Driving Through the Field for the Win!

It’s the beginning of another triple header weekend for NASCAR; this time in southern Florida at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Baptist Health 200.

The fires that shut down the highway yesterday are under control and race operations will go on as planned.

When the Xfinity Series aired on FOX they held an annual Drivers Only broadcast.  With the Xfinity now on the CW Network, the Drivers Only broadcast has moved to the Craftsman Truck Series.  Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski will be in the booth with Austin Cindric and Carson Hocevar cruising pit road.

Joining the field of 34 drivers this week are Cup Series drivers Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain.  Xfinity Series driver Brandon Jones is also in the field tonight.

The field for tonight’s race is truly an international affair with French driver Michel Disdier, Japanese driver Akinori Ogada, and Mexican driver Andres Perez.

The drivers have been divided into two groups for 25 minute practice sessions before making a single round of qualifying.

Jack Wood tops the leaderboard for Group 1 after the 25 minute practice session.

Several of the crews are seeing cording and heavy wear on the tires; especially the right side.

Third overall, Ross Chastain topped the leaderboard in Group 2.

The first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Michel Disdier who posted a time of 36.915 seconds around the mile and a half track.

Akinori Ogada ran a time of 34.436 seconds.

The times keep coming down with Stephen Parsons posting a time of 33.233 seconds.

Nathan Byrd’s truck is smoking during his qualifying run; a possible tire rub.

The first driver to break the 33 second mark, Brandon Jones posted a time of 32.627 seconds.

With a time of 32.111 seconds Corey Heim put his number eleven truck on the pole for his first pole of the season.  Teammate Tanner Gray will start alongside on the front row.

The starting lineup for the Baptist Health 200:
Corey Heim
Tanner Gray
Kyle Larson
Layne Riggs
Gio Ruggiero
Tyler Ankrum
Ross Chastain
Grant Enfinger
Stewart Friesen
Ty Majeski
Brandon Jones
Rajah Caruth
Kaden Honeycutt
Daniel Hemric
Chandler Smith
Corey Day
Matt Mills
Dawson Sutton
Connor Mossack
Jake Garcia
Andres Perez
Stephen Parsons
Matt Crafton
Ben Rhodes
Luke Fenhaus
Jack Wood
Toni Breidinger
Nathan Byrd
Frankie Muniz
Keith McGee
Okinori Ogada
Spencer Boyd
Steven Mallozzi
Michel Disdier

Stages one and two of the race are 30 laps each with stage three lasting 74 laps for a total of 134 laps around the mile and a half track.  The drivers can run 50 to 55 laps on a single load of fuel.

Corey Heim brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with teammate Tanner Gray on the outside.  Drivers are three and four wide on the start.

The caution flag comes out for a crash in turns one and two involving Gio Ruggiero  and Ben Rhodes.  Ruggiero spins out after some on track contact and collects Rhodes when he gets into the wall.  Ruggiero and Rhodes were both charged with pitting too soon – pit road was not yet open – and will have to restart the race from the back of the longest line.

Corey Heim brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap six with Kyle Larson alongside.  Heim gets out in front for the lead with drivers three wide through the field.

Lap seven, Corey Heim and Kyle Larson battle for the lead.

Lap eight, the top five are Corey Heim, Kyle Larson, Layne Riggs, Ty Majeski, and Tanner Gray.

Lap nine, Layne Riggs and Ross Chastain battle for third.

Lap 10, Kyle Larson passes Corey Heim for the lead but Heim comes back to retake the lead as the battle continues.

Lap 12, Corey Heim leads the race with Kyle Larson on his bumper; Ross Chastain, Layne Riggs, and Ty Majeski round out the top five.

Kyle Larson and Corey Heim continue to battle for the lead and swap back and forth. 

Lap 13, Kyle Larson leads the race.

Lap 14, the top five are Kyle Larson, Corey Heim, Layne Riggs, Ross Chastain, and Ty Majeski

Lap 16, Kyle Larson has pulled out to a one second lead on Corey Heim; Layne Riggs, Ross Chastain, and Ty Majeski round out the top five.

Lap 20, Kyle Larson has a lead of over a second on Layne Riggs; Corey Heim Ty Majeski, and Ross Chastain round out the top five.

