After NASCAR cancelled the qualifying session for the Craftsman Truck Series, the track drying continued in hopes of getting the qualifying in for the Xfinity Series, but Mother Nature had other plans and instead increased the rains; forcing NASCAR to cancel Xfinity Series qualifying and set the field by their metric based on points, finishing position from the last race, and fastest lap.  Phoenix race winner, the 18 year old Sammy Smith will sit on the pole and bring the field to green for the Raptor King of Tough 250.

A total of 39 teams brought cars for a 38 car starting field.  Dawson Cram will not make the race.  Among the 38 starters is Ross’ little brother and fellow watermelon farmer Chad Chastain has left the watermelons to their own devices this weekend and will running in the race.

The starting lineup for the Raptor King of Tough 250:
Sammy Smith
John Hunter Nemechek
Austin Hill
Ryan Truex
Riley Herbst
Chandler Smith
Sheldon Creed
Cole Custer
Josh Berry
Sam Mayer
Daniel Hemric
Brett Moffitt
Parker Kligerman
Ryan Sieg
Anthony Alfredo
Jeb Burton
Parker Retzlaff
Justin Haley
Justin Allgaier
Kyle Weatherman
Brandon Jones
Josh Williams
Jeremy Clements
Ryan Ellis
Connor Mosack
Kyle Sieg
Joe Graf Jr
Kaz Grala
Brennan Poole
Sage Karam
Jeffrey Earnhardt
Patrick Emerling
Joey Gase
Carrett Smithley
Gray Gaulding
Blaine Perkins
Chad Chastain
Caesar Bacarella

Daniel Suarez and Joey Logano join Adam Alexander in the FOX broadcast booth for today’s race.

Kyle Sieg and Joe Graf Jr will start the race from the back of the field after the crews made some unapproved adjustments to the cars.

Stages one and two are 40 laps each with stage three lasting 83 laps around the mile and a half track.  The drivers can run about 75 laps on a single load of fuel.

Sammy Smith brings the field down for the green flag start of the race from the outside lane with John Hunter Nemechek alongside.  The drivers immediately begin pushing the cars on front of them with John Hunter Nemechek getting the lead.

The first caution flag of the race comes out on lap two when Joey Gase and Caesar Bacarella make contact sending both drivers into the wall.

Brandon Jones makes an early pit stop with a bit of damage to the nose of his car.

John Hunter Nemechek brings the field down for the green flag restart from the outside lane on lap eight with Nemechek getting out in front after a push form teammate Sammy Smith.

Lap eight; the top five are John Hunter Nemechek, Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith, and Ryan Truex.

Stuck in the middle, Josh Berry is dropping back in the pack.

Lap eleven, Austin Hill takes the lead with John Hunter Nemechek in second; Sheldon Creed, Chandler, and Sammy Smith round out the top five.

Lap 13, the second caution flag of the day come out after Kaz Grala, Garrett Smithley, and Jeffrey Earnhardt get into a crash that sent Smithley and Grala into the grass. 

Austin Hill is reporting a possible power steering issue.

Described as if Talladega and Daytona had a love child, Atlanta Motor Speedway is a mile and a half track acting like a superspeedway.  Called a draft track, AMS also has a no-go line at the apron.  Drivers who go below the line and advance their position will have to serve a penalty.

Brandon Jones pits again to shore up repairs on his car.

Of the 21 laps run so far, only seven of them have been green flag laps.

Austin Hill bring the field down for the green flag restart from the outside lane on lap 25 with Hill and John Hunter Nemechek going side by side before Austin Hill gets out in front for the lead.

Lap 26, the top five are Austin Hill, Sheldon Creed, Chandler Smith, Cole Custer, and Ryan Sieg.

Kyle Weatherman brings out the third caution flag of the race on lap 27 when he gets loose and gets into the wall.  Jeb Burton and Josh Williams were also involved.  Weatherman takes his car to the garage.

A few drivers come down pit road for service.  Sam Mayer and Sammy Smith chose to pit citing handling issues.

Austin Hill again chooses the outside lane and brings the field down for the green on lap 32.  Austin Hill gets out in front for the lead but Cole Custer comes up on the inside to battle for the lead.

Lap 32, the caution flag comes out for debris on the track.

Josh Williams has been asked by NASCAR for extending the caution.  It was tape from his car that caused the debris on the track.  He has parked his car at the start/finish line and is walking across the track to the pits.  Williams is being escorted by NASCAR officials for a trip to the infield care center.

