Brandon Jones powered to his third career victory at Kansas Speedway with a flawless performance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, capturing the Kansas Lottery 300 and advancing to the Round of 8. Starting from the pole and leading 54 of 200 laps, the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver executed a near-perfect race, holding off rookie sensation Connor Zilisch in a decisive final restart. The 28-year-old Georgia native secured his second win of the season and seventh overall, strengthening his bid for a championship run.
Key Highlights
- Brandon Jones earned his seventh career Xfinity victory and third at Kansas Speedway.
- Connor Zilisch posted his 16th straight top-five finish, breaking a 1983 series record.
- Justin Allgaier led a race-high 79 laps but finished 13th after a late strategy gamble.
- Round of 8 spots remain up for grabs entering the Charlotte Roval next Saturday.
- Post-race inspection cleared with Nick Sanchez’s No. 48 team cited for one loose lug nut.
Brandon Jones Executes a Perfect Plan
From the moment the green flag waved, Jones controlled the tempo. He won the pole, finished second in both opening stages, and never faltered in the critical moments. His No. 20 Toyota pulled away during a 38-lap green-flag run to the finish, leaving Zilisch 2.787 seconds behind.
“That was exactly like how we needed that to go down. Two really solid stages – no mistakes. The entire day was so well executed. That’s probably by far in my career my most well-executed race. I’m so proud of these guys. We worked so hard all week to get here and put a race like this together.” – Brandon Jones
Connor Zilisch’s Record Run
Despite handling concerns, rookie Connor Zilisch extended his streak of top-five finishes to a record-breaking 16. He briefly challenged for the lead, pacing the field for 42 laps and keeping Jones in sight until the closing stretch.
“I didn’t feel like our car was winning-capable, except at a point there in Stage 3, I thought we had a chance at it. We were just kind of throwing Hail Marys at it all day and trying to make one stick – but it didn’t stick.” – Connor Zilisch
Justin Allgaier’s Gamble Falls Short
Justin Allgaier, who led the most laps and won both opening stages, stayed out on older tires during the final caution in a bold strategy call. Without another yellow flag to reset the field, the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet faded to 13th.
“They work for you sometimes, they don’t some other times. Disappointed … our Chevrolet was really good.” – Justin Allgaier
Playoff Picture Tightens Ahead of the Roval
Austin Hill claimed third, followed by Sammy Smith and Sheldon Creed. Taylor Gray, Jesse Love, Nick Sanchez, Brenden Queen, and Dean Thompson completed the top 10. Among playoff drivers, Carson Kvapil finished 15th, Sam Mayer 16th, and Harrison Burton 20th after starting at the rear.
| Pos | Car | Driver |
| 1 | 20 | Brandon Jones (P) |
| 2 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (P) |
| 3 | 21 | Austin Hill (P) |
| 4 | 8 | Sammy Smith (P) |
| 5 | 0 | Sheldon Creed (P) |
| 6 | 54 | Taylor Gray (P) |
| 7 | 2 | Jesse Love (P) |
| 8 | 48 | Nick Sanchez (P) |
| 9 | 11 | Brenden Queen |
| 10 | 26 | Dean Thompson |
| 11 | 18 | William Sawalich |
| 12 | 10 | Daniel Dye |
| 13 | 7 | Justin Allgaier (P) |
| 14 | 16 | Christian Eckes |
| 15 | 1 | Carson Kvapil (P) |
| 16 | 41 | Sam Mayer (P) |
| 17 | 28 | Kyle Sieg |
| 18 | 17 | Rajah Caruth |
| 19 | 39 | Ryan Sieg |
| 20 | 25 | Harrison Burton (P) |
| 21 | 70 | Leland Honeyman |
| 22 | 24 | Patrick Staropoli |
| 23 | 99 | |
| 24 | 91 | Josh Williams |
| 25 | 42 | Anthony Alfredo |
| 26 | 71 | Ryan Ellis |
| 27 | 4 | Parker Retzlaff |
| 28 | 44 | Brennan Poole |
| 29 | 32 | Austin Green |
| 30 | 27 | Jeb Burton |
| 31 | 45 | Mason Massey |
| 32 | 51 | Jeremy Clements |
| 33 | 53 | Joey Gase |
| 34 | 14 | Garrett Smithley |
| 35 | 76 | Kole Raz |
| 36 | 31 | Blaine Perkins |
| 37 | 88 | Connor Zilisch |
| 38 | 7 | Nick Leitz |
The standings now set the stage for a tense elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, where Love holds a slim five-point edge over Sanchez for the final Round of 8 spot.
News in Brief: Kansas Lottery 300 Full Results: Brandon Jones Clinches Round of 8 Spot
Brandon Jones dominated the Kansas Lottery 300, winning from the pole and leading 54 laps to secure a Round of 8 berth. Connor Zilisch finished second, setting a record with his 16th consecutive top-five. Justin Allgaier led 79 laps but fell to 13th after a late strategy call. Austin Hill, Sammy Smith, and Sheldon Creed rounded out the top five. Post-race inspection confirmed Jones as the winner with only Nick Sanchez’s team cited for a loose lug nut.
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