Everybody is talking about the NASCAR Cup Series championship.
But NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series might be delivering the most entertaining title fight of them all.
Jesse Love leads the standings after a wild Talladega finish. Justin Allgaier sits just 19 points behind, while Corey Day trails by 29. Sheldon Creed is still within 50 points.
With Martinsville next and the season finale approaching, the championship is absolutely up for grabs.
And the latest finish proved why nobody should sleep on this series.
Sammy Smith Just Stole the Show at Talladega
Sammy Smith had gone 53 races without an O’Reilly Series victory.
That drought ended Saturday in spectacular fashion.
Smith made a last-lap pass to beat teammate Carson Kvapil by just 0.084 seconds at Talladega Superspeedway. It was the kind of finish that reminds everyone why superspeedway racing remains appointment viewing.
Kvapil had been the dominant driver for much of the afternoon. Smith needed only one lap in front to claim the victory.
That is racing at its most unforgiving.
One driver leaves disappointed. Another walks away with a moment he will remember for the rest of his career.
Jesse Love Is Leading — But Justin Allgaier Is Right There
Love protected his championship lead with a third-place finish at Talladega.
But Allgaier remains within striking distance, trailing by only 19 points. Corey Day is another 10 points behind Allgaier, while Creed remains close enough to capitalize on a bad weekend from the leaders.
That is a fascinating group of contenders.
Love is the defending champion and knows what it takes to finish the job. Allgaier brings veteran experience and has been one of the series’ most consistent perfor