Round two of the triple header weekend in the Xfinity Series SciApps 300 with 39 drivers vying for 38 starting spots.
Although he missed winning the Truck Series race on Friday night, Kyle Larson will return to race in the Xfinity Series race as he pulls his own triple header weekend; driving in all three races. Truck Series regular Corey Heim is also in the race today.
Earlier this week it was announced that English driver Katherine Legge would be focusing her driving time in NASCAR and the Xfinity Series and would not be seeking an entry into the 2025 Indianapolis 500. e.l.f. cosmetics will be Legge’s primary sponsor on her car. Legge is not in the race today, but has plans to run a number of races in the Xfinity Series throughout the season.
On a cool and cloudy Saturday morning, the drivers have been divided into two groups for a 25 minute practice session before making a single round of qualifying.
NASCAR did apply traction compound – the “sticky stuff” – to the track prior to the Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday.
Tyler Tomassi gets into the wall to pause Group 1 practice.
Practice is paused for a second time after an on track incident from Mason Maggio.
Taylor Gray tops the leaderboard after Group 1 practice.
Late in the Truck Series race on Friday night NASCAR paused the race shortly for “rain”; it wasn’t rain…it was snow! That’s why there were no “raindrops” on the windshields.
Sheldon Creed, Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill, and Brennan Poole will all compete in the third Dash-4-Cash race today.
Nick Sanchez topped the leaderboard in Group 2 practice and overall with Taylor Gray in second.
The first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Corey Heim who posted a time of 15.487 seconds around the half mile track.
Tyler Tomassi will not make a qualifying run and will not make the race. Mason Maggio did not make a qualifying run after an on track incident during practice.
Drivers get two laps to make a qualifying run, Taylor Gray ran the exact same time in both laps…down to the thousandths of a second.
Christian Eckes’ car is up on jacks with the crew replacing a track bar mount that broke during practice. The crew hopes to have the repair done in time for Eckes to qualfy.
With a time of 15.194 seconds, Kyle Larson puts the number 17 car on the pole with Connor Zilisch starting alongside on the front row.
The starting lineup for the SciApps 300:
Kyle Larson
Connor Zilisch
Carson Kvapil
Justin Allgaier
Ryan Sieg
Sam Mayer
Nick Sanchez
Sammy Smith
Parker Retzlaff
Harrison Burton
Taylor Gray
Jeb Burton
Jesse Love
Brandon Jones
William Sawalich
Corey Heim
Dean Thompson
Austin Hill
Daniel Dye
Kyle Sieg
Sheldon Creed
Christian Eckes
Brennan Poole
Jeremy Clements
Matt DiBenedetto
Josh Williams
Justin Bonsignore
Blaine Perkins
Anthony Alfredo
Mason Massey
Kris Wright
Ryan Ellis
Thomas Annunziata
Garrett Smithley
Alex Labbe
Greg van Alst
CJ McLaughlin
Mason Maggio
Parker Retzlaff, Christian Eckes, and Mason Maggio will have to move to the back of the field after crews made unapproved adjustments to the cars.
Stages one and two are 85 laps each with stage three lasting 130 for a total of 300 laps around the half mile track.
Kyle Larson brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with Connor Zilisch alongside. Kyle Larson gets out in front for the lead.
Lap three, Harrison Burton brings out the first caution flag of the race with a tire issue.
Already having car issues, Mason Maggio takes his car to the garage.
Kyle Larson brings the field down for the green flag restart. Larson gets out in front for the lead.
The top five are Kyle Larson, Justin Allgier, Connor Zilisch, Sam Mayer, and Ryan Sieg.
Drivers are battling all through the field.
Kyle Larson has a narrow lead on Justin Allgaier; Connor Zilisch, Sam Mayer, and Nick Sanchez round out the top five.
Lap 17 Justin Allgaier moves up to the outside to battle Kyle Larson for the lead; Larson holds on to the top spot.
Lap 26, Kyle Larson has a third of a second lead on Justin Allgaier; Connor Zilisch, Sam Mayer, and Nick Sanchez round out the top five with 33 cars on the lead lap.
Parker Retzlaff and Christian Eckes have moved up several spots after starting the race from the back of the field.
Lap 35, Kyle Larson now has a lead of over a second and a half on Justin Allgaier; Connor Zilisch, Sam Mayer, and Ryan Sieg round out the top five. Nick Sanchez and Sammy Smith battle for sixth.
Lap 43, there are now just 23 cars on the lead lap; Parker Retzlaff, Christian Eckes, and Harrison Burton are among the lap down drivers.
