Wild and Crazy Night for Xfinity in Daytona

NASCAR comes to Daytona International Speedway this week for a double header of night time racing for the Xfinity and Cup Series.

The Xfinity Series gets the weekend started with the Wawa 250 on Friday night.  While the 38 car field does not include any of the Cup Series drivers, there are a number of part time drivers in the field this weekend.

After a spoiler infraction that cost him 20 points, Parker Kligerman is still above the “cut line” but has some work to do to stay there over the next five races before the playoffs begin.

On a hot Friday afternoon, the drivers take to the track to make a qualifying run without the benefit of any practice.  The top 10 drivers will make a second round of qualifying to set the pole.

Tim Viens is the first driver on the track and posted a time of 52.820 seconds.

Just the second car out, Joey Gase broke the 52 second mark with a time of 50.741 seconds.

Sam Mayer is on the track but is running very slow – less than 150mph!  With 38 cars in the field, he will make the race but will have to start the race from the back of the field.

Joe Graf Jr driving the JGR 19 car broke the 50 second mark with a time of 49.736 seconds around the 2.5 mile track.

In the garage, Sam Mayer reports that he made a mistake; adding that he is tired of making mistakes.  The motor was “upset” when he made a bad shift.

When the green flag drops on tonight’s race, Jeremy Clements will tie the record for the most consecutive Xfinity Series starts at 382.  Clements drives for his family’s racing team.

Just as round two of qualifying was set to begin a typical summer afternoon shower in Florida descended on the track that included some lightning.  As a result, there is only one round of qualifying and putting Chandler Smith on the pole.  It is the first time in eight years that a car other than a Chevrolet has sat on the pole in Daytona.

The starting lineup for the Wawa 250:
Chandler Smith
Austin Hill
AJ Allmendinger
Joe Graf Jr
Jesse Love
Ryan Truex
Sheldon Creed
Riley Herbst
Anthony Alfredo
Josh Williams
Justin Allgaier
Parker Kligerman
Jeremy Clements
Cole Custer
Parker Retzlaff
Brandon Jones
Caesar Bacarella
Kyle Weatherman
Shane van Gisbergen
Leland Honeyman
Jeb Burton
Jeffrey Earnhardt
Patrick Emerling
Jordan Anderson
Sammy Smith
Ryan Sieg
Gus Dean
Matt DiBenedetto
Blaine Perkins
CJ McLaughlin
Brennan Poole
Akinori Ogata
Josh Bilicki
Kyle Sieg
Joey Gase
Ryan Ellis
Tim Viens
Sam Mayer

After his “mistake” during qualifying, Sam Mayer’s crew made an engine change.  Already at the back of the field, Mayer did not lose any starting spots.

Austin Hill is having a radio issue and has crew members working on the issue as the drivers get moving.  The crew made an unapproved adjustment during the repair and Austin Hill has to start the race from the back of the field.

Stages one and two are 30 laps each with stage three lasting 40 laps for a total of 100 laps around the 2.5 mile track.

Chandler Smith brings the field down for the green flag start of the race.  Crash on lap one involving Jeremy Clements, Austin Hill, Ryan Ellis, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Gus Dean, and Akinori Ogata.  Earnhardt bumped Clements, sending Clements spinning; collecting up the other drivers.

When asked about the crash, Ryan Ellis said that it felt and looked dumb.

The caution is extended while the crews work to get up all the fluid that was dropped on the track.

After being on pit road for repairs, Gus Dean blows an engine and is out of the race.

Sammy Smith comes down pit road with a vibration.

Austin Hill reports the car is vibrating all over.

Chandler Smith brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 10 with Joe Graf Jr alongside.  On the inside lane, Smith edges out in front for the lead.  Joe Graf Jr comes up on the outside to take the lead.  The inside lane moves up for Chandler Smith to retake the lead.

Lap eleven, the top five are Chandler Smith, AJ Allmendinger, Joe Graf Jr, Riley Herbst, and Josh Williams.

Lap 12, the drivers get three wide across the track.

AJ Allmendinger takes the lead.

Lap 13, Riley Herbst comes up on the outside to take the lead.

