3 Takeaways from the Xfinity Race at Bristol

AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 23: Kyle Larson, driver of the #17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on March 23, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

What’s Happening?

Saturday’s Xfinity Series race wasn’t filled with battles nor presented a fantastic product; instead, it was the Kyle Larson show. Bristol is expected to have a few battles throughout the field and maybe a bit of chaos due to the inexperience of the young drivers on such a difficult track, but that was not the case on Saturday. That said, what can we take away from the quite uneventful race?

Notes
  • Kyle Larson led 277 out of 300 laps. The second most dominant performance ever at the racetrack for Xfinity.
  • There were 5 cautions and 8 lead changes in the race.
  • Justin Allgaier won the Dash4Cash and the $100k bonus.

Learn more about the race HERE

The Field Stands no Chance Against Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson won his first Xfinity race this season. He had dominated Miami but fell short of the win after a push gone wrong from Sam Mayer on the final restart. This time, he closed the deal. The driver of the 17 made no mistakes whatsoever and had a nearly 10-second lead over second at one point during the race; no one was even close.

In 2 races, Larson has more laps led on the Xfinity Series than the entire field does in 9 starts. Despite not winning the Truck race to try and go 3 for 3 this weekend, he will likely be in contention for the Cup race. In Xfinity, however, hardly anyone will challenge him when he returns to racing there again.

This is how Cup Drivers SHOULD Perform in Lower Series

The Cup drivers are at the top level for a reason, and despite the lack of horsepower preventing them from showing more of their talent, it is still there, and that was clear as day on Saturday. Larson didn’t just win; he taught the field the pace of a Cup talent, how fast you have to be to get to that level.

Does it make for a boring race? Sure. But regardless, that is certainly much better than Ross Chastain walling people left and right or Chase Elliott running into another car under caution, as we saw at Darlington. Cup regulars should go up there and win; this is their talent, and they get the equipment to do so. Larson did his job and executed it perfectly. Though it is debatable if running into Allgaier to take the lead back was really necessary, he closed the deal and got the job done, and ultimately, that is the goal.

We Should be Thankful for the Safety of these Cars

Sheldon Creed and Brennan Poole were the protagonists of a terrible crash off of Turn 4. Despite being only a half-mile, the racetrack is fast, and this type of incident is always scary. Poole’s car was Disintegrated, his suspension came off, and the right side was inexistent after the wreck. Despite feeling rib pain for a bit, the driver of the 44 seemed all right during his interview. He walked out of his car and was not injured.

The evolution in safety is something that fans already take for granted and aren’t thankful enough for. Maybe you don’t even remember how dangerous this sport can be, and I’m here to remind you about that; Though it is weird seeing a car be that destroyed, it is crucial to remember that a vehicle deforms so the impact on the driver is greatly reduced.

Justin Allgaier Already has one hand on the Regular Season Championship Trophy

Allgaier’s performance early on the season has been flawless thus far, but how flawless? Well, among Xfinity regulars, he has the most wins, top fives, top tens, laps led, the best average finish, and best average start. His domination is shown on the point standings, where he has a whopping 83-point lead over 2nd place Sam Mayer. The most you can get in a race is 61, and that is if you win the race, all stages, and get the fastest lap. Allgaier could sit out for a race and still have the points lead, and that is through just 9 races.

Of course, things change fast in this sport; Allgaier should not take it for granted. He certainly hasn’t already won the regular season championship, but I would risk saying he is halfway there. With five straight top-three finishes, it has been made clear that he will not leave the front pack anytime soon. The only way Allgaier loses this trophy is if he starts wrecking every other race, which is extremely unlikely.

Conclusion

It wasn’t the most eventful race, but we saw a masterclass and the talent level it takes to be on the Cup level. Larson will likely battle for the win again on Sunday, but what did you think of this Xfinity Series race? Were you disappointed, or did you appreciate it? Let us know what you think on our Discord or XRemember to follow us on InstagramFacebook, and YouTube for more updates.

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HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 21: Kyle Busch, driver of the #7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Fr8 Racing 208 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Trucks: Kyle Busch Wins Tame, Time-Shortened Race at EchoPark Speedway

What’s Happening?

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) is officially in the books, and it’s Kyle “Rowdy” Busch hoisting the checkered flag in victory lane. Here’s everything that went down.

