Double Overtime, Record Cautions, and Four Red Flags!

With no practice, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series takes to the track to qualify for the Focused Health 250.

Thirty-eight teams have brought cars to Echo Park Speedway in Hampton, Georgia outside of Atlanta for 38 starting spots.

It is shaping up to be a hot day at the track with air temperatures already 85 degrees for qualifying.

The first driver on the track was Carson Ware.  This is two round qualifying with the top 10 moving on to a second round to set the pole.

Blaine Perkins is stopped on the track while making his qualifying run.  He reports that he was losing rpm’s.  He gets a push to the garage.

Jordan Anderson has a flat tire during his qualifying run and gets loose, but he saves the car.

Carson Kvapil is the first driver to break the 32 second mark with a time of 31.987 seconds.

The top 10 drivers moving on to round two are:
Carson Kvapil
Sam Mayer
Sammy Smith
Jesse Love
William Sawalich
Taylor Gray
Sheldon Creed
Rajah Caruth
Patrick Staropoli
Brent Crews

With a time of 31.944 seconds Sam Mayer puts his number 41 car on the pole with Carson Kvapil alongside on the front row.

The starting lineup for the Focused Health 250:
Sam Mayer
Carson Kvapil
Jesse Love
William Sawalich
Sammy Smith
Sheldon Creed
Brent Crews
Rajah Caruth
Taylor Gray
Patrick Staropoli
Austin Hill
Brandon Jones
Corey Day
Jeremy Clements
Jake Finch
Justin Allgaier
Anthony Alfredo
Nick Sanchez
Ryan Sieg
Kyle Sieg
Jeb Burton
Parker Retzlaff
Dean Thompson
Leland Honeyman
Harrison Burton
Garrett Smithley
Ryan Ellis
Mason Maggio
Nick Leitz
Brennan Poole
Glen Reen
Lavar Scott
Joey Gase
Josh Bilicki
Logan Bearden
Blaine Perkins
Jordan Anderson

Stages one and two are 45 laps each with stage three lasting 73 laps for a total of 163 laps around the 1.5 mile track.

Denny Hamlin joins Adam Alexander and Jamie McMurray in the broadcast booth for the race.

Jeb Burton is reporting he has some clutch issues.

Sam Mayer brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with Carson Kvapil alongside.  Mayer and Kvapil go side by side getting a push form behind. 

Jeb Burton has taken his car to the garage.

Sam Mayer gets out in front for the lead.

The first caution flag comes out on lap three for a smoking Joey Gase with a blown engine.

Austin Hill reports that his throttle is sticking.  He will come down pit down to address the issue once pit road opens.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

The caution is extended while crews clean up the fluid left out on the track from Joey Gase’s car.

Sam Mayer brings the field down for the green flag restart with Carson Kvapil alongside on lap 14.  He chose the inside lane on race start, this time he chose the outside lane.  Mayer edges out for the lead after a push from behind.

The top five are Sam Mayer, Jesse Love, Carson Kvapil, William Sawalich, and Sammy Smith.

Carson Kvapil passes Jesse Love for second.  Sammy Smith passes William Sawalich for fourth.

Lap 17, Austin Hill is up to 22^nd – up 13 spots since the restart.

Lap 19 Sam Mayer holds a narrow lead on Carson Kvapil.

After starting in 16^th, Justin Allgaier has entered the top 10 in eighth place.

The second caution flag of the race comes out on lap 22 for a smoking Leland Honeyman with a flat tire.

A few drivers came down pit road for service.  Brent Crews was charged with a commitment cone violation.

Sam Mayer brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 27 with Sammy Smith alongside.  In a battle of the Sams, Carson Kvapil pushes Sam Mayer to the lead.

The top five are Sam Mayer, Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith, Jesse Love and Rajah Caruth.

Sammy Smith and Jesse Love battle for third.

Lap 30, Austin Hill has entered the top 15.

With 14 laps remaining in stage one, Sam Mayer has a narrow lead on Carson Kvapil; Jesse Love, Sammy Smith, and Raja Caruth round out the top five.

Jeb Burton is out of the race with a brake issue.

With eleven laps remaining in stage one, Carson Kvapil passes Sam Mayer for the lead.

Sam Mayer gets very loose but saved the car but has a flat tire and has to make an unscheduled trip down pit road.

