The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series takes to the iconic track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Penzoil 250.
Thirty-eight teams brought cars to Indianapolis for 38 starting spots. Ross Chastain is driving the number nine car for JR Motorsports this week with Chase Elliott in the 88 car.
William Sawalich is in the garage with what the crew believes is an ignition issue.
The drivers get a full 50 minute practice session.
Brent Crews gets loose and slaps the wall. The track stays green but Crews has to take his car to the garage.
At the end of practice, the top three spots on the leaderboard are JR Motorsports cars with Ross Chastain in the number one car at the top; with Justin Allgaier in second and Carson Kvapil in third. Chase Elliott and Sammy Smith also finished in the top 10.
After practicing on Friday, the O’Reilly Series drivers return to the track on Saturday morning to make a qualifying run before racing later in the afternoon.
The first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Joey Gase who posted a time of 56.160 seconds around the 2.5 mile track.
Halfway through qualifying, NASCAR halts qualifying for precipitation in the area.
After about a 15 minute delay, qualifying resumes with Sheldon Creed.
There were some issues with Jesse Love’s car but the crew finally got it started and he makes his qualifying run.
Justin Allgaier is the only driver in the field to have won a race at IMS.
With a time of 53.069 seconds around the 2.5 mile track, Sheldon Creed puts his double zero car on the pole with Carson Kvapil alongside on the front row.
The starting lineup for the Penzoil 250:
Sheldon Creed
Carson Kvapil
Sam Mayer
Jeremy Clements
Taylor Gray
Brandon Jones
Chase Elliott
Ross Chastain
William Sawalich
Sammy Smith
Corey Day
Jeb Burton
Justin Allgaier
Ryan Sieg
Brent Crews
Rajah Caruth
Parker Retzlaff
Patrick Staropoli
Austin Hill
Anthony Alfredo
Mason Maggio
Kyle Sieg
Nick Sanchez
Harrison Burton
Dean Thompson
Jesse Love
Blaine Perkins
Brennan Poole
Preston Pardus
Garrett Smithley
Lavar Scott
Josh Bilicki
Ryan Ellis
JJ Yeley
Joey Gase
Nathan Byrd
Blake Lothian
David Starr
Stages one and two of the race are just 30 laps with stage three lasting 40 laps for a total of 100 laps around the 2.5 mile track.
Chase Elliott will have to start the race from the back of the field after the crew made some unapproved adjustments to the car – he had a tire rub during qualifying.
Bubba Wallace joins Adam Alexander and Jamie McMurray in the broadcast booth.
Sheldon Creed brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with Carson Kvapil alongside. Creed and Kvapil go side by side on the start wit Sheldon Creed getting out in front. Teammate Sam Mayer takes second with Carson Kvapil in third
Lap two, Jeremy Clements passes Carson Kvapil for third.
Lap three, Sheldon Creed has pulled out to a half second lead on Sam Mayer; Jeremy Clements, Brandon Jones, and Taylor Gray round out the top five.
Lap four, after starting back in 13th, Justin Allgaier has entered the top 10. Chase Elliott has moved up to 27th.
Lap seven, Sheldon Creed continues to lead the race by a second on Sam Mayer; Jeremy Clements, Brandon Jones, and Carson Kvapil round out the top five.
Lap nine, Justin Allgaier is in a three car battle and takes ninth.
Chase Elliott is now in 22nd.
Lap eleven, Sheldon Creed continues to increase his lead and is now a second and a half out in front of teammate Sam Mayer; Jeremy Clements, Brandon Jones, and Carson Kvapil continues to round out the top five.
Lap 14, Sheldon Creed is now two and a half seconds out in front of Sam Mayer; Jeremy Clements, Carson Kvapil, and Ross Chastain round out the top five. Chase Elliott has entered the top 20.
Lap 15, Jeremy Clements has passed Sam Mayer for second.
Four of the five JR Motorsports cars are fourth through seventh+
Lap 18, Jeremy Clements has closed the gap on leader Sheldon Creed to under two seconds; Sam Mayer, Carson Kvapil, and Ross Chastain round out the top five.
