Kvapil Dominates Martinsville, Allgaier Takes Point Lead Heading to Championship Finale

Race 32 of 33: National Debt Relief 250
Track Specs: 0.526-mile oval
Race Winner: Carson Kvapil

Kvapil’s finish: P1
Allgaier’s finish: P2
Smith’s finish: P7
Caruth’s finish: P15

Carson Kvapil

Carson Kvapil, driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, won his third career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday evening at Martinsville Speedway. After qualifying on the pole, Kvapil led the opening 53 laps and finished the first stage in fourth. Kvapil restarted the second stage in 20th following multiple different pit strategies. After battling hard for track position during the second stage, Kvapil finished the stage in the 13th position. As the third stage started and a caution came out, Kvapil and crew chief Rodney Childers opted for a different pit strategy with 100 laps remaining. This cycled the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet to the lead with 67 laps remaining. Kvapil battled his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier for the win in the closing laps. In the end, Kvapil led a total of 121 laps and brought home his third career victory in the NOAPS. With the win, Kvapil heads into Miami 31 markers out of the points lead.

“What an unbelievable night at Martinsville for our No. 1 Bass Pro Shops team. Rodney (Childers, crew chief) made a great strategy call and this entire team executed the entire evening like always. We are excited to be in contention and race for a championship next weekend in Miami. I can’t thank Johnny Morris and everyone at Bass Pro Shops enough for their support. It wouldn’t be possible without them.”

Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier reclaimed the point lead in dramatic fashion in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase following a strong second-place effort at Martinsville Speedway on All Hallow’s Eve. Entering the night trailing by 19 points, the driver of the BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet set sail, charging into the race lead during the closing laps of Stage One to secure the green-and-white checkered flag and the 10 bonus points that accompany it. Allgaier followed that up in Stage Two with a solid second-place effort and an additional nine stage points. Then, in the closing laps, Allgaier dueled with JR Motorsports teammate Carson Kvapil for the lead through a flurry of cautions before coming home in the runner-up position. With the result, Allga ier heads into the season finale next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway – where he is the most-recent winner – with a 22-point lead in the standings. Additionally, tonight’s top-five finish moves Allgaier into second on the NOAPS all-time list for top-fives, surpassing NASCAR Hall of Famer and former JRM driver Kevin Harvick.

“We executed just like we needed to tonight with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. We were able to earn points in both stages and come home with a really solid finish. To be able to enter there with the point lead is just a testament to everyone on this No. 7 team. I’m thankful to be a part of this with this group and we are ready to go for it next week.”

Sammy Smtih

Sammy Smith, driver of the No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet, finished seventh this afternoon in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Martinsville Speedway, which increased his already impressive stats to eight top-10 finishes in nine starts on the Virginia short track. Smith qualified sixth for the National Debt Relief 250 and stayed within the top-10 until the first of many cautions flew on lap 31. Crew chief Cory Shea decided to flip the stage as Smith was reporting he felt too free. Smith lined up 24th on the restart and unfortunately caught damage immediately bringing out another yellow. Shea called Smith back down pit road for repairs and quickly got him back on the track to restart 26th. Throughout the remaining 15 laps, Smith made his way up to 19th to close out Stage One, still on track for their strategy to flip the stage. As the field cycled through pit stops, Smith was set to restart ninth for Stage Two on lap 70. The NOAPS field ran green until another caution on lap 96 where Smith was sitting eighth. The Pilot driver reported the handling was better but he was still struggling with forward drive a bit so Shea called him down pit road for fresh tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Taking the green again on lap 104 in eighth, the adjustments proved successful as Smith drove up to fifth by lap 115 and closed out the second stage with valuable points. The No. 8 opted to not pit during the stage break which set them up to start the final stage in third on lap 133. Over the next 120 laps, the field experienced six more cautions and a red flag. As Smith was running eighth, he pitted once more on lap 167 for fresh tires and a slight adjustment. This saw the JRM driver gain two more positions before the race ended to finish seventh, his eighth top-10 at Martinsville. The No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet driver now sits seventh in The Chase standings as the NOAPS head into the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“This No. 8 team fought hard today and we got another top-10 finish at Martinsville even after catching some damage early on. I really wanted to get a clock today but we still had a good day and I’m grateful for everyone at JRM and all my partners. We have one more race left in the season and I’m looking forward to making it our best yet.”

Rajah Caruth

Rajah Caruth and the No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet team battled through an eventful night at Martinsville Speedway, ultimately bringing home a 15th-place finish after showing top-10 speed throughout the race. Starting from the outside of the front row in second, Caruth settled into third early and maintained his position through multiple cautions. The team elected to pit under a lap 47 caution for four tires, fuel and a small adjustment, sacrificing track position and ultimately finishing the opening stage in 24th. Caruth quickly worked his way forward in Stage Two, climbing into the top 10 by lap 76 while reporting a lack of right-rear grip. Following another round of adjustments, he finished the second stage in 10th and restarted the final stage in seventh. Caruth advanced to sixth before slipping back to 10th as the team continued working to improve the handling of the No. 88 Chevrolet. Under a lap 162 caution, the team pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments, but an additional stop to secure a lug nut dropped Caruth to 27th for the restart. Despite the setback, Caruth methodically worked his way through the field over the closing laps, climbing as high as 13th before taking the checkered flag in 15th.

“We had a really fast HendrickCars.com Chevrolet tonight, and I felt like we had the speed to run up front. We were fighting for right-rear grip early, but Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and the guys kept making adjustments, and I thought we got the car pretty good. Track position was so important tonight, and unfortunately, having to come back down pit road really put us behind. Proud of everyone on this No. 88 team for continuing to fight and getting us back to 15th. Thanks to Mr. H, Ms. Linda, everyone at HendrickCars.com, Chevrolet and JR Motorsports for their support. We’re looking forward to Miami next week”