Justin Allgaier Scores Third Phoenix Victory in NASCAR O'Reilly Series

Allgaier wins at Phoenix Raceway for the third time, breaking into the win column for the first time this season.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Justin Allgaier won the Saturday night NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series GOVX 200 at Phoenix Raceway, his third career victory at the Avondale, Arizona, mile oval. Allgaier, who was celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary, passed Jesse Love for the lead with 11 laps remaining and held on for the win, his first of the season. Love finished second, with Carson Kvapil third.

Why it matters

Allgaier's victory at Phoenix Raceway, one of his favorite tracks, marks his first win of the 2026 season and the 107th victory for his team, JR Motorsports. The win also comes as the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series welcomes a new title sponsor, O'Reilly Auto Parts, in their first year of involvement.

The details

Allgaier and Love, the past two series champions, waged a battle for the lead throughout the race, with Love leading for 114 of the 200 laps. But Allgaier made the decisive pass on the outside between Turns 3 and 4 with 11 laps to go and held off a disappointed Love, who finished second by 0.449 seconds. The race saw 20 lead changes and four cautions for 37 laps, with all but two of the 32 cars still running at the end.

  • The race took place on Saturday night, March 9, 2026.
  • Allgaier won at Phoenix Raceway for the first time in nine years, for the first time since 2019. He also won here in 2017.

The players

Justin Allgaier

A 29-time winner in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, Allgaier has driven the No. 7 car for JR Motorsports for 11 seasons and is in his 16th year of competing at this tier of NASCAR.

Jesse Love

The driver of the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Love is the past two series champion and regards Phoenix Raceway as one of his favorite venues.

Carson Kvapil

The third-place finisher in the race.

JR Motorsports

The racing team that Allgaier drives for, which earned its 107th victory with this win.

O'Reilly Auto Parts

The new title sponsor of the NASCAR series, in their first year of involvement.

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What they’re saying

“It was my 20th wedding anniversary this week, so got to give a shout-out to my wife for putting up with me for 20 years. My wife and kids are not here, so I'm sad for that.”

— Justin Allgaier (autoweek.com)

“There's nothing cooler than this series. I love the drivers. I love the teams. That's what makes these wins that much more special.”

— Justin Allgaier (autoweek.com)

“I think the only real misstep we really had was just tightening up there, beginning of Stage 3 and kind of put us behind. And I don't know what his tire life was like. But yeah, just frustrated.”

— Jesse Love (autoweek.com)

“Yeah, if I show up to run second and just collect points. But obviously, not why I'm here. And yeah, just beyond frustrated with myself and yeah, I'm upset. I'm just upset with myself.”

— Jesse Love (autoweek.com)

What’s next

The series moves this coming weekend to 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Allgaier won in the spring race a year ago and returns as the points leader after four of 24 events.

The takeaway

Allgaier's third career victory at Phoenix Raceway, coming in the first year of the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, showcases his experience and skill at one of his favorite tracks. The battle between Allgaier and fellow champion Jesse Love provided an exciting finish, with Allgaier's late pass proving decisive in earning the win for his JR Motorsports team.