Five laps to go in stage one, the top five are Carson Kvapil, Jesse Love, Sammy Smith, Sheldon Creed, and Rajah Caruth.

Leaders have begun lapping slower traffic.

Two laps remain in stage one, Jesse Love passes Carson Kvapil for the lead but Kvapil comes back up on the inside to retake the lead.

Brandon Jones gets loose and spins out.

Carson Kvapil wins stage one.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Carson Kvapil
Sammy Smith
Jesse Love
Rajah Caruth
Sheldon Creed
Jeremy Clements
Corey Day}
Justin Allgaier
William Sawalich
Dean Thompson

Drivers come down pit road for service with Ryan Sieg winning the race off of pit road.

Austin Hill was charged with a safety violation and will have to restart the race from the back of the longest line.

After staying out on the track, Brent Crews brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two with Harrison Burton alongside on lap 53.  Harrison Burton takes the lead.

The top five are Harrison Burton, Rajah Caruth, Brent Crews, Sammy Smith, and Corey Day.

Brent Crews has dropped out of the top five.

Sammy Smith takes the lead with Harrison Burton in second.

Jesse Love passes Harrison burton for second.

Harrison Burton gets loose but saves the car.

Drivers are getting three wide.  Sheldon Creed gets slideways but saves the car.

Lap 60, Sammy Smith leads the race with Justin Allgaier in second; Rajah Caruth, Corey Day, and Jesse Love round out the top five.

The Doctor, Patrick Staropoli gets loose and does some agricultural racing but gets moving again and the track stays green.

Lap 68, the top four drivers are all JRM cars with Sammy Smith leading the way; Justin Allgaier, Rajah Caruth, Carson Kvapil, and Sheldon Creed round out the top five.

Carson Ware is out of the race with mechanical issues.

There are 31 cars on the lead lap.

Corey Day passes Sheldon Creed for fifth.

Lap 73, Austin Hill has worked his way back into the top 15.

With seven laps to go in stage two, Rajah Caruth drops to the inside lane looking to pass his teammates.

Parker Retzlaff’s crew chief noted that there was a reason why the leaders were running at the top and it would help Parker’s tires.  Retzlaff responded that if he could run the top, he would be running the top.

Justin Allgaier dropped to the inside and passed Sammy Smith to win stage two by mere thousandths of a second.

The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Justin Allgaier
Sammy Smith
Rajah Caruth
Carson Kvapil
Corey Day
Jeremy Clements
Jesse Love
Parker Retzlaff
Sheldon Creed
Austin Hill

Drivers come down pit road for service with Justin Allgaier winning the race off of pit road with his three teammates coming out right behind him.

With 66 laps remaining in the race, the crews are discussing fuel conservation and how to make it to the end of the race.

Justin Allgaier brings the field down for the green flag start of stage thee with Rajah Caruth alongside.  Rajah Caruth takes the lead after a push form Carson Kvapil.

Drivers are getting spread out three and four wide across the track in a battle for position.

Rajah Caruth and Sheldon Creed battle for the lead.

Harrison Burton brings out the caution flag with a heavily smoking car.  He reports that “it blew up”.

Sam Mayer is the “lucky dog”.

Brandon Jones got loose and into the wall but keeps going.

Sheldon Creed brings the field down for the green flag restart with Rajah Caruth alongside with 55 laps remaining in the race.  Rajah Caruth edges out for the lead as drivers spread out three and four wide.

The caution flag comes out with 52 laps to go when Corey Day and Taylor Gray crash putting Gray into the wall.  There is significant damage to both cars.

NASCAR has red flagged to race in order to get the track cleaned up of all the debris.

NASCAR has withdrawn the red flag and displayed the caution flag.  The drivers are moving once again.

Having edged back in front of Rajah Caruth, Sheldon Creed brings the field down for the green flag restart with 45 laps remaining in the race.  Sam Mayer is smoking heavily from the back of his car.

Jeremy Clements spins out after some on track contact to bring out the seventh caution flag of the race.

Sam Mayer takes his car to the garage.

The top five are Sheldon Creed, Rajah Caruth, Brent Crews, Carson Kvapil, and Austin Hill.

NASCAR has red flagged the race for a second time while they clean up all the fluid.

NASCAR has used so much of the oil dry/kitty litter  that a new supply had to be brought in.

The caution flag is back out and the drivers are moving again.

