Motorsports

Justin Allgaier, NASCAR Xfinity leader, on veteran leadership, airborne Ubers and more: 12 Questions

Each week, The Athletic asks the same 12 questions to a different race car driver. Up next: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports, who is both the defending Xfinity Series champion and current points leader. This interview has been condensed, but the full version is available on the 12 Questions podcast. Note: Our usual question No. […]

Published

1 month ago

May 28, 2025

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Each week, The Athletic asks the same 12 questions to a different race car driver. Up next: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports, who is both the defending Xfinity Series champion and current points leader. This interview has been condensed, but the full version is available on the 12 Questions podcast. Note: Our usual question No. 11 was dropped due to time constraints with the interview.

1. What was one of the first autographs you got as a kid, and what do you remember about that moment?

I have a really cool shirt from the 1988 Talladega race that has some amazing signatures on it. It’s got Dale Earnhardt Sr. I don’t remember getting it, but I remember the shirt. My mom has got it framed now. Kenny Schrader was at the house one year, and my mom was talking about the shirt and how it was so cool.

I don’t remember who she thought won the race, but she thought (that person) had signed it. And Kenny said, “Dorothy, he didn’t win the race.” And she’s like, “Yeah, they won.” He’s like, “No, Dorothy …” They went back and forth a few times. Then Kenny said, “I won that race. I remember that very well. So they didn’t win the race.”

2. What is the most miserable you’ve ever been inside of a race car?

When I was almost two laps down last year in Phoenix about halfway through the (Xfinity Series championship) race. I just knew that was our shot, right? I’ve done this a long time and been in that final four a lot and had good opportunities, but that was that moment where I just went, “Man, I just gave this one away and I’ve completely ruined it for myself.” That was the most miserable on myself. (Allgaier rallied back to win his first career championship.)

3. Outside of racing, what is your most recent memory of something you got way too competitive about?

Softball. (His daughter Harper plays on a traveling softball team.) She actually had to ask me to back down a little bit. The competitive side of me doesn’t know how to do that. I want it to go well. I got to drive up to Asheville (earlier this month) and go watch the whole weekend of softball. It was really fun for me, because it’s really the first time I’ve been able to show up at a tournament, and I didn’t really care about the outcome. … I saw a different side of the girls, that they were just having a good time and the camaraderie and the teamwork together; they were playing better than they’ve ever played.

4. What do people get wrong about you?

A lot of people assume when I was in Cup, I had equal equipment to what the guys up front were running. I see a lot of comments where somebody will say, “Oh, I wish he would go back to Cup racing” and then you’ll see 100 comments that say, “He had a shot in Cup and didn’t make it last.” Well, look at Alex Bowman when he drove for BK Racing. Look at Clint Bowyer when he drove the (HScott Motorsports) car after me. You could name all these guys who drove in stuff that wasn’t competitive, but they were still able to go on and be ultra successful (in better cars).

I don’t regret that time and I wouldn’t change it. Would I love an opportunity on the Cup side in good equipment? Yeah, absolutely. But if I look back at my career, I wouldn’t have changed anything I’ve done from then to now.

“If you want it easy, don’t come to the 7 car,” Justin Allgaier jokes of his career. “If you think it’s going to be easy, the 7 car is not the path you want to go down.” (David Jensen / Getty Images)

5. What kind of Uber passenger are you and how much do you care about your Uber rating?

I tend to feed off of the Uber driver. If the Uber driver is talkative, I’m going to be talkative. If the Uber driver is quiet, or if he’s got the music on, I’m going to sit back and I’m probably going to fall asleep. Because I can sit in the backseat of a car and fall asleep in about 30 seconds. So just depends on the driver and how they’re driving.

That being said, we just rode in a car (service) last week that (public relations representative Mike) Campbell and I were both confident we weren’t going to make it to the destination. At one point, we were off the ground in the back of this car. It was quite an experience. It’s the first time I’ve ever had that, and I was really quiet because I didn’t know what to say or how to talk.

6. This is a wild-card question. People say you’re the veteran driver of the Xfinity Series and look to you for guidance. But you have to be focused on your own racing at the same time. So how do you balance being a mentor in the series with the desire for your own success?