Lap 33, the top five are Austin Hill, Cole Custer, Sheldon Creed, Ryan Sieg, and Chandler Smith.

Some drivers come down pit road for service, short pitting the end of the stage.  Justin Allgaier is reporting some major handling issues in his car.

Austin Hill brings the field down for the green flag restart with just three laps remaining in stage one.  Getting a push from behind, Austin Hill gets out in front for the lead with Sheldon Creed in second.

Previously the top lane was where all the drivers wanted to be, now it’s the bottom lane.

Sheldon Creed comes down on the inside to battle Austin Hill for the lead.

In a photo finish, Sheldon Creed wins stage one.  It is his first ever stage win.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Sheldon Creed
Austin Hill
John Hunter Nemechek
Chandler Smith
Riley Herbst
Brett Moffitt
Daniel Hemric
Ryan Sieg
Cole Custer
Justin Haley

Chad Chastain and Patrick Emerling get into  wreck as stage one comes to an end.  This is Chastain’s first ever Xfinity Series race.

Ten of the 38 cars in the field have been involved in a crash during stage one.

Josh Williams has been checked and cleared from the infield care center and has been whisked away by NASCAR. 

Some of the drivers come down pit road for service with Sheldon Creed winning the race off of pit road after taking fuel only.

After staying out on the track, Justin Haley brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two on lap 48.

The top five are Justin Haley, Anthony Alfredo, Brandon Jones, Connor Mosack, and birthday boy Ryan Truex.

Lap 50, Anthony Alfredo takes the lead after passing Justin Haley on the inside.

Lap 51, Anthony Alfredo leads the race with Justin Haley in second; Brandon Jones, Ryan Truex, and Justin Allgaier round ut the top five.

Lap 56, the caution flag comes out for Chad Chastain who spins out with a flat tire; but keeps the car off the wall.

There are 28 cars on the lead lap with Patrick Emerling the only car one lap down.

Anthony Alfredo brings the field down for the green flag restart from the outside lane with Brandon Jones alongside on lap 61.  Alfredo and Jones go side by side before Brandon Jones edges out for the lead.

Parker Retzlaff brings out the caution flag with a flat tire on lap 62.

A few drivers come down pit road for service.

Anthony Alfredo brings the field down for the green flag restart from the outside lane on lap 67 with Brandon Jones on the inside.  Drivers get three wide in a battle for position with Brandon Jones getting out in front for the lead with Ryan Sieg on his bumper.

The top five are Brandon Jones, Parker Kligerman
Ryan Sieg, Justin Allgaier, and Riley Herbst.

Lap 69 Daniel Hemric and Connor Mosack bring out the eighth caution flag of the race when they crash.

Some drivers come down pit road for service.

On lap 73, the longest green flag segment for far has been nine laps with 91 laps remaining in the race.

With just five laps remaining in stage two, Brandon Jones brings the field down for the green flag restartand pulls out in front for the lead.

Four to go in stage two, Parker Kligerman pulls out and takes the lead.

Justin Allgaier gets hit by teammate Josh Berry and gets into the wall to bring out the caution flag with three laps remaining in stage two.  Jeremy Clements is also involved.  Justin Allgaier’s car stops in the grass and is out of the race.

Stage two ends under caution with Parker Kligerman winning the stage for his first stage win.

The top 10 drivers at the end of stage two:
Parker Kligerman
Riley Herbst
Sheldon Creed
Brandon Jones
Ryan Sieg
Anthony Alfredo
Josh Berry
Austin Hill
Jeremy Clements
Sam Mayer

Drivers come down pit road for service with Riley Herbst winning the race off of pit road in a three way battle.  Herbst took only two tires.

Anthony Alfredo had a crew member come over the wall to soon and Sammy Smith was charged with leaving pit road with equipment.

Riley Herbst brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three on lap 87 and pulls out in front for the lead but Parker Kligerman to try and challenge for the lead.

Lap 89, Riley Herbst leads the race with Brett Moffitt in second; Parker Kligerman, Daniel Hemric, and Sam Mayer round out the top five.

Lap 94, drivers are getting three wide in a battle for position with Austin Hill in the lead.

Lap 95, the top five are Austin Hill, Riley Herbst, Sheldon Creed, John Hunter Nemechek, and Chandler Smith.