Lap 18, Sheldon Creed’s lead is now just half a second in front of Jeremy Clements.
Lap 22, Jeremy Clements has pulled to within a quarter of a second of leader Sheldon Creed; Sam Mayer, Carson Kvapil, and Ross Chastain round out the top five. Justin Allgaier has moved up just outside the top five in sixth.
Ross Chastain has passed Carson Kvapil for fourth.
Chase Elliott is now in 17th.
Lap 23, Jeremy Clements passes Sheldon Creed for the lead; Sam Mayer takes second with Ross Chastain in third.
With five laps remaining in stage one, Jeremy Clements has a one second lead on Sam Mayer. William Sawalich passes Justin Allgaier for sixth.
Four laps to go in stage one, William Sawalich passes Sheldon Creed for fifth.
Three to go in stage one, Justin Allgaier passes Sheldon Creed for sixth.
Jeremy Clements in a family owned car wins stage one of the race.
The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Jeremy Clements
Ross Chastain
Carson Kvapil
William Sawalich
Sam Mayer
Justin Allgaier
Sheldon Creed
Taylor gray
Brent Crews
Sammy Smith
Chase Elliott finished the stage in 14th after starting in last place.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Ross Chastain winning the race off of pit road. Jeremy Clements dropped seven spots.
Ross Chastain brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two with William Sawalich alongside on lap 37. Chase Elliott restarts the race in 22nd.
Taylor Gray was charged with an uncontrolled tire. William Sawalich will also have to restart the race from the back of the field after a penalty.
Drivers get three wide back in the field. William Sawalich and Ross Chastain battle for the lead with Sawalich getting out in front.
The top five are William Sawalich, Ross Chastain, Sheldon Creed, Carson Kvapil, and Justin Allgaier.
Lap 39, Ross Chastain moves up to battle with William Sawalich for the lead. Chastain takes the lead with Sheldon Creed in second; Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil, and Sam Mayer round out the top five.
There have been five race leaders so far; none of them had led laps at IMS prior to today.
Lap 41, JJ Yeley brings his car down pit road.
There are 35 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 42, Chase Elliott is back up to 14th.
Lap 45, Parker Retzlaff got into the wall but the track stays green.
Ross Chastain has just a tenth of a second lead on Sheldon Creed; Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil, and Sam Mayer round out the top five.
Lap 48, Justin Allgaier reports there may be an engine issue; he currently is in third place less than half a second behind leader Ross Chastain.
Just 10 laps remain in stage two, Ross Chastain has a third of a second lead on Sheldon Creed; Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil, and Sam Mayer round out the top five.
Teammates Justin Allgaier and Carson Kvapil battle for thirs.
The caution flag comes out on lap 54 when the zero car of Garrett Smithley spins out.
Six laps remain in stage two.
Drivers come down pit road for service. The drivers are at the edge of their pit window to make it to the end of the race if they choose to flip the stage.
Ross Chastain edges out Sheldon Creed to win the race off of pit road.
Brent Crews had an extended pit stop when the car fell off the jack.
After staying out on the track Dean Thompson is the leader and brings the field down for the green flag restart with just three laps remaining in stage two with Rajah Caruth alongside. Rajah Caruth takes the lead with Justin Allagier in second; Dean Thompson, Ross Chastain, and Sheldon Creed round out the top five.
Drivers are getting three wide through the field.
Rajah Caruth wins stage two.
The top 10 at the end of stage tow:
Rajah Caruth
Justin Allgaier
Ross Chastain
Sheldon Creed
Carson Kvapil
Dean Thompson
Sam Mayer
William Sawalich
Austin Hill
Chase Elliott
Drivers who did not pit during the crash caution come down pit road for service. Rajah Caruth gives up the lead to Justin Allgaier with Ross Chastain in second.
Justin Allgaier brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three with Ross Chastain alongside on lap 67. Drivers are getting three wide, Justin Allgaier and Ross Chastain are side by side in a battle for the lead.
Reports are that there are teams who are one to three laps short on fuel.