If I can help somebody a little bit and just be a small part of what helps them, that’s fun for me. … I also look at the situation that happened in Texas with Kris Wright (when Wright was heavily criticized for not holding his line when Allgaier crashed into him). Here I’m the veteran who crashes with somebody out there on the racetrack, and a lot of people were quick to jump on me for taking blame for it after the race was over.

I’m going to look at this like highway rules: I ran in the back of him. It doesn’t matter who is at fault. It doesn’t matter what he did in front of me. I still ran into the back of him. The cool thing, though, was the dialogue that started with Kris and the conversation we had. While it sucks for us, it’s a great learning moment for somebody, but it’s also a great learning moment for a lot of other people who were watching it.

I’m not going out telling people like, “Hey, I’m the best there’s ever been and you should listen to me.” I make plenty of mistakes, but if I can help somebody, or if I can help the series or the sport as a whole grow, I want to be there and I’m going to be a part of it. …

Even if I don’t win another race ever again but I can help grow the sport, then I’ve done my job. That, to me, is what I consider success.

7. This is my 16th year of doing the 12 Questions interviews. You were part of the inaugural edition in 2010, so I’ll go back to a question I asked you then: “What is the first thing you do when you get home from a long weekend?” At the time, you said you lived in an apartment and you obviously didn’t have kids yet, so you said you would just toss the bags on the floor and typically turn the TV on and go back and watch a fast-forwarded version of the race and then go to bed. I imagine it’s different now?

Oddly enough, it is not. If I get home and everybody is already asleep, then that’s what I’m doing. There’s a burning inside me to want to be better, even after the races are over. I still go back and watch the replays every week, still go back and study.

If they’re still awake, which very rarely happens, you hope it’s a good day because they’re excited for you. But the best is when it’s been a bad day and you get home and they’re just as proud and just as happy, and you being home is good as anything.

The part that’s different is I had a lot less stuff in an apartment. I didn’t have clutter. I didn’t own hardly anything. And it was really easy if you needed something fixed: You called the landlord, and you said, “Hey, I need this fixed.” So I joke with my wife I can go back to apartment living right now. Give me a 750-square-foot apartment and we’ll make it work. If we’ve got to sleep in bunk beds, I don’t care.

8. Other than one of your teammates, name a driver who you would be one of the first people to congratulate them in victory lane, if they won a race.

After every win, Josh Williams randomly appears with a Yoo-hoo in victory lane. I don’t know where the Yoo-hoos come from; I’m assuming they just have them in their cooler. A lot of people think we’re cracking a beer, but it’s actually just chocolate milk.

But it doesn’t matter where we win, it doesn’t matter how his day has gone — he’s down there. That’s really cool to me. So when he gets that opportunity, I’m gonna be there and be a part of it.

9. How much do you use AI technology, whether for your job or your daily life?

I have tried to use it some. I’m not great at it. I also am a little worried AI is going to take over the world. So I’m like, “If I don’t input all of my data, maybe it won’t steal all of my data.” But I’m pretty sure that’s not the case.

I do like the AI videos of the babies. I saw the babies doing “Tommy Boy” and it was so awesome. I can’t even describe to you how awesome it was. But it’s also super creepy, and I’m going to be the guy who says “I told you so” when the AI takeover happens.

10. What is a time in your life you felt was really challenging, but you are proud of the way that you responded to it?

Can I just put my whole career in there? (Laughs.) We laugh all the time like, “If you want it easy, don’t come to the 7 car.” If you think it’s going to be easy, the 7 car is not the path you want to go down.

In my Cup career, I didn’t handle it well. I didn’t handle the adversity well, I didn’t handle not running good. It’s shifted in my post-Cup career. Even when we don’t have good days, I’m able to be more grateful of the job I get to do and less miserable I didn’t get the good finish I wanted.

12. Each week, I ask a driver to give me a question for the next person. The last one was Álex Palou and he wants to ask you about oval racing. He wants to know how you feel the limit of the tires on an oval compared to a road or street course because he says that’s something he’s still trying to figure out. (Note: The Palou interview was conducted before he won the Indy 500 and got his first oval victory.)

It’s funny, because I don’t know where the limit of the tire is on a road course, but I have so much of an easier time of feeling that on an oval. The Xfinity Series car is great for me because the Cup Series car, I would say that’s the hardest part. When I go drive Cup, whether it be the 40 car at Daytona or filling in for Kyle (Larson) in the 5 car, I struggle with finding a little bit of the tire because it is a short sidewall, real low profile. The car has a ton of grip. The tire has a ton of grip. IndyCar is the same way, right? Really wide tires, lots of grip. An Xfinity car has got the narrower tire, taller sidewall, more flex. It’s probably the easiest car I’ve ever driven to find the limit of the tire.

