Race 26 of 33: Nu Way 225 Sauced by Blues Hog at World Wide Technology Raceway
Track Specs: 1.250 mile paved track
Race Winner: Jesse Love
Kvapil’s finish: P5
Smith’s finish: P8
Caruth’s finish: P11
Allgaier’s finish: P13
Carson Kvapil
Carson Kvapil, driver of the No. 1 WILDE Crackers Chevrolet, qualified on the pole for Saturday evening’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at World Wide Technology Raceway. The green flag dropped and Kvapil dominated the first stage, leading all 45 laps of the stage and earning the top spot at the green-and-white checkered flag. The second stage started and Kapil continued to lead. The JR Motorsports driver led the opening 78 laps overall before settling into the top-five.
When the green-and-white checkered flag waved at the end of the second the stage, Kvapil was scored in third. During the final stage, Kvapil was solidly inside the top-five and continued to work his way towards the lead. Kvapil regained control of the race with 40 laps to go after a restart. The handling on the No. 1 WILDE Crackers Chevrolet started to fade and Kvapil settled into the top-five in the closing laps. Ultimately, the JRM driver crossed the line for the final time in the fifth position.
Kvapil led a race high 105 laps on the night.
“It was a disappointing finish after a really strong race. Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and this entire No. 1 WILDE Crackers team brought another rocket ship to the track this weekend. It was good to still pick up valuable stage points and close the gap in the championship standings. We will regroup and get back to work this week and be ready to go at one of my favorite tracks next weekend at Bristol.”
Sammy Smith
Sammy Smith, driver of the No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet, qualified 12th for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway and after receiving damage on pit road, was able to bring home an eighth-place finish, his 13th top-10 of the season.
Smith started 12th in the Nu Way 225 at WWTR and stayed around there throughout Stage One, finishing 11th and reporting a tight handling car. As the field came down pit road a stack-up caused damage to the front and rear of the No. 8 Chevrolet but the crew was able to repair it and get Smith back on the track. Smith restarted eighth in Stage Two and held his top-10 position throughout the stage, taking the green-and-white checkered flag in ninth
Heading into the final stage of 90 laps, Smith restarted 10th and fluctuated a few spots through the next 40 laps until a string of several cautions flew which saw Smith get as high as fourth place. He held a top-five position until the closing laps, where he ultimately came home in the eighth position.
“We had a solid Pilot Chevrolet today, especially in clean air. I’m proud of the team for repairing the car after that stack-up on pit road, it didn’t affect the handling thankfully. Wish we could have got more stage points throughout the night but we’re still in a good spot and there’s a lot of racing left to do. I’m looking forward to Bristol next week for a shot at another sword.”
Rajah Caruth
Rajah Caruth and the No. 88 HendrickCars.com team battled back from early damage to earn an 11th place finish at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Caruth Started ninth and maintained position inside the top-10 for much of the opening stage.
Fighting a car that became increasingly tight through the center of the corners, Caruth finished Stage One in 12th. While coming to pit road following the stage, the No. 88 was involved in an incident that resulted in significant nose and left-rear damage. After repairs, Caruth restarted 31st and quickly began working his way through the filed, climbing back into the top 25 before another caution allowed the team to make additional repairs and adjustments. Despite the damage, Caruth continued his charge and finished Stage Two in 16th.
The No. 88 restarted the final stage in the 14th position, and the team continued making adjustments to free up Cartuh’s race car. Through a series of late cautions and restarts, Caruth continued his climb forward, ultimately coming home with an 11th place finish.
“I am really proud of Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and this entire No. 88 HendrickCars.com team tonight. We got some damage there early, but nobody gave up and we battled back for an 11th place finish. A huge thanks to Mr. H, Ms. Linda, Dale, Kelley, LW, The Hendrick Automotive group and everyone at JR Motorsports for all the support, I am thankful for the opportunity. We’ll keep working hard and fighting.”
Justin Allgaier
Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet, earned a valiant 13th-place finish in the second race of The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday evening. Allgaier who lined up in the fifth position, scored extremely valuable stage points at the conclusion of both Stage One and Two before an incident during the final stage forced the JR Motorsports driver to make an unscheduled pit stop for repairs. Returning to the track following the repairs in 29th with 24 laps to go, Allgaier charged forward, as the Illinois native raced into the top 15 to take the checkered flag in 13th. With that late-race charge, Allgaier created a
16-point swing in The Chase Standings and now sits just three points out of the top spot as the series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend.
“Tonight was a great recovery for our BRANDT Professional Agriculture team. To be able to make our way back through the pack with so few laps left is a testament to the never-give-up attitude this team has. We may be second right now, but tonight shows how we will keep fighting and do everything we can to get the best results possible. We’re already counting the days to Bristol.”