Ross Chastain takes the lead; Justin Allgaier drops for fourth.
The 55 car of Joey Gase was charged with jumping the restart and will have to serve a passthrough penalty.
Lap 69, the top five are Ross Chastain, Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, and Austin Hill.
NASCAR has black flagged the 55 of Joey Gase.
Lap 70, Sheldon Creed passes Justin Allgaier for third.
After starting the race in last place, Chase Elliott is in the top 10 in seventh place.
Lap 71, the top five are Ross Chastain, Carson Kvapil, Sheldon Creed, Justin Allgaier, and Austin Hill.
Jut 30 laps remain in the race with Ross Chasstin nearly a second out in front of Carson Kvapil.
Just 26 laps to go, Carson Kvapil has closed the gap on leader Ross Chastain.
The field has spread out around the track.
With 24 laps to go, Carson Kvapil begins to challenge leader Ross Chastain.
With 23 laps to go, Justin Allgaier pasess Sheldon Creed for third.
With 22 laps remaining in the race, Carson Kvapil passes Ross Chastain for the lead.
The top five are Carson Kvapil, Ross Chastain, Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, and Austin Hill.
Twenty to go, Carson Kvapil has pulled out to a lead of over half a second on Ross Chastain.
Eighteen laps to go in the race; Carson Kvapil has a lead of half a second on Ross Chastain; Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.
Sheldon Creed is the only car in the top five that is not a JRM car.
Fifteen to go, Carson Kvapil holds on to the lead with Ross Chastain half a second back; Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.
Thirteen to go, leaders encounter slower traffic.
Twelve laps to go, Chase Elliott passes Sheldon Creed for fourth. Justin Allgaier has closed the gap on leader Carson Kvapil to just over a second and a half.
Ten to go, the top four spots belong to JRM cars with Carson Kvapil leading the way over a half second in front of Ross Chastain; Justin Allgaier, Chase Elliott, and Sheldon Creed round out the top five.
Justin Allgaier is less than a second and a half behind leader Carson Kvapil.
Eight to go, Carson Kvapil holds on to the lead with Ross Chastain in second and Justin Allgaier in third just one second back.
Justin Allgaier begins to challenge Ross Chastain for second.
Seven to go, less than one second separate the top three cars.
Justin Allgaier passes Ross Chastain for second; less then one second behind leader Carson Kvapil.
Jeremy Clements is on pit road.
Five to go, Justin Allgaier is slowly closing the gap on leader Carson Kvapil; Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, and Sheldon Creed round out the top five.
There are several slower cars in front of the leaders.
Justin Allgaier is just ¾ of a second behind leader Carson Kvapil.
Three laps remain in the race, Carson Kvapil holds on to the lead but Justin Allgaier is just half a second back and closing in.
Two to go and half a second behind for Justin Allgaier.
Carson Kvapil takes the white flag but Justin Allgaier is less than a quarter of a second behind.
Carson Kvapil edges out Justin Allgaier for his first O’Reilly Series win with Justin Allgaier in second. JR Motorsports finishes with the top four spots for the first time ever in the O’Reilly Series.
Team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr was very emotional after the win.
Carson Jumps into the arms of his crew from the roof of the car in celebration. The crew climbs the fence.
This is the 14th win for JRM with six different drivers.
The unofficial results of the Penzoil 250:
Carson Kvapil
Justin Allgaier
Ross Chastain
Chase Elliott
William Sawalich
Brent Crews
Corey Day
Sheldon Creed
Brandon Jones
Austin Hill
Parker Retzlaff
Taylor Gray
Sam Mayer
Anthony Alfredo
Jeb burton
Jesse Love
Ryan Sieg
Harrison Burton
Sammy Smith
Nick Sanchez
Dean Thompson
Rajah Caruth
Patrick Staropoli
Kyle Sieg
Garrett Smithley
Mason Maggio
Lavar Scott
Blaine Perkins
Brennan Poole
Preston Pardus
Nathan Byrd
Ryan Ellis
Josh Bilicki
Blake Lothian
David Starr
Joey Gase
Jeremy Clements
JJ Yeley