The 2020 Unhinged 300 was a
NASCAR Xfinity Series race held on June 20, 2020 at
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway, nicknamed “'Dega”, and formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS) from 1969 to 1989, is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base ...
in
Lincoln, Alabama. Contested over 113 laps on the superspeedway, it was the 11th race of the
2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series
The 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series was the 39th season of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. The season began at Daytona International Speedway with the NASCAR Racing Experience 300 on ...
season and the season's third
Dash 4 Cash
The Dash 4 Cash is a series of races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Since its inception in 2009, the program has undergone many changes, most notably the addition of heat races in 2016.
2009–10: Inception
In order to drum up interest in its se ...
race.
Kaulig Racing
Kaulig Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is owned by Matt Kaulig, an owner of team sponsor LeafFilter. Kaulig Racing fields two Cup Series Chevrole ...
's
Justin Haley picked up his first career Xfinity Series victory.
The race was originally scheduled to be held on April 25, but was rescheduled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Report
Background
![TalladegaSuperspeedway2-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/TalladegaSuperspeedway2-2.jpg)
Talladega Superspeedway, formerly known as Alabama International Motor Speedway, is a motorsports complex located north of
Talladega, Alabama
Talladega (, also ) is the county seat of Talladega County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1835. At the 2020 census, the population was 15,861. Talladega is approximately east of one of the state’s biggest cities, Birmingham.
...
. 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
International Speedway Corporation (ISC) was a corporation whose primary business is the ownership and management of motorsports race tracks. ISC was founded by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. in 1953 for the construction of Daytona International ...
, a business controlled by the
France family
The France family is known as the "first family" of NASCAR racing. NASCAR was founded by Bill France, Sr. in 1948 and to this day France family members own and operate NASCAR. Jim France, one of the sons of the founder, is the current chairman an ...
. Talladega is most known for its steep banking. The track currently hosts
NASCAR's Cup Series,
Xfinity Series
The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
and
Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. In addition to NASC ...
, which is 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km).
Because of the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, the race was held with limited spectators, with the grandstands and infield closed. Spectators were restricted to the 44 open backstretch motorhome lots who had camping tickets for both days of the meeting.
Dash 4 Cash
The
Dash 4 Cash
The Dash 4 Cash is a series of races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Since its inception in 2009, the program has undergone many changes, most notably the addition of heat races in 2016.
2009–10: Inception
In order to drum up interest in its se ...
is a series of four races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, preceded by a qualifying race. The top four points-eligible drivers in the previous race are eligible to win a $100,000 bonus on top of their race winnings if they win the race. Cup Series regulars are not permitted to compete in the races.
The Unhinged 300 was the season's third Dash 4 Cash race.
A. J. Allmendinger
Anthony James "A. J." Allmendinger (born December 16, 1981) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Kaulig Racing.
Allmendinger's professi ...
,
Chase Briscoe
Chase David Wayne Briscoe (born December 15, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 14 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. He also owns a World of Outlaws sprint ...
,
Ross Chastain
Ross Lee Chastain (born December 4, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing Team. He is the older brother of NASCAR Ca ...
, and
Brandon Jones were eligible to win after finishing in the top 4 at the
Contender Boats 250
Stock car racing events in the NASCAR Xfinity Series has been held at the Homestead–Miami Speedway since the track's inauguration in 1995. For much of its history, it was the final race of the second-tier series' season. The event is currently ...
at
Homestead
Homestead may refer to:
*Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses
* Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres
*Homestead principle, a legal concept t ...
.
Entry list
* (R) denotes rookie driver.
* (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Qualifying
Justin Haley was awarded the pole for the race as determined by a random draw.
Starting Lineup
*
. – Eligible for Dash 4 Cash prize money.
* The No. 8 and No. 16 had to start from the rear due to failing pre-race inspection.
* The No. 47 had to start from the rear due to a driver change.
* The No. 99 had to start from the rear due to an unapproved adjustment.
Race
Race results
Stage Results
Stage One
''Laps:'' 25
Stage Two
''Laps:'' 25
Final Stage Results
''Laps:'' 63
*
. – Won the Dash 4 Cash prize money and subsequently qualified for the Dash 4 Cash prize money in the next race.
*
. – Qualified for Dash 4 Cash prize money in the next race.
Race statistics
* Lead changes: 22 among 12 different drivers
* Cautions/Laps: 6 for 22
* Red flags: 2
* Time of race: 2 hours, 15 minutes, 52 seconds
* Average speed:
Media
Television
The Unhinged 300 was carried by
FS1
Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is an American pay television channel owned by the Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. FS1 replaced the motorsports network Speed on August 17, 2013, at the same time that its companion channel Fox Sports 2 ...
in the United States.
Adam Alexander,
Stewart-Haas Racing
Stewart-Haas Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. The team is co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champio ...
driver
Aric Almirola, and
Jamie McMurray
James Christopher McMurray (born June 3, 1976), nicknamed Jamie Mac, is an American former professional stock car racing driver and currently an analyst for '' Fox NASCAR''. He raced in the NASCAR Cup Series on a full-time basis from 2003 to 2018 ...
called the race from the Fox Sports Studio in Charlotte, with
Jamie Little
Jamie Little (born April 9, 1978) is an American pit reporter for NASCAR coverage on Fox. Little is a former pit reporter for ESPN/ABC coverage of the Indy Racing League, although she returned to her pit reporting duty for the 2007 and 2008 I ...
and Vince Welch covering pit road.
Radio
The
Motor Racing Network
Motor Racing Network (MRN) is a U.S. radio network that syndicates broadcasts of auto racing events, particularly NASCAR. MRN was founded in 1970 by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. and broadcaster Ken Squier, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of ...
(MRN) called the race for radio, which was simulcast on
SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Since 2008, Sirius XM Radio has had a similar channel lineup, with a few differences based on whether the individual has a Sirius, XM, or SiriusXM radio. For technical reasons, separate radios continue to be manufactured for the separate services ...
.
Standings after the race
; Drivers' Championship standings
*
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
*
. – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR playoffs.
References
{{NASCAR on Fox
2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series
Unhinged 300
The Ag-Pro 300 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held at Talladega Superspeedway, a 300-mile race. It is held annually before the NASCAR Cup Series race, the GEICO 500.
From its inception in 1992 through 1996, the race was held in the summer, a ...
2020 in sports in Alabama
NASCAR races at Talladega Superspeedway
Unhinged 300
The Ag-Pro 300 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held at Talladega Superspeedway, a 300-mile race. It is held annually before the NASCAR Cup Series race, the GEICO 500.
From its inception in 1992 through 1996, the race was held in the summer, a ...