DollarJoe Gibbs RacingToyota52.810181.32952.807181.3401038Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord52.777181.44352.993180.703Eliminated in Round 1117Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet52.912180.980 ——1223Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet52.912180.980 ——1316A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet52.957180.826 ——141Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet52.979180.751 ——1519Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota52.988180.720 ——168Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet52.994180.700 ——1768Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet53.001180.676 ——1802Brett MoffittOur MotorsportsChevrolet53.003180.669 ——199Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet53.087180.383 ——2098Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord53.125180.254 ——2136Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet53.137180.213 ——2227Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet53.193180.024 ——2345Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet53.212179.959 ——2407Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord53.242179.858 ——2591Mason MasseyDGM RacingChevrolet53.258179.804 ——2678Josh WilliamsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet53.301179.659 ——275Matt MillsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet53.364179.447 ——2866J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsChevrolet53.483179.048 ——294Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet53.496179.004 ——3026Chandler Smith (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota53.527178.900 ——3131Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet53.628178.563 ——3253Shane LeeEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord53.630178.557 ——3347Gray GauldingMike Harmon RacingChevrolet53.641178.520 ——Qualified by owner's points3451Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53.691178.354 ——3508David StarrSS-Green Light RacingFord53.727178.234 ——3635Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord52.727178.234 ——3739Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord53.749178.161 ——3844Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet53.765178.108 ——Failed to qualify3913Natalie DeckerMBM MotorsportsFord53.695178.341 ——4034Jesse Iwuji (R)Jesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet53.701178.321 ——4128C. J. McLaughlinRSS RacingFord61.818154.906 ——Official qualifying results Official starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 25 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts18Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet10254Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota9316A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet8410Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet7521Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet667Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet579Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet4823Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet391Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet21002Brett MoffittOur MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 25 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1021Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet9321Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet8419Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7554Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota6618Drew DollarJoe Gibbs RacingToyota5768Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet483Jeffrey EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3931Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet21027Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 74 Fin.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPoints1199Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet1247Running44213Jeffrey EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet12410Running3831316A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet1246Running4241038Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1240Running335610Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet1240Running3961223Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet1243Running3472098Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord1240Running3082407Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord1240Running2993131Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1240Running30101802Brett MoffittOur MotorsportsChevrolet1240Running2811168Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet1245Running36122136Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet1240Running2513918Drew DollarJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1241Running29143253Shane LeeEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord1240Running23152227Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet1240Running23163635Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord1240Running2117294Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1240Running20183739Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord1240Running19192678Josh WilliamsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1240Running182076Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet1240Running17213347Gray GauldingMike Harmon RacingChevrolet1230Running1622117Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet12213Fuel Pressure30233451Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1220Running142442Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1131Accident13252345Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1130Accident12261519Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1100DVP1827221Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet11067Accident2428141Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1092Accident2029848Kaz Grala (i)Big Machine RacingChevrolet1030Accident0301768Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet1031Accident1131275Matt MillsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet960Accident6323844Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet840DVP5333508David StarrSS-Green Light RacingFord831DVP434511Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet790DVP335354Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota765Accident17362866J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsChevrolet512DVP1372591Mason MasseyDGM RacingChevrolet470Accident1383026Chandler Smith (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota470Accident0Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 A. J. Allmendinger 384 2 Noah Gragson 344 (-40) 3 Ty Gibbs 339 (-45) 4 Josh Berry 284 (-100) 5 Brandon Jones 271 (-113) 6 Justin Allgaier 263 (-121) 7 Ryan Sieg 260 (-124) 8 Sam Mayer 255 (-129) 9 Austin Hill 250 (-134) 10 Riley Herbst 242 (-142) 11 Landon Cassill 240 (-144) 12 Daniel Hemric 230 (-154)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References