William Byron wins Phoenix as Xfinity Series field is set

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) Justin Allgaier, William Byron, Elliott Sadler and Daniel Hemric took the four spots next week in the Xfinity Series championship race.

All four berths in the championship were on the line Saturday at Phoenix Raceway, where Byron raced to his fourth victory of the season. The other three drivers made it into the Homestead-Miami finale on points.

It made for an enjoyable race for the final spot between Hemric and Cole Custer, as the two battled for position in the closing laps. Custer was fourth and Hemric fifth, and if they stayed that way, Hemric had the spot. But Christopher Bell chased Hemric, who couldn't afford to give up a position between Custer.

Bell used a three-wide pass on the outside to get by both drivers, and Hemric eventually passed Custer and finished fifth.

The finale will be all Chevrolet drivers, and three from JR Motorsports. The team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., his sister, Kelley, and Rick Hendrick, had a rollercoaster day when a mechanical issues forced a plane carrying its pit crews to make an emergency landed on its way from North Carolina.

Allgaier, Byron and Sadler had to use makeshift pit crews Saturday.

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