FORT WORTH, Texas – Kyle Busch celebrated the 10th NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Texas Motor Speedway, then took it away.
Busch failed the post-race technical inspection Saturday after finishing ahead of Austin Cindric, who was declared the winner of the third race in a row after winning both Xfinity events in Kentucky.
NASCAR said Toyota No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing was disqualified for failing at heights.
It would have been Busch’s 98th career victory of the series. Instead, Cindric took fifth place in 83 career starts despite crossing the finish line 0.949 seconds behind Busch.
The most recent driver to be disqualified from an Xfinity Series victory was Denny Hamlin, who also failed the post-race height requirements last August at Darlington Raceway.
After returning to the field three times in the race, including a speeding penalty on the pit road, Busch built a 3.3-second lead before a final caution flag when Joe Graf Jr. made contact with the wall. Busch led only 15 of the 201 laps.
Justin Allgaier regained Cindric’s lead when the two met on lap 159, but he was penalized for a mixed-line penalty upon returning to the track. After taking his step penalty 10 laps later, he missed two laps of the pace. and finished fourth, behind series leader Chase Briscoe.
“I would like an explanation, because that has been the same way we have done it now during the time that I have been in NASCAR,” Allgaier said. “Disappointing. … Winning both stages and knowing that we had a car capable of Winning was really a solid afternoon. ”
Cindric led three times for 44 laps. Allgaier, who won both stages during the race, was in front four times for 98 laps.
There were no spectators allowed for the Xfinity race, or the Truck Series race on Saturday night, but thousands of fans will be in the stands for the Cup race on Sunday.
Noah Gragson, who entered the race second in points of the season, crashed at Turn 3 on Lap 117 after he was released after air cleared from his butt with Cindric behind him. There seemed to be no contact. Gragson finished 31st.
Gragson was behind Riley Herbst in a similar incident five laps from the race, when Herbst crashed into the outside wall as he exited Turn 4 and ended his day to finish last in the 37-car field. Gragson said on the radio that there was no contact.
“We were learning the track here in Texas the first time on this circuit and we were driven by car 9 [Gragson]”Herbst said.” Just a little disrespect. “
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