So if Alex were to ever get in an Xfinity car and feel the tire like he does, he’d go, “Oh man, this is way easier than I thought.” It would be way more comfortable.

(Allgaier said he’ll submit his question for the next person when he knows who it is.)

(Top photo of Justin Allgaier at qualifying for last weekend’s Charlotte Xfinity race: Logan Riely / Getty Images)

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Jordan Taylor returns to NASCAR – with ‘Rodney Sandstorm’

If you’re lucky enough to call Jordan Taylor a friend, there’s a chance you’ve worn one of his Rolexes, hard-won from three trips to the podium at the 24 Hours of Daytona. “My buddy Mark has probably worn one of my Rolexes more than I have,” he laughed. “I’ll bring one out if we’re on […]

Published

3 minutes ago

June 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

It’s a fitting glimpse into Taylor’s character: generous, a little understated, and perfectly fine letting someone else bask in the spotlight. That is, unless he’s dressed as Rodney Sandstorm.

This weekend, as the four-time IMSA champion returns to NASCAR with Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series race at Lime Rock Park, so does his infamous alter-ego. The jorts-wearing, mullet-sporting, colorful-jacketed caricature of a Jeff Gordon superfan is back — and even has his name emblazoned on the side of the No. 7 truck. “People ask about Rodney all the time,” Taylor told me back in the spring. “It’s been quiet the last couple of years, but maybe this year he’ll make a comeback.”

Rodney Sandstorm is an outlandish character: loud, quirky, and the center of attention. So it’s no surprise that people are often thrown off by the contrast with Taylor’s quiet confidence. “People meet me at the track and are surprised — I’m actually pretty introverted,” he said. “They expect this loud guy from social media, and that’s just not me.”

The early years

Brian Frisselle, Burt Frisselle, Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

At 34, very few experiences in the racing world are new to Taylor (though this weekend marks his first Truck Series start). He first raced the Rolex 24 — a gruelling 24 hour challenge at the Daytona International Speedway — when he was just 16 years old. His first outing was under the gaze of a familiar, and somewhat skeptical, figure: his dad, Wayne Taylor. “I remember him leaning into the car before first practice and telling me I wasn’t ready,” Jordan recalled. “He was probably right.” Still, being thrown into the deep end, as he puts it, forced him to sink or swim, and ultimately accelerated his development.

But when it came time to build a professional career, he and his older brother Ricky Taylor were adamant that they didn’t want to be seen as kids coasting by on their dad’s name.

#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP Chevrolet: Max Angelelli, Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor

Photo by: Rainier Ehrhardt

“You see father-son teams, and people assume the son is only there because of his dad,” Jordan said. “So we wanted to prove ourselves first.” The Florida native drove for Corvette, while Ricky raced with Penske, and only after finding success on their own terms did they return to the family-run Wayne Taylor Racing.

Now, they’re back under the same umbrella, and they’re stronger for it. “We’ve both had success in other places, so it feels like we’ve earned it. We’re not just hired for our last name,” Jordan said. “And honestly, it’s more special to win as a family.”

The birth of Rodney Sandstorm

#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi: Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli, Jeff Gordon

Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images

As his confidence grew behind the wheel, it paved the way for the unexpected birth of Rodney Sandstorm in 2017. “We were at dinner with Jeff Gordon, and he was constantly being approached by fans — it caught me off guard just how famous he was. So I had the idea to create a fake Jeff Gordon superfan and surprise him at Daytona,” Jordan recalled.

Ricky Taylor, Jeff Gordon, Wayne Taylor Racing

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

The prank flopped — Gordon recognized him immediately — but the character resonated with fans.

“Rodney took on a life of his own,” he said. The costume was cobbled together from Walmart and eBay: homemade jorts, velcro Dr. Scholl’s sneakers, and a vintage jacket that “smelled heavily of cigarettes.” But behind the absurdity was something real. “The character and the mullet actually probably did help me come out of my shell,” Jordan said. “It made me more comfortable being myself.”