Sheldon Creed brings the field down for the green flag restart with Brent Crews alongside.  There are just 36 laps remaining in the race.  Rajah Caruth give Sheldon Creed a push for the lead.

Drivers are spreading out three and four wide as the laps wind down.

Rajah, Sheldon Creed, and Sammy Smith made it a three wide battle for the lead with Rajah Caruth getting out in front.

The top five are Rajah Caruth, Carson Kvapil Justin Allgaier, Nick Sanchez, and Sammy Smith.

The caution flag comes out with 31 laps to go when Glen Reen spins out and comes to a stop in the grass.

Rajah Caruth brings the field down for the green flag restart with just 26 laps remaining in the race.  Justin Allgaier gets out in front of Rajah Caruth after a push from Austin Hill.  Carson Kvapil gives Rajah Caruth a push to put him up front.  Teammates Caruth and Allgaier battle for the lead.

Jake Finch brings out the caution flag when he gets loose and into the wall.

Rajah Caruth brings the field down for the green flag restart from the outside lane with just 19 laps remaining in the race.  Austin Hill takes the lead.

The 10^th caution flag comes out for Jake Finch who has a flat tire; just a teammate Carson Kvapil takes the lead.

NASCAR has determined that Austin Hill is the race leader.

Austin Hill brings the field down for the green flag restart with 13 laps remaining in the race.  Justin Algaier is on the inside lane.  Justin Allgaier gets out in front after a push form Rajah Caruth.

The drivers are three and four wide and brings out the eleventh caution flag of the race for a big crash.  Sheldon Creed, Jesse Love, Nick Leitz, Brennan Poole, Parker Retzlaff, Jordan Anderson, Leland Honeyman, William Sawalich, Brandon Jones, Dean Thompson, and Brent Crews were all involved.

The red flag comes out for the third time tonight.

The caution flag is out and the cars are moving again with Justin Allgaier leading the race.

Justin Allgaier brings the field down for the green flag restart after moving up to the caution car’s bumper to get some debris off of his grille with just seven laps remaining in the race.  Sammy Smith gives Carson Kvapil a push and then comes down to take the lead.

Justin Allgaier falls to 10^th.

Carson Kvapil takes the lead with five laps to go.

Austin Hill makes it a three wide battle between Carson Kvapil, Austin Hill, and Sammy Smith. 

The caution flag comes out when Nick Sanchez bumps Austin Hill, sending Hill into Sammy Smith, and Hill spinning through the field.  Ryan Ellis, Rajah Caruth were also involved.

NASCAR has put out the red flag for the fourth time!

The race goes into overtime for the second week in a row.

Carson Kvapil is listed as the race leader.

The red flag has been pulled and the caution flag is out, the drivers are moving again with Carson Kvapil leading the race.

Kvapil brings the field down for the overtime shootout to end the race with Nick Sanchez alongside.  Jeremy Clements spins out on the restart to bring out the caution flag.  Lavar Scott was also involved.

At 13 cautions, a record has been set in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at EchoPark Speedway.

Carson Kvapil brings the field down for the second overtime shootout for the finish with Nick Sanchez alongside.  Ryan Sieg gets out of line out of fuel.

Brennan Poole gets out in front for the lead.

Three wide battle gets Justin Allgaier in the lead dragging debris.  Justin Allgaier wins the race with Carson Kvapil coming in second.

This is the 13^th win for JR Motorsports and the sixth win this season for Allgaier.

Allgaier fielded a lot of handshakes and hugs during his interview.  Saying it was a rough week, Allgaier said the motorhome blew a tire and crashed.

The unofficial results of the Focused Health 250:
Justin Allgaier
Carson Kvapil
Parker Retzlaff
William Sawalich
Anthony Alfredo
Garrett Smithley
Brandon Jones
Kyle Sieg
Rajah Caruth
Jeremy Clements
Mason Maggio
Josh Bilicki
Patrick Starpoli
Dean Thompson
Glen Reen
Ryan Sieg
Brennan Poole
Sammy Smith
Nick Sanchez
Blaine Perkins
Lavar Scott
Austin Hill
Ryan Ellis
Brent Crews
Sheldon Creed
Jesse Love
Jordan Anderson
Leland Honeyman
Nick Leitz
Jake Finch
Sam Mayer
Corey Day
Taylor Gray
Harrison Burton
Logan Bearden
Carson Ware
Joey Gase
Jeb Burton