Austin Hill brings his car down pit road and to the garage saying that the car is vibrating so bad that he can’t breathe.
Lap 14 Three wide, AJ Allmendinger retakes the lead.

Lap 15, Chandler Smith takes the lead with Joe Graf Jr in second; AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Truex, and Josh Williams round out the top five.

Lap 17, the middle row is falling back.  Chandler Smith leads the race with Joe Graf Jr in second; Ryan Truex, Sheldon Creed, and Jesse Love round out the top five.

Cole Custer passes Jesse Love for fifth.

Lap 20, AJ Allmendinger is back out in front.

Lap 22, AJ Allmendinger leads the race with Parker Kligerman in second; Chandler Smith, ColCuster, and Justin Allgaier round out the top five.

Tim Viens and Austin Hill are off the track.

All 33 cars on the track are on the lead lap.

Lap 23, Justin Allgaier gets out in front from the inside lane.

Lap 25, Justin Allgaier leads the race with AJ Allmendinger in second; Ryan Sieg, Parker Kligerman, and Jesse Love round out the top five.

With four laps remaining in stage one, Justin Allgaier has a tenth of a second lead on AJ Allmendinger.

Justin Allgaier wins stage one for his 12^th stage win of the season.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Justin Allgaier
Chandler Smith
AJ Allmendinger
Sheldon Creed
Parker Kligerman
Ryan Truex
Joe Graf Jr
Anthony Alfredo
Sammy Smith
Jeremy Clements

Drivers come down pit road for service, taking fuel only Ryan Truex wins the race off of pit road.  Jess Love spins in his pit stall.  Sammy Smith has trouble getting off of pit road.

Cole Custer and Riley Herbst made contact of pit road, causing both drivers to make return trips down pit road.

Ryan Truex missed his pit stall.

Patrick Emerling was charged with a safety violation and will have to restart the race from the back of the field.

Sam Mayer brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two with Sheldon Creed alongside.  Sam Mayer gets out in front for the lead but Sheldon Creed comes up on the outside to take the lead.

Lap 38, Sam Mayer and Sheldon Creed are side by side and swapping the lead.

Tim Viens is out of the race.

Lap 39, Sam Mayer leads the race with teammate Justin Allgier on his bumper; Parker Kligerman, AJ Allmendinger, and Josh Williams round out the top five.

Lap 41, drivers are three wide with Sam Mayer leading the pack.

Lap 42, AJ Allmendinger takes the lead on the outside.

Austin Hill returns to the track 25 laps down.

Lap 44, the field is down to two lanes with a majority of the drivers in the outside lane.

Lap 49, AJ Allmendinger leads the race with Parker Kligerman in second; Ryan Truex, Sheldon Creed, and Chandler Smith round out the top five.  The field is now single file.

Lap 51, the drivers have divided up into two lanes again with AJ Allmendinger leading the race and Ryan Truex leading the inside lane.

Lap 52, Ryan Truex takes the lead.

Lap 54, Ryan Truex leads the race with AJ Allmendinger in second; Parker Kligerman, Sheldon Creed, and Justin Allgaier round out the top five.

With five laps remaining in stage two, Justin Allgaier takes the lead from the inside lane.

Three to go in stage two, Justin Allgaier continues to hold off drivers to keep the lead.

Anthony Alfredo gets into the wall on the last lap of stage two to bring out the caution.  Sam Mayer gets loose and loses control of the car but recovers and doesn’t spin out.

Justin Allgaier wins stage two for the stage sweep.

The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Justin Allgaier
Riley Herbst
Ryan Truex
AJ Allmendinger
Jeb Burton
Parker Kligerman
Sheldon Creed
Chandler Smith
Brandon Jones
Josh Williams

Taking just two tires, Ryan Truex wins the race off of pit road.

Shane van Gisbergen makes a second trip down pit road for his ill handing car.

Parker Kligerman asks for a wrench to tighten a mirror that had come loose.

Ryan Truex brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three on lap 68 with Riley Herbst alongside.  Getting a push from behind both drivers go side by side until Truex edges out in front.

With 34 laps remaining in the race, the drivers get three wide with Ryan Truex in the lead.