Brotherly bond

#101 Cadillac WTR Cadillac V-SeriesR: Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Jordan and Ricky are less than two years apart, and they’ve been best friends since childhood. “When I was younger I was extremely shy, and he was also quite shy,” Jordan recalled. “I didn’t start showing more personality — at least publicly — until around 2013, but I’m still quite introverted in-person.”

While Jordan has his Rodney Sandstorm persona, the elder Taylor brother keeps things a little more low-key. “Ricky has both sides too. He just doesn’t show that side on social media at all,” Jordan explained.

“He’s super funny at home, and has all these funny things he’s got going on, but most of the world doesn’t see it. He just likes to keep things a little bit more private.”

On-track, the pair are “still super close.” Jordan added, “We were teammates for a few years, which was great, and now that we’re in different cars, we still support each other and help each other when we can.”

Motorsports

NASCAR Atlanta race results: Chase Elliott is winner, plus full leaderboard

Chase Elliott passed Brad Keselowski on the last lap and held on for a win in the Atlanta NASCAR race, his home race, on June 28. Elliott was one of only four drivers who was not involved in a crash in the action-packed Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Raceway. Advertisement Elliott, a Dawsonville, Georgia native, […]

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34 minutes ago

June 29, 2025

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Chase Elliott passed Brad Keselowski on the last lap and held on for a win in the Atlanta NASCAR race, his home race, on June 28.

Elliott was one of only four drivers who was not involved in a crash in the action-packed Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Raceway.

Elliott, a Dawsonville, Georgia native, led 39 laps earlier in the race before rejoining the leaders in the final five laps and passing Keselowski, who led for 45 laps, at the end.

Elliott secured a spot in the playoffs by claiming his first victory since April 14, 2024 at Texas. It was Elliott’s 20th career Cup victory.

Keselowski finished second and Alex Bowman was third followed by Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones.

There were 45 lead changes and 10 cautions during the race.

This was the first race of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge.

Here are the unofficial results for the Atlanta NASCAR race.

ATLATNA NASCAR CUP RACE HIGHLIGHTS: NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta: Live updates, highlights, leaderboard for the Quaker State 400

Who won NASCAR Atlanta race? Winner, race results for Quaker State 400 Cup Series race

Here are the unofficial results for the NASCAR Pocono at EchoPark Speedway:

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Connor Zilisch, No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
BJ McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
David Starr, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Corey Lajoie, No. 01 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Atlanta results: Chase Elliott winner Saturday

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NASCAR Cup Series results: Chase Elliott scores home track win at Atlanta Motor Speedway

HAMPTON, Ga. – There’s no place like home. That’s true for the second time for Chase Elliott. Riding a massive push from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott surged into the lead past Brad Keselowski getting into turn one on the final lap and held off the field to roll to a victory at Atlanta […]

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50 minutes ago

June 29, 2025

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HAMPTON, Ga. – There’s no place like home.

That’s true for the second time for Chase Elliott.

Riding a massive push from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott surged into the lead past Brad Keselowski getting into turn one on the final lap and held off the field to roll to a victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

It marked the second win at Atlanta for the native of Dawsonville, Georgia, and it came at the end of yet another frantic, chaotic, and dramatic race at the 1.54-mile quad-oval that was reconfigured before the 2022 season.

“Unbelievable. How about that? Are you kidding me? I’ve never in my life,” Elliott gushed in front of a roaring crowd. “Thanks to all you guys because this right here, you can’t dream of this.”

Bowman came home third.

Making the win even more special, Elliott was driving a car designed by 11-year-old Rhealynn Mills, a pediatric cancer patient at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. As part of the DESI9N TO DRIVE program, Mills’ design was selected from dozens of submissions in the ninth edition of the collaboration with the Chase Elliott Foundation.

“Just what a special car and just a huge thanks to NAPA Auto Parts and everything they do for me and to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,” Elliott said. “Rhealynn Mills designed a fast NAPA Chevrolet tonight. It was a lot of fun. This right here is something I’ll never forget.”

It was an unforgettable event for most involved as races at Atlanta in recent memory have tended to be.

Chase Elliott (9) and Alex Bowman (48) finished first and third respectively in Saturday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Most notably, a massive crash broke out at the beginning of stage two, involving 29 of the race’s 40 cars. Elliott was in the lead and clear of the calamity, but the other three Hendrick Motorsports entries weren’t as lucky. Bowman was the most fortunate of those three, avoiding major damage and continuing to contend for the win. Kyle Larson was able to continue the race but battled through minor damage the rest of the way.