Lap 100, Riley Herbst and Austin Hill battle for the lead with Herbst taking the spot briefly before Hill retakes the lead and pulls away.

Lap 102, the drivers have gotten single file through the field.

Austin Hill leads the reace with John Hunter Nemechek in second; Parker Kligerman, Brett Moffitt, and Chandler Smith round out the top five.

Sixty to go, John Hunter Nemechek is falling through the field and finally gets in line in eleventh.

Anthony Alfredo gets into the wall a bit but the track stays green and he keeps going.

With 55 laps to go, Austin Hill leads the race with Parker Kligerman in second; Brett Moffitt, Chandler Smith, and Ryan Truex round out the top five.

With 52 to go, the drivers are starting to make their moves for position. 

Sheldon Creed comes down pit road with a flat tire.

There are 49 laps to go; Austin Hill leads the race with Parker Kligerman in second; Brett Moffitt, Chandler Smith, and Ryan Truex round out the top five.

The caution flag comes out for the record tying tenth time when Kyle Sieg and Patrick Emerling spins out and slides down the track.  Sheldon Creed gets one of his laps back.

Some of the drivers come down pit road for service including second place driver Parker Kligerman.  Race leader Austin Hill is one of six drivers to stay out on the track.

Austin Hill brings the field down for the green flag restart with 40 laps to go.  Austin Hill and Brandon Jones battle for the lead with the two swapping the lead back and forth before Austin Hill gets out in front with 38 laps to go.

With 37 laps to go, Austin Hill leads the race with Riley Herbst in second; Ryan Truex, Daniel Hemric, and Brandon Jones round out the top five.

Chandler Smith makes an unscheduled trip down pit road reporting that something was wrong with the car.  He takes his car to the garage.  If the issue is mechanical and fixable, the crew can make repairs.

Thirty to go, Austin Hill holds on to the lead with Riley Herbst in second; Ryan Truex, Daniel Hemric, and Cole Custer round out the top five.

After an extended visit on pit road, Parker Kligerman has moved through the field and is back in the top five.

There are 25 laps remaining in the race, Austin Hill holds on to a narrow lead with Riley Herbst in second; Ryan Truex, Daniel Hemric, and Parker Kligerman round out the top five.

Parker Kligerman has been moving through the field without any help.

With 23 laps to go, Parker Kligerman comes up to challenge Austin Hill for the lead.  Austin Hill holds him off so far.

Fifteen laps togo, Austin Hill holds on to the lead; Riely Herbst, Parker Kligerman, Jeb Burton, and Anthony Alfredo round out the top five.

If Austin Hill can hold on to win the race, he will join only two other drivers who have won three races in the first five starts of the race – Mark Martin and Kyle Busch.

Eleven to go, Austin Hill holds on to the lead but Parker Kligerman is now in second place.

Ten to go, the top five are Austin Hill, Parker Kligerman, Riley Herbst, Anthony Alfredo, and Brett Moffitt.

Parker Retzlaff brings out the eleventh caution flag of the day with just eight laps to go.  Retzlaff is out of his car but is in some discomfort after he gets loose and hits the corner wall hard.

Five to go and the lights are still on the caution car.

Austin Hill brings the field down for the green flag shootout to the end of the race with just two laps remaining in the race with Daniel Hemric alongside.  Parker Kligerman chose to restart behind Austin Hill.  Austin Hill takes the lead.

Austin Hill takes the white flag.

Parker Kligerman comes up on the outside but gets turned around causing a crash.  Austin Hill wins the race for his third win in the first five races of the season.

The unofficial results of the Raptor King of Tough 250:
Austin Hill
Daniel Hemric
Ryan Truex
Parker Kligerman
Riley Herbst
Brett Moffitt
Josh Berry
John Hunter Nemechek
Sam Mayer
Justin Haley
Ryan Sieg
Cole Custer
Brennan Poole
Anthony Alfredo
Jeremy Clements
Jeb Burton
Sammy Smth
Patrick Emerling
Brandon Jones
Gray Gaulding
Sheldon Creed
Blaine Perkins
Ryan Ellis
Chad Chastain
Joe Graf Jr
Kyle Sieg
Parker Retzlaff
Chandler Smith
Justin Allgaier
Connor Mosack
Sage Karam
Josh Williams
Kyle Weatherman
Jeffrey Earnhardt
Kaz Grala
Garrett Smithley
Joey Gase
Caesar Bacarella