Everything That Happened in the Xfinity Race at New Hampshire

LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JUNE 22: Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Mobil 1 Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series SciAps 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 22, 2024 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

What’s Happening?

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returned to the Magic Mile in Loudon, New Hampshire, for the Sci Aps 200 this weekend. New Hampshire master Christopher Bell returned to the Xfinity Series, looking to extend his undefeated record at the track in the series. Three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore also made his first career Xfinity start.

  • With rain in the area, wet weather tires loomed large in teams’ strategies going into the race, having never been used on an oval in the Xfinity Series prior.
  • The wet weather tires made a brief appearance at the beginning of the race but quickly fell to the wayside after the track dried out, only being run for the first 10 laps of the event.
  • The stands were packed with excited race fans for NASCAR’s lone trip to New England, and the Xfinity stars gave fans a great show.

Wet Weather Start

Drivers were required to start the race on the NASCAR-mandated wet weather tires, as the track was too damp for slicks. Drivers fired off fast and relied on the extreme grip levels provided by the softer compound tire, and a dry line quickly formed on the track within the first 10 laps. NASCAR quickly threw a competition caution and mandated teams to come down pit road to fit slicks.

Kligerman Spins Late, Mayer Wins Stage 1

After Parker Kligerman was spun by a domino effect incident involving Riley Herbst and AJ Allmendinger, Sam Mayer jumped to the lead on the restart and kept it, holding off teammate Sammy Smith to win Stage 1 and capture his first stage win in 2024.

Bonsignore Impresses, Bell Wins Stage 2

A largely uneventful Stage 2 saw Christopher Bell doing Christopher Bell things, dominating New Hampshire like he often does. The highlight of Stage 2 came from Xfinity Series newcomer Justin Bonsignore, a modified champion and short track ace, making his very first laps in an Xfinity car with very limited sim time. Bonsignore could keep pace with Bell for most of the stage and came home P2, less than one second behind Bell as they took the green checkers.

Late Cautions Spice Up Final Stage

A plethora of late cautions shook things up late in the final stage, as Leland Honeyman and Chandler Smith both went for solo spins, Austin Hill and Bonsignore tangled, and Haley Deegan and Nathan Byrd collided and made hard contact with the turn 3 SAFER barrier. Carson Kvapil was able to show his short track prowess and was mixing it up with the best of the Xfinity Series late into the stage. The final restart saw an epic three-lap contested battle between Bell, Sheldon Creed, and 2023 Xfinity champ Cole Custer, with all three drivers unwilling to give an inch.

Bell Outduels Creed, Custer, Wins New Hampshire

Bell got a terrible jump on the final restart but took full advantage of the side-by-side battle between Custer and Creed to jump to the lead on the final lap. The New Hampshire maestro continued his historic dominance at the Magic Mile, making it a perfect four wins in four attempts at the track.

Final Thoughts

What did you think of the epic finish at New Hampshire? Are you backing Bell to continue the trend in the Cup race, or do you have your eye on another contender? Let us know your thoughts on this race and everything NASCAR-related by following us on our social channels at The Daily Downforce!

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O’Reilly: Sammy Smith’s Flat Takes Out Heavy Hitters Late at EchoPark

What’s Happening?

As Ross Chastain took the lead and the pack was closing in on 20 laps to go, things a little deeper in the pack started to get a little hairy. We had yet another huge crash late in the running here tonight, this one sparked by Sammy Smith’s flat rear tire. Here’s what happened:

  • As the laps were winding down in tonight’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, Sammy Smith, along with his JRM teammates, were in the thick of contention for the win. Unfortunately for him, a poorly-timed flat rear tire ended his (and several others) chance to capitalize and get that first valuable win of the season. Unable to hold onto it, the No. 8 Pilot Chevy spun around in front of a massive horde of cars.
  • Helpless to go anywhere, several heavy hitters were caught up in this incident. They include the likes of William Sawalich, Gio Ruggiero, Patrick Staropoli, Taylor Gray, Brennan Poole, Nick Leitz, and Lavar Scott.
  • It’s an unfortunate beginning of the year for a handful of these drivers. Luckily for Brennan Poole, he’s coming off a strong showing at Daytona and was in the thick of it here tonight. That shows some promise for sure.

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O’Reilly: Mid-Race Report from EchoPark Speedway

What’s Happening?

It has been a tail of two races when it comes to today’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at EchoPark Speedway (formerly the Atlanta Motor Speedway). We got off to a rough start with Corey Day triggering a massive wreck that took out the likes of Harrison Burton, and the Sieg brothers. Then, the field settled in and started to churn laps. Here’s what’s gone down so far.

  • Sam Mayer led a bulk of the opening laps. Leading the first 23 laps of the race, he was forced to pit on Lap 24 due to a flat left front tire. No caution was triggered. To make matters worse, he was caught speeding on pit road, putting him down several laps and effectively taking him out of contention.
  • Jesse Love continued RCR’s dominance in the first stage. With Mayer out of the picture, he assumed the race lead, leading 31 laps to win the opening stage.
  • Austin Hill finally made it up to the race lead by Stage 2. Unfortunately for him and RCR, their win streak in the stages ended with the conclusion of Stage 2. It was Rajah Caruth in the No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevy that captured the green and white checkered flag.
  • In a horrific accident during pit stops, Taylor Gray smashed into one of his tire carriers. It was a scary situation. Fortunately, he got up like a champ and completed the stop. He was thankfully checked and released