Chandler Smith takes the lead but Ryan Truex comes up on the inside for some side by side racing.

Austin Hill is the only driver on the track not on the lead lap and he is 25 laps down.

Brandon Jones spins out with a flat tire to bring out the caution flag on lap 68.  He spins out in the newly paved area after the grass was removed on the back stretch.

The top five are Ryan Truex, Chandler Smith, AJ Allmendinger, Parker Kligerman, and Ryan Sieg.

Several drivers come down pit road for service.

Ryan Truex brings the field down for the green flag restart with AJ Allmendinger alongside with 27 laps to go.  Truex and Allmendinger go side by side until Allmendinger gets a push from Kligerman to take the lead.

The top five are AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Truex, Parker Kligerman, Ryan Sieg, and Joe Graf Jr.

With 25 laps to go, the caution flag comes out for a big crash.  It’s the “Big One” involving Parker Retzlaff, Jeb Burton, Jesse Love, Brandon Jones, Josh Williams, Matt DiBenedetto, Cole Custer, Sammy Smith, Caesar Bacarella, and Kyle Sieg

A few drivers come down pit road for service and one last set of tires.

AJ Allmendinger brings the field down for the green flag restart with just 18 laps remaining in the race with Parker Kligerman alongside.  Allmendinger gets out in front for the lead.

Ryan Truex takes the lead briefly but AJ Allmendinger gets back out in front with 17 laps to go.

Sixteen to go, Ryan Truex has the lead with Anthony Alfredo in second; AJ Allmendinger Parker Kligerman, and Justin Allgaier round out the top five.

Fourteen to go, Ryan Truex leads the race with Anthony Alfredo in second. Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, and Parker Kligerman round out the top five.

Twelve to go, the inside lane led by Anthony Alfredo has fallen back a bit; leaving the outside lane in the lead.

Leader Ryan Truex drops down to the inside.  AJ Allmendinger takes the lead.

Stuck in the middle, Anthony Alfredo gets pushed back in the field.

Ten to go! AJ Allmendinger leads the race with Parker Kligerman in second; Riley Herbst, Chandler Smith, and Kyle Weatherman round out the top five.

Just eight laps remain in the race and the battle for position begins.

Seven to go, AJ Allmendinger and Ryan Truex battle for the lead.

There are 29 cars on the lead lap.

Another big crash brings out the caution flag with just five laps to go to bring out the caution flag.  The race will go into overtime.  Josh Bilicki, Jeremy Clements, Anthony Alfredo, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Shane van Gisbergen, Caesar Bacarella, and Patrick Emerling were all involved in the crash.

NASCAR has red flagged the race with three laps to go in order to get the track cleaned up.

After about a 15 minute delay, NASCAR pulls the red flag and displays the yellow and the cars get moving again.

A few drivers come down pit road for service.

Ryan Truex brings the field down for the overtime shootout for the end of the race with AJ Allmendinger alongside.  With a push from Riley Herbst, Ryan Truex edges out in front.  Truex moves up to the outside lane and holds on to the lead.

Ryan Truex takes the white flag.

AJ Allmendinger turns down the track after a push from Parker Kligerman.  When Allmendinger hits the edge of the banking, it moves him up the track and into the wall to bring out the caution flag.

Ryan Truex wins the race under caution.

The unofficial results of the Wawa 250:
Ryan Truex
Chandler Smith
Parker Kligerman
Riley Herbst
Ryan Sieg
Jordan Anderson
Justin Allgaier
Sheldon Creed
Leland Honeyman
Kyle Weatherman
Josh Williams
Joe Graf Jr
Blaine Perkins
Sam Mayer
Kyle Sieg
Brennan Poole
Jeb Burton
Patrick Emerling
CJ McLaughlin
Joey Gase
Brandon Jones
Jesse Love
Sammy Smith
AJ Allmendinger
Shane van Gisbergen
Anthony Alfredo
Jeremy Clements
Jeffrey Earnhardt
Caesar Bacarella
Josh Bilicki
Austin Hill
Cole Custer
Matt DiBenedetto
Parker Retzlaff
Tim Viens
Gus Dean
Ryan Ellis
Akinori Ogata