Late charge nets Justin Allgaier fourth victory at Darlington

Allgaier overcomes dominant car of Kyle Larson to win NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race

Mar. 22, 2026 at 6:25am

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Justin Allgaier won the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Darlington Raceway, taking advantage of excellent pit stops and muscling his way into the lead on the final two restarts to claim his fourth victory at the 1.366-mile track. Allgaier's victory was the fourth straight for JR Motorsports Chevrolets.

Why it matters

Allgaier's victory at the historic Darlington Raceway, known as 'The Lady in Black,' is a significant accomplishment in his NASCAR career. The win ties him with Joey Logano for seventh on the series' career win list, further cementing his status as one of the top drivers in the series.

The details

After a slow pit stop under the third and final caution on Lap 127 buried the dominant car of Kyle Larson in fifth place, Allgaier seized the lead from Brandon Jones on the last restart with 15 laps left and beat Jones to the finish line by 0.578 seconds. Larson, who led the first 94 laps from the pole and won the first two stages, could only gain one position on the final restart and finished fourth.

  • Allgaier won the race on March 21, 2026.
  • Larson led the first 94 laps and won the first two stages.

The players

Justin Allgaier

A 39-year-old NASCAR driver who won his fourth career race at Darlington Raceway, tying him for seventh on the series' career win list.

Kyle Larson

A NASCAR driver who led the first 94 laps from the pole and won the first two stages, but was unable to regain the lead after a slow pit stop and finished fourth.

Brandon Jones

A NASCAR driver who finished second to Allgaier after leading for a brief period during the race.

Christopher Bell

A NASCAR driver who finished third in the race.

Carson Kvapil

A NASCAR driver who finished fifth in the race.

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What they’re saying

“These guys have never quit all year -- they won the race. They've never given up. They were on top of it all day on pit road.”

— Justin Allgaier, NASCAR driver

“The 7 (Allgaier) just kept getting just barely better launches than I could on that second lane, and he had just a little more juice in the tank on the short run today.”

— Brandon Jones, NASCAR driver

“Unfortunate, but that's the way racing is sometimes. That sucks, but I had a lot of fun today.”

— Kyle Larson, NASCAR driver

What’s next

Allgaier heads for next Saturday's race at Martinsville Speedway (3:30 p.m. on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with a 52-point lead over second-place Jesse Love in the series standings.

The takeaway

Allgaier's victory at the historic Darlington Raceway, where he has now won four times, is a testament to his skill and perseverance as a NASCAR driver. Despite not having the fastest car all day, Allgaier was able to capitalize on excellent pit work and strong restarts to secure the win, further cementing his status as one of the top drivers in the series.