By Zach Arnold

JR Motorsports brought fast Chevrolets to Charlotte Motor Speedway for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race. Three of the four JRM cars filled up the top three starting positions, as Mayer won the pole, and Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry followed.

Stage One began with an intense battle for the lead between Mayer and Allgaier, eventually won by the No. 1 Chevrolet. The JRM train stayed together in Stage One until a green flag pit stop cycle began. Behind the JRM train, Sheldon Creed, Cole Custer, and Parker Klingerman were battling hard for the fifth position; this battle went on for many laps. Creed and Klingerman were desperate for any position gained as both drivers were sitting near the cutline. Mayer elected to give up stage points, which didn’t matter to him as much as it did to others around the cutline. This gave the lead to Allgaier, who went on to win the stage.

Stage Two began with Mayer able to beat Berry for the lead and run in the first position until deciding to pit under another green flag pit-stop cycle. The rest of the stage ran clean until three laps to go when Conor Daly had a tire go down. This forced NASCAR to throw the first caution of the race. John Hunter Nemechek won the stage.

Mayer, once again, brought the field to the green flag to begin stage three. He was clear of Custer by turn two and led the next nine laps until the caution flag waved due to debris. Pit road opened, and most of the field came in to get new tires and fuel, while Allgaier and Jeb Burton elected to stay out on older sets. The No. 7 and 27 teams would regret their decision to stay out, Burton entered turn one too fast and wiped both of them out. Allgaier took the larger hit; his day ended early.

It was all Mayer and the No. 1 team once the race resumed, as they went on to win their third road course race of the year.

The NXS Series heads out west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the next playoff race. Catch the race on USA Network at 3:30 p.m.