Race 18 of 33: United Rentals Driven To Serve 250 at San Diego Street Course
Track Specs: 3.4-mile street course /60 laps
Race Winner: Austin Hill
Kvapil’s finish: 4th
Smith’s finish: 5th
Caruth’s finish: 22nd
Allgaier’s finish: 32nd
Carson Kvapil
Carson Kvapil, driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, started from the fifth position for the United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 at Naval Base Coronado on Saturday afternoon. Kvapil maintained his top-five running position throughout the first stage, taking the green-and-white-checkered flag in fifth on lap 15. After varying pit strategies during the second stage, Kvapil remained in the top 10. When the green-and-white checkered flag waved at the end of the second stage, Kvapil was scored seventh. During the final stage, the JR Motorsports driver continued to work his way to the front and took the lead with 14 laps to go. Kvapil led the next 11 laps before contact sent the Mooresville, N.C. native into the wall and out of the race lead. Utilizing a never-give-up attitude, Kvapil remained in the top five despite the contact, taking the checkered flag in the fourth position.
“Today was a very strong showing for the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops team. It definitely stings the way the race ended, but it was good to bring home a top-five finish and collect valuable stage points all day. Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and the entire No. 1 Bass Pro Shops team brought a really good car to Coronado. I can’t thank Johnny Morris and everyone at Bass Pro Shops enough for their support.”
Sammy Smith
Sammy Smith, driver of the No. 8 Arby’s Cheesesteak Chevrolet, and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series raced in the United Rentals Driven To Serve 250 at Naval Base Coronado for the first time in series history on Saturday afternoon. After hours of simulator sessions to prepare for the street course, Smith made his first laps around the 3.4-mile course on Friday, posting the ninth-fastest time overall. In the Saturday morning qualifying session, Smith posted a time good for 10th on the grid and stated that the car had more in it throughout practice and qualifying, but he didn’t want to push the limits too early in the weekend. Smith proved that as he brought home a strong and hard-fought fifth-place finish at Coronado.
Following the green flag for the 60-lap event, the field fell under caution on the opening lap and led to an hour-long red flag as NASCAR repaired the track surface. The race got back under way at lap 10 with just five laps remaining in the opening stage, and Smith charged from ninth to sixth in that span to accumulate stage points. The No. 8 Arby’s team opted not to pit at the stage break and started Stage Two from third on lap 18. Two laps later, Smith spun out from excessive wheel-hopping, but quickly gathered it back up and rejoined the field in seventh. On the next lap, Smith spun again due to contact with another car and continued on once the field passed. Crew chief Cory Shea called Smith down pit road immediately for fresh tires, fuel and a quick adjustment. The JR Motorsports driver rejoined the circuit at the tail on lap 21 and after nine laps and another caution, Smith charged his way up to ninth to tally even more stage points.
The final stage began just as the first one did, with a caution on the restart. This one brought out the red flag, which lasted nearly an hour. Once the track was ready for racing again, Smith restarted from fourth on lap 35 and ran until another caution at lap 41. Smith visited pit road for fresh tires, fuel and an adjustment to help with rear grip, rejoining the field in seventh. One last caution waved on lap 50 with Smith running fifth, and Shea called his driver in for his last pit stop. Restarting 17th on lap 52, Smith charged all the way up to fifth over the final eight laps.
“This was a fun challenge here at Coronado. This No. 8 Arby’s team put together a strong car and it showed with how we were able to charge back through the field a couple of times. This has been a cool experience and I want to thank Arby’s for all their support this weekend. I am looking forward to Sonoma next week.”
Rajah Caruth:
Rajah Caruth and the No. 88 HEndrickCars.com Chevrolet team overcame a challenging afternoon on the streets of Naval Base Coronado to finish 18th after battling through multiple cautions and red flags. Starting 21st, Caruth steadily advanced through the field and ended the opening stage in 18th while working through a lack of overall grip in the car.
A strong strategy call at the stage break moved the No. 88 team into the top 10 to begin Stage Two, but a spin late in the segment shuffled Caruth back in the running order. Crew chief Mardy Lindley and the team made adjustments during the break, allowing Caruth to charge back into the top 10 in the final stage.
Running ninth late in the race, Caruth’s HendrickCars.com Chevrolet sustained damage following contact that required repairs under caution. Despite restarting deep in the field and continuing to fight forward, another late-race incident limited the team’s recovery, resulting in a 22nd-place finish.
“We fought hard all day with our HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. Mardy Lindley and the entire No. 88 team kept working on it and never stopped making adjustments to help me. We were able to get into the top 10 late in the race, but a couple of incidents didn’t go our way and cost us the finish we were capable of. I’m proud of the effort from everyone on this team, and we’ll keep building on it heading into next week.”
Justin Allgaier
Justin Allgaier’s quest for a third consecutive NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory was dashed on Saturday afternoon at the Naval Base Coronado, as engine woes brought an abrupt end to the JR Motorsports driver’s day shy of the finish, relegating Allgaier to 32nd at the checkered flag. Allgaier, who drove valiantly into the top 10 after having to start at the back of the pack, fought hard throughout the event before being forced to the garage with just 17 laps remaining. Despite today’s result, Allgaier still holds a commanding lead in the championship standings, 224 markers above the field.
“It’s really unfortunate that we didn’t get a chance to fight for the finish this BRANDT Professional Agriculture team deserved today. We gave it our best, but it just wasn’t meant to be. We’ll recover from today and be ready to rebound next weekend at Sonoma. Huge thanks to everyone at JR Motorsports for all the hard work, especially with the turnaround to another road course next week.”