  • In the first stage of the race, it was the ThorSport duo of Ben Rhodes and Jake Garcia who dominated. However, despite that tandem running strong at the front of the pack, Kyle Busch in his No. 7 Spire HendrickCars.com Chevy was able to hold his own by himself on the bottom, often challenging for the race lead. However, it was the 2025 series champ Corey Heim who claimed the green and white checkered flag by the end of the stage. He was driving the No. 1 TriCon Garage entry, methodically working his way through the pack.
  • Stage 2 was a little more contested than Stage 1. After grueling months in rehab after shattering his pelvis and breaking his back, Stewart Friesen is back in the No. 52 Toyota. He flexed some muscle today after coming up short to Kyle Busch one year ago. He claimed Stage 2, earning valuable stage points.
  • Christian Eckes is back in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this year. Unfortunately for him, his 2025 woes in the O’Reilly Series carried through to 2026. He exited the race on Lap 4 due to a broken driveshaft.
  • As far as on-track incidents go, there weren’t too many. Adam Andretti went for a single-truck spin in the early laps of a race. It didn’t even trigger a caution. The big crash of the day featured Dawson Sutton, who crashed hard in the outside wall in the dogleg. He was okay. Cole Butcher and Kris Wright were also involved.
  • In the end, though, it was Kyle Busch who stood tall in EchoPark victory lane, working in tandem with his Spire teammate, Carson Hocevar. This marks Busch’s 68 career Truck Series victory, first all-time. It is also his first Atlanta win in a row in the series.
  • Technically, the race ended around 10 laps shy of the scheduled distance. This was due to the amount of time allotted to run the race. NASCAR opted to throw the white flag with 11 laps to go.

Results

Results for the Fr8 208 are pending.

Points Standing (2 of 25)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Dawson Sutton, driver of the #26 WAR Shocks/Rackley Roofing Chevrolet, drives during Duel 1 for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway on February 12, 2026 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Trucks: Dawson Sutton Hard into the Wall at EchoPark Speedway

What’s Happening?

After a relatively clean race, we got our first caution of the race for an incident in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The multi truck incident happed due to the result of a stack-up after Kris Wright and Cole Butcher tangled. Here’s what happened.

  • As the laps were winding down, things were starting to get dicey in the back of the lead pack. Running in the middle, Kris Wright in the No. 81 truck got loose and slid up the track.
  • Wright made contact with Cole Butcher in the No. 13 truck, causing him to get into the wall. This resulted in significant damage to that ThorSport Ford.
  • As that was happening, the lower lanes clipped the apron to avoid a larger incident. This caused Dawson Sutton in the No. 26 to get turned. He ran up the track and plowed into the outside SAFER Barrier of the dogleg.
  • Dawson Sutton was able to exit his truck under his own power and was checked and released from the infield care center.

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Trucks: Mid-Race Report from EchoPark Speedway

What’s Happening?

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series are thundering away at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) in Hampton, Georgia. Here’s what’s going on as the second stage draws to a close in Hotlanta.

  • The ThorSport Trucks dominated the opening stage with polesitter Jake Garcia and his teammate Ben Rhodes leading a bulk of the first two stages. They, along with fellow Ford driver Chandler Smith, formed a dominating single-file truck line at the top of the stage.
  • Corey Heim returned to the Craftsman Truck Series this weekend. He started the race strong, methodically working his way up through the pack, eventually taking the race lead away from the ThorSport Trucks late in Stage 1. He went on to win the stage.
  • On Lap 4 of the race, Christian Eckes, who returned to the Truck Series after an ill-fated stint in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Kaulig, had some issues. He’s off to a tough 2026 season. Back at MHR driving the No. 91 truck, he suffered a broken driveshaft, ending his day.
  • With both stages now in the books, the top point earners so far in this race are Stewart Friesen (15 points with the Stage 2 win) and Andres Perez (7 points).
  • Cup drivers such as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 45), Carson Hocevar (No. 77), and Kyle Busch (No. 7) have yet to upset the truck regulars and not for a lack of trying. Kyle Busch tried to make the bottom work in Stage 1 but was never able to clear the leaders. Still, they all three ran solidly in the Top 10.

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