Corey Heim and Layne Riggs battle for second.  Fourth place driver Ty Majeski is four seconds back.

Lap 24, Layne Riggs has closed the gap on leader Kyle Lars to under a second.

Steven Mallozzi is off the track.

With six laps remaining in stage one, Layne Riggs has closed the gap on Kyle Larson to under half as second.

Lap 27, Kyle Larson has just a quarter of a second lead on Corey Heim and Layne Riggs.

There are 28 trucks on the lead lap.

Lap 28, Corey Heim takes the lead.  Kyle Larson and Layne Riggs battle for second.

Corey Heim wins stage one.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Corey Heim
Kyle Larson
Layne Riggs
Ty Majeski
Ross Chastain
Tyler Ankrum
Daniel Hemric
Stewart Friesen
Kaden Honeycutt
Chandler Smith

Drivers come down pit road for service with Corey Heim winning the race off of pit road with Kyle Larson right behind.  Layne Riggs had a slow stop after running over his pit box and had to back up before service could begin.

Ben Rhodes was charged with pitting too soon and having too many crew members over the wall.  He will have to restart the race from the back of the longest line.

Corey Heim brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two on lap 38 with Kyle Larson alongside.  Heim takes the lead as drivers get three and four wide.

The start is under review.

Lap 40, Corey Heim leads the race with Kyle Larson in second; Ty Majeski, Stewart Friesen, and Kaden Honeycutt round out the top five.

Restart was good.

Lap 43, Kyle Larson battles with Corey Heim for the lead.

Lap 44, Stewart Friesen and Kyle Larson battle for second.

Lap 45, the top five are Coey Heim, Stewart Friesen, Kyle Larson, Ty Majeski, and Kaden Honeycutt.

Lap 50, Corey Heim has a half second lead on Ty Majeski; Kyle Larson, Stewart Friesen, and Kaden Honeycutt round out the top five.

Lap 51, Corey Heim and Ty Majeski battle for the lead.

Just eight laps remain in stage two, Corey Heim has a half second lead on Ty Majeski; Kyle Larson, Stewart Friesen, and Kaden Honeycutt round out the top five.  There are 29 trucks on the lead lap.

Lap 56, Kyle Larson passes Ty Majeski for second; Corey Heim has a lead of over half a second.

Corey Heim wins stage two for the stage sweep with a one second lead on Kyle Larson.

The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Corey Heim
Kyle Larson
Ty Majeski
Stewart Friesen
Kaden Honeycutt
Layne Riggs
Ross Chastain
Daniel Hemric
Tyler Ankrum
Grand Enfinger

Drivers come down pit road for service with Corey Heim winning the race off of pit road followed by Kyle Larson.  There was a bit of a traffic jam with contact on pit road.  Ty Majeski has some damage to his truck as a result of the contact.

Ty Majeski, Ben Rhodes, and Gio Ruggiero were charged with pitting too soon and will have to restart the race from the back of the longest line.

With a stage of 74 laps, the drivers will have to make a pit stop during the stage. 

Corey Heim brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three on lap 67 with Kyle Larson alongside.  Heim gets out in front to hold on to the lead.

No driver that has won the pole and swept the stages has won the race at Homestead-Miami.

Kyle Larson and Daniel Hemric battle for second.  Layne Riggs makes it a three way battle.

Lap 69, the top five are Corey Heim, Kyle Larson, Layne Riggs, Ross Chastain, and Stewart Freisen.

Ross Chastain comes up on the inside and passes Layne Riggs and Corey Heim to take the lead.

Lap 72, Ross Chastain has pulled out to a half second lead on Corey Heim; Kyle Larson, Layne Riggs, and Stewart Friesen round out the top five.

Lap 74, Ross Chastain has increased his lead to over a second on Corey Heim.

Lap 79, Ross Chastain holds on to a lead of over a second on Corey Heim; Kyle arson, Layne Riggs, and Daniel Hemric round out the top five.

Lap 82, Corey Heim has closed the gap on leader Ross Chastain to under a second.

Lap 87, Corey Heim has caught leader Ross Chastain and battles for the lead.

With 46 laps to go, Corey Heim passes Ross Chastain for the lead.

The caution flag comes out on lap 89 when Kyle Larson spins out after some on track contact from Layne Riggs.

Drivers come down pit road for service including a fresh set of tires.  Corey Heim wins the race off of pit road.

Kaden Honeycutt was charged with vehicle interference and will have to restart the race from the back of the field.

The 88 truck of Matt Crafton had an uncontrolled tire on pit road and will have to restart the race from the back of the field.

Corey Heim brings the field down for the green flag restart with Daneil Hemric alongside on lap 95.  Heim gets out in front for the lead.

NASCAR has posted the 63 truck of Akinori Ogata for a restart violation.  He will have to serve a pass through penalty.

Ben Rhodes is out of the race.

Lap 98, Ross Chastain is the leader with Corey Heim in second; Tyler Ankrum, Daniel Hemric, and Layne Riggs round out the top five.

Lap 100, Ross Chastain has a lead of over half a second on Corey Heim.

Steven Mallozzi is out of the race.

With 32 laps remaining in the race, Corey Heim retakes the lead of the race; Layne Riggs, Tyler Ankrum, and Daniel Hemric round out the top five.

With 27 laps to go, Kyle Larson is mired back in 15^th after spinning out from contact on the track.  He also had a flat tire as a result of the spin.

Jut 26 laps remaining in the race, Corey Heim has a third of a second lead on Ross Chastain; Layne Riggs, Daniel Hemric, and Tyler Ankrum round out the top five.

With 22 to go, Layne Riggs passes Ross Chastain for second; he is nearly a second behind leader Corey Heim.

Twenty to go, Layne Riggs passes Corey Heim for the lead.

Kyle Larson is just outside the top 10 in eleventh.

Ross Chastain passes Corey Heim for second after the truck shut off and had to be recycled.

Nineteen to go, Ross Chastain passes Layne Riggs for the lead.

Eighteen to go, Kyle Larson has entered the top 10.

With 16 to go, Corey Heim was just behind the leaders but the truck shut off again.  He got it going again but lost some time on the track.

Just 14 to go, Ross Chastain has just a tenth of a second lead on Layne Riggs; Corey Heim is right behind them in third.

Kyle Larson is just outside the top five in sixth; running the fastest laps in the field.

IN a three wide battle, Corey Heim comes up on the inside and takes the lead with Layne Riggs in second and Ross Chastain in third.

Kyle Larson is running laps over a half a second faster than any other driver on the track and is now in fifth place.

Ten to go, Corey Heim has a near one second lead on Layne Riggs; Ross Chastain, Tyler Ankrum, and Kyle Larson rim riding round out the top five.

Seven to go, Corey Heim holds a near one second lead on Layne Riggs; Ross Chastain, Tyler Ankrum, and Kyle Larson round out the top five.

Kyle Larson passes Daniel Hemric for fourth.

Five to go, Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson battle for third with Larson taking the spot.

Four to go, Layne Riggs takes the lead after Corey Heim’s truck shut off again.  Kyle Larson takes second.

Three to go, Layne Riggs has a one second lead on Kyle Larson; Corey Heim, Tyler Ankrum, and Daniel Hemric round out the top five.

Two to go, Kyle Larson passes Layne Riggs for the lead.

Kyle Larson, Layne Riggs, and Corey Heim were nearly side by side to battle for the lead.

Kyle Larson takes the white flag.

Kyle Larson comes back to win the race in his first of three races this weekend.

The unofficial results of the Baptist Health 200:
Kyle Larson
Layne Riggs
Corey Heim
Tyler Ankrum
Daniel Hemric
Ross Chastain
Jake Garcia
Chandler Smith
Grant Enfinger
Kaden Honeycutt
Ty Majeski
Brandon Jones
Matt crafton
Matt Mills
Corey Day
Stewart Friesen
Tanner Gray
Stephen Parsons
Conner Mosack
Luke Fenhaus
Jack Wood
Rajah Caruth
Dawson Sutton
Frankie Muniz
Andres Perez
Toni Breidinger
Nathan Byrd
Spencer Boyd
Gio Ruggiero
Keith McGee
Michel Disdier
Akinori Ogada
Ben Rhodes
Steven Mallozzi