Lap 48, With a lead of over two seconds, Kyle Larson continues to lap slower traffic with just 20 cars on the lead lap; Justin Allgaier, Connor Zilisch, Sam Mayer, and Ryan Sieg round out the top five.
Lap 56, Kyle Larson continues to leave the rest of the field behind with a lead of over three seconds with 17 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 63, with the end of stage one just over 20 laps away, drivers are in a battle for the “lucky dog” spot with over half the field already a lap down.
Lap 66, there are now just 15 cars on the lead lap.
In the words of Adam Alexander, Kyle Larson is “taking the field to the woodshed”.
Lap 76, the caution flag comes out when Sheldon Creed and Brennan Poole get into a wreck and end up in the wall. Sheldon Creed is out of his car and walking across the track. Brennan Poole exits his car after talking to track workers. Dean Thompson made contact with Creed, sending Creed around. Creed was stopped on the track when Pool T-boned Creed. Poole reports that he just had the wind knocked out of him. A wheel sits on the track from Brennan Poole’s car.
NASCAR has red flagged to race in order to get the track cleaned up.
Jeb Burton in 14th is the “lucky dog” when the race resumes.
There is enough speedy dry on the track to resemble a beach.
The drivers are moving again under the caution flag with nine las remaining in stage one.
Several drivers come down pit road for service including leader Kyle Larson.
Sam Mayer brings the field down for the green flag restart with only three laps remaining in stage one. There are 25 cars on the lead lap after some drivers took the wave around,
Sam Mayer leads the race with Ryan Sieg in second; Kyle Larson, Sammy Smith, and Justin Allgaier round out the top five.
Sam Mayer wins stage one.
The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Sam Mayer
Ryan Sieg
Kyle Larson
Sammy Smith
Justin Allgaier
Connor Zilisch
Nick Sanchez
Jesse Love
Carson Kvapil
Brandon Jones
Matt DiBenedetto is the “lucky dog”.
Drivers who have yet to pit come down pit road for service with Sam Mayer winning the race off of pit road.
Harrison Burton was caught speeding on pit road and Parker Retzlaff had a crew member over the wall too soon; both drivers will have to restart the race from the back of the field.
Kyle Larson retakes the lead and will bring the field down for the green flag start of stage two with Sammy Smith alongside on lap 97. Larson jumps out in front for the lead with Justin Allgaier in second.
The top five are Kyle Larson, Justin Allgaier, Connor Zilisch, Sammy Smith, and Carson Kvapil. The top five are Kyle Larson and all four of the JR Motorsports cars.
Lap 103, Kyle Larson has a lead of over half a second on Justin Allgaier.
Lap 107, Kyle Larson has a lead of over a second on Justin Allgaier; Connor Zilisch, Sammy Smith, and Carson Kvapil.
Harrison Burton makes an unscheduled trip down pit road with another tire issue.
Lap 112, Kyle Larson has a rocket ship today and is over two seconds out in front of Justin Allgaier.
Lap 114, Sammy Smith passes Justin Allgaier for second; three seconds behind leader Kyle Larson.
Lap 119, Kyle Larson has already encountered slower traffic and is lapping cars.
Lap 123, Kyle Larson has a near four second lead on Sammy Smith; Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil, and Connor Zilisch round out the top five with 23 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 129, Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier battle for second with Kyle Larson over four seconds out in front.
Lap 135, Kyle Larson holds a four second lead on Sammy Smith; Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil, and Connor Zilisch round out the top five.
Lap 141, Kyle Larson has extended his lead to over four had a half second on Sammy Smith; Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil, and Connor Zilisch round out the top five with 18 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 154, Alex Labbe takes his car to the garage with mechanical issues.
Lap 156, Kyle Larson is “driving it like he stole it” with a lead of over six and a half seconds on Jusitn Allgaier; there are 13 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 160, the top five are Kyle Larson and JRM – Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, Carson Kvapil, and Connor Zilisch.
Lap 163, Kyle Larson continues to extend his lead and is now over eight seconds out in front.
Five to go in stage two; Kyle Larson is nine seconds out in front of Justin Allgaier with 12 cars on the lead lap.
Kyle Larson wins stage two.
The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Kyle Larson
Justin Allgaier
Sammy Smith
Carson Kvapil
Connor Zilisch
Jesse Love
Brandon Jones
Corey Heim
William Sawalich
Sam Mayer
Thirteenth place driver Christian Eckes is the “lucky dog”.