However, William Byron was swept up in the heart of the fracas and suffered too much damage to soldier on. He went on to finish 37th but added seven stage points in the race’s first segment.

Meanwhile, Elliott and Bowman continued to be fixtures at the front of the field. Elliott led 41 laps and made a move on leader Tyler Reddick on the final lap of the race’s second segment but came up inches short of a stage win in a photo finish. He settled for second and nine points while Bowman was fourth, earning seven markers.

Five more caution flags would wave over the course of stage three with both Bowman and Elliott continuing to battle for the lead. Justin Haley crashed with 34 circuits remaining, bringing out what would be the evening’s final stoppage. With Elliott in second and Bowman in fourth, both chose to stay out while most of the field from ninth place on back pitted for tires.

FROM WINNER TO CHAMPION, PART 6: Winning the War

Despite the tire disadvantage, Bowman wouldn’t relent, leading twice in the final 16 laps. He was out front for 32 circuits total.

Elliott meanwhile was shuffled back early in the final run but as the laps ticked down, the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet slowly marched forward. Keselowski took the lead with six laps to go and was still out front as the white flag flew but finally, the two Hendrick Motorsports Chevies were lined up and Bowman came up with the race’s most pivotal shove. With the momentum, Elliott dove to the bottom and wedged Keselowski up the track.

Then, on the backstretch, Bowman pulled to the inside of Keselowski, stalling his momentum and aiding Elliott in holding on for the win.

“Our car was really good, but I was pretty bottom dependent with how our handling was,” Bowman said. “Congrats to the nine team and Chase, proud of those guys and glad to have a Hendrick car in victory lane. Wish it was but had a really fast Ally 48.”

Larson was able to keep his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet out of further trouble and finished 17th, on the lead lap.

The NASCAR Cup Series will return next week with a race at the Chicago Street Course. Green flag is set for 2 p.m.

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Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Recap: Lime Rock Park – Speedway Digest

No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RSTDriver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike ShiplettMatt Mills Racing@MattMillsRacing@MattMillsRacingWebsiteStart: 21stStage 1: 23rdStage 2: 24thFinish: 26thDriver Points: 19thOwner Points: 24th Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team fought hard all afternoon at Lime Rock, but lost all their track position after going off course at […]

Published

3 hours ago

June 29, 2025

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Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team fought hard all afternoon at Lime Rock, but lost all their track position after going off course at the end of the race. Mills started the 100-lap event in 21st, and battled a tight-handling truck in the opening two stages. After making wholesale changes to the setup ahead of the final stage, the J.F. Electric Chevy gained speed. Unfortunately for Mills, once he locked up the brakes and slid off in turn one, his results were shot down, finishing in 26th.
Matt Mills’ Post-Race Thoughts: “By the end there, I felt like we made up some ground. The first two stages, we were struggling being really tight. The third stage, we actually made some adjustments that seemed to really make the truck react to it a lot better. Turn one just kept kicking my butt all weekend. I went off once in practice and three more times in the race and then back. The third time we got stuck. We couldn’t get pulled out and lost a couple of laps, and that just kind of killed our day. It was so hard to pass, but I felt like we don’t have that moment, we’re right there with the No. 44. We were running with them all day. I should have ended up the top 10, but we’ll just move onto IRP.”

About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.

About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners.
No. 44 Trim-Tex Drywall Solutions Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Josh Bilicki | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Josh Bilicki Racing
@JoshBilicki
@JoshBilicki
Website
Start: 18th
Stage 1: 21st
Stage 2: 18th
Finish: 7th
Driver Points: N/A
Owner Points: 17th

Key Takeaway: Josh Bilicki and the No. 44 team successfully parlayed a mid-range day into a top-10 finish. Bilicki qualified 18th and noted that his truck lacked front end grip in the opening two stages, but the team made big swings on adjustments to make it better. Not afraid to think outside the box, Wally Rogers called for a four-tire pit stop with five laps left in the race. Once chaos ensued on the opening lap, Bilicki maneuvered his way around the carnage to sneak away in seventh-place.
Josh Bilicki’s Post-Race Thoughts: Interviewer: You made a nice run in the final five laps to finish seventh out here today. The key was that final caution out there for you. You guys came in, took some fresh tires. What was it like over the final five laps out there?

“Yeah, we needed that. You know, we made a lot of changes throughout the race and still were tight. We were probably a 15th-place race car. It was hard to pass, so we were running in 19th when that caution came out. We were the first ones to come in, so props to Wally (Rogers) and our guys to making that call because that saved our race. We were the first ones on fresh tires, so I kind of knew that we’d get a good restart, but I didn’t expect to go from 19th to seventh in a lap.

We definitely could have had more there at the end, but I’m not the guy to go run over people. But we were definitely fast and in the game. We were faster than the next couple trucks in front of us. I played it smart, because if I move these guys and they come back on track behind me, who’s to say they’re not going to move me back and we go from sixth to 20th? So, I just wanted to play smart; It was a good point to say for us. Again, props to these guys for making that call because I don’t think we would have gotten to seventh had not happened.”

About Trim-Tex: Trim-Tex Drywall Solutions, a world recognized manufacturer of drywall corner bead and accessories, is no stranger to the motorsports industry. Along with their CEO, Joe Koenig, Trim-Tex has been involved in the motorsports industry as a sponsor, team owner, and a competitor for nearly three decades.

About Lemons of Love: Lemons of Love is a nonprofit organization that delivers care packages to individuals undergoing cancer treatment to provide comfort and support. Each package is thoughtfully filled with items that help ease the side effects of chemotherapy and remind recipients they’re not alone. In addition to care packages, Lemons of Love offers free programs and resources to build community and spread hope.
No. 45 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Kaden Honeycutt Racing
@KadenWHoneycutt
@KadenHoneycutt10
Website
Start: 6th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 6th
Finish: 12th
Driver Points: 5th
Owner Points: 5th

Key Takeaway: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team had impressive speed all throughout the day in Lime Rock, but were collected in a crash on the final restart. Honeycutt started sixth and finished there in both stages, earning a total of 10 extra points. The team appeared to be en route to a top-five there at the end, but were punted off the race track and had to settle back in 12th-place.
Kaden Honeycutt’s Post-Race Thoughts:

“We were pretty solid the whole day, man. We were in fifth to sixth all day and I couldn’t be more proud of my team. I’m proud of Phil, everyone at Niece Motorsports, DQS, Precision, AutoVentive, J.F. Electric, and Utilitra. I just got cleaned out on the last restart. We’re running top-five all the way going to turn one, and the end was just a typical truck road course race. You just get plowed into, and this stuff happens. Thankfully, we finished sixth in both stages and got points and finished 12th. So, it wasn’t a terrible day, but I put a lot of time and effort into this, and to not have the result like we were supposed to, it’s really frustrating. Going onto IRP, we got some weeks off for my guys to go and chill and just have a good couple weeks to themselves and come back swinging. Only three races left to keep in the Playoffs.”

Niece Motorsports PR

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Motorsports

Sanchez scores first career Xfinity win at EchoPark Speedway

Nick Sanchez charged to the front after a restart with seven laps left in Friday night’s Focused Health 250 and held off fellow Sunoco rookie Carson Kvapil to secure his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory. Sanchez, who rallied from a spin through the frontstretch grass at EchoPark Speedway on lap 68, lost the top spot […]

Published

3 hours ago

June 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Sanchez, who rallied from a spin through the frontstretch grass at EchoPark Speedway on lap 68, lost the top spot to Jesse Love on the final restart on lap 157 of 163, but regained it on the following circuit.

Sanchez spent the next five laps doing everything in his power to keep Kvapil behind him. The win earned the 24-year-old from Miami, Fla., a berth in the Xfinity Series Playoffs.

“It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders, that’s for sure,” Sanchez said after climbing from his car on the frontstretch. “Now we can go chase checkered flags.”

Kvapil was lined up in front of third-place finisher Sam Mayer, fourth-place Connor Zilisch and fifth-place Taylor Gray as he chased Sanchez over the closing laps, trying to find a way around the race winner.

“To be that close really does sting,” said Kvapil, who started from the rear of the field after unapproved adjustments to his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. “I couldn’t really generate a run there. I didn’t feel like we had enough cars nose-to-tail and organized.

“We were all kind of just too far away from each other. I tried backing up on the last lap… I probably could have made a move earlier. I just felt like, if we got side-by-side, we’d get swallowed up by somebody.”

For his part, Sanchez was fortunate his No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet sustained minimal damage on the slide through the grass, which caused the fourth of nine cautions.

“I’m still a little embarrassed about that,” Sanchez said. “It was certainly a rookie mistake, but we rebounded.”

It was after midnight when Sanchez took the checkered flag, thanks to some threatening weather near the 1.54-mile track. Lightning forced NASCAR to halt the race after 36 laps.

After a delay of one hour, 18 minutes, 55 seconds, the race resumed. Sheldon Creed, who led the first 37 laps from the pole, tried to flip the stage by pitting under caution after the resumption, but the strategy backfired.

Creed was one of 10 drivers involved in a massive wreck on the backstretch moments after a restart on Lap 41. Contact from Sanchez turned Jesse Love across traffic near the front of the field.

Love’s Chevrolet collided with Ryan Sieg’s Ford, turning it into the outside wall. A broken axle eliminated Sieg’s No. 39 RSS Racing Ford. Other victims included series leader Justin Allgaier, who exited the race in 31st place, Sammy Smith, Katherine Legge, Patrick Staropoli, Jeb Burton and Christian Eckes.

Creed, credited with 32nd place, suffered his fifth DNF in the last nine races and sixth of the season.

“It was probably the best car I’ve had all year,” Creed said ruefully after leaving the infield care center. “Just really fast, could control lanes and felt really good up front. So we were just trying to keep ourselves up front by short-pitting there, and it didn’t work out.”

Notes: Sanchez led 32 laps to Aric Almirola’s 48 and Creed’s 37… The nine cautions put the race under yellow for 58 laps… Mayer was the only non-rookie to finish in the top five… Love, Almirola, Daniel Dye, Kyle Sieg and Jeremy Clements finished sixth through 10th, respectively… Austin Hill, trying for his fourth straight win at EchoPark Speedway, lost six laps early with fuel pickup issues and finished 26th.

RESULTS

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Live NASCAR Cup race updates: Big wreck takes out major contenders at EchoPark Atlanta

HAMPTON, Ga. — A big wreck has taken out major contenders for the win in stage two of the NASCAR Cup Series’ Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta. The big one collected involved seven of the top-10 drivers in the first stage, including stage one winner Austin Cindric. Follow here for live race updates […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

HAMPTON, Ga. — A big wreck has taken out major contenders for the win in stage two of the NASCAR Cup Series’ Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta.

The big one collected involved seven of the top-10 drivers in the first stage, including stage one winner Austin Cindric. Follow here for live race updates on the NASCAR Cup Series’ Quaker State 400.

STAGE TWO

LAP 123: Alex Bowman is now battling Chris Buescher for the lead. TNT reports Bowman has had pain on the side of his body from his back down his leg after his crash at Michigan earlier this month.

LAP 120: Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick are trading the lead back and forth.

LAP 115: Ty Gibbs lost a lot of ground on pit road. Tyler Reddick emerged with the lead.

CAUTION, LAP 111: Riley Herbst has crashed and collected Todd Gilliland. Everyone can make it to the end of stage on fuel from here. Carson Hocevar is now back on the lead lap after almost unlapping himself.

TOP-10: Gibbs, Buescher, Reddick, Elliott, Bowman, Zane Smith, Ty Dillon, Haley, John Hunter Nemechek, Keselowski.

LAP 104: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. gets into Erik Jones in the middle of turns three and four and hits the wall. Stenhouse has a bent toe link now.

LAP 93: Ty Gibbs goes back to the lead. He and Chris Buescher are trading the lead with Tyler Reddick in tow.

Connor Zilisch runs 10th in just his third career start.

LAP 91: Only two winners this season are running on the lead lap — Shane van Gisbergen and Kyle Larson. The chance of this race producing a new winner this season is 92% with 25 lead-lap cars.

LAP 86: Riley Herbst goes to the lead over Ty Gibbs. Tyler Reddick takes it two laps later.

LAP 82: Ty Gibbs goes to the lead ahead of Chris Buescher. Chase Elliott is up to the top-5. Tyler Reddick is up to third after a pit road penalty.

TOP-10, LAP 76 RESTART: Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs, Riley Herbst, Shane van Gisbergen, Chase Elliott, Justin Haley, Zane Smith, Todd Gilliland, Connor Zilisch, Austin Dillon.