Drivers come down pit road for service with (no surprise) Kyle Larson winning the race off of pit road.
Mason Massey was caught speeding on pit road (in three sections) and will have to restart the race from the back of the field.
Kyle Larson brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three with Justin Allgaier on the inside with 121 laps to go. Justin Allgaier gets out in front from the inside lane for the lead.
The top five are Justin Allgaier, Kyle Larson, Sammy Smith, Jesse Love, and Carson Kvapil.
With 112 laps to go, Kyle Larson is on leader Justin Allgaier’s bumper and moves up the track in an attempt to pass.
With 110 laps to go, Kyle Larson retakes the lead.
With 105 laps to go, Justin Allgaier is staying close to leader Kyle Larson and is just half a second behind; Sammy Smith, Carson Kvapil, and Jesse Love round out the top five.
One hundred to go! Kyle Larson has a lead of over half a second on Justin Allgaier; Sammy Smith, Carson Kvapil, and Jesse Love round out the top five.
With 91 laps to go, leader Kyle Larson has encountered slower traffic.
The caution flag comes out with 89 laps to go when Mason Massey spins out after contact with Justin Allgaier. Sammy Smith barely avoids getting caught up in Massey’s spin.
William Sawalich is on pit road and out of his car after running into the back of Connor Zilisch.
Some of the drivers come down pit road for service. The drivers can make it to the end of the race on fuel but they are looking for the last set of sticker tires.
Parker Retzlaff, Jeb Burton, and Kyle Sieg were caught speeding on pit road and will have to restart the race from the back of the field.
There are 15 cars on the lead lap.
Kyle Larson brings the field down for the green flag restart with 75 laps remaining in the race with Justin Allgaier alongside. Larson and Allgaier gets side by side before Larson gets out in front.
The top five are Kyle Larson, Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, Carson Kvapil, and Sammy Smith.
There are 69 laps remaining in the race, Kyle Larson has already pulled out to a near one second lead on Justin Allgaier.
Carson Kvapil and Jesse Love battle for third.
Sixty to go, Kyle Larson holds a one second lead on Justin Allgaier; Jesse Love, Carson Kvapil, and Sammy Smith round out the top five.
With 53 laps to go, Kyle Larson now has a second and a half lead on Justin Allgaier; Carson Kvaipl finally gets around Jesse Love for third.
Kyle Larson continues to extend his lead on Justin Allgaier with just 46 laps remaining in the race.
The top five are Kyle Larson, Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil, Jesse Love, and Sammy Smith.
Forty to go, with Kyle Larson over a second out in front of the field.
Just 33, laps to go, Kyle Larson has a lead of over a second on Justin Allgaier; Carson Kvapil, Jesse Love, and Sammy Smith round out the top five.
Just 28 laps to go, Justin Allgaier has kept leader Kyle Larson in his sights; just over a second behind. Larson has encountered slower traffic.
In second place, Justin Allgaier is in position to take home his second Dash-4-Cash prize; Austin Hill is back in 17th place with Brennan Poole and Sheldon Creed out of the race.
Just 19 laps to go, Carson Kvapil and Justin Allgaier battle for second with Kyle Larson a second and a half out in front.
There are cars all around the half mile track.
With 13 laps to go, there are just 13 cars on the lead lap.
Ten to go, Kyle Larson has a one second lead on Justin Allgaier; Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith, and Brand on Jones round out the top five.
Six to go, Kyle Larson continues to dominate the race with 12 cars on the lead lap.
Kyle Larson takes the white flag.
After a dominating lead of 277 laps, Kyle Larson takes the checkered flag and gets the sword trophy.
Justin Allgaier wins the Dash-4-Cash $100,000 prize.
The unofficial results of the SciApps 300:
Kyle Larson
Carson Kvapil
Justin Allgaier
Sammy Smith
Brandon Jones
Jesse Love
Ryan Sieg
Corey Heim
Christian Eckes
Dean Thompson
Sam Mayer
Connor Zilisch
Daniel Dye
Josh Williams
Anthony Alfredo
Nick Sanchez
Justin Bonsignore
Parker Retzlaff
Taylor Gray
Jeremy Clements
Jeb Burton
Kyle Sieg
Matt DiBenedetto
Austin Hill
Mason Massey
Harrison Burton
Ryan Ellis
Thomas Annunziata
Garrett Smithley
Blain Perkins
Kris Wright
Greg van Alst
CJ McLaughlin
William Sawalich
Alex Labbe
Brennan Poole
Sheldon Creed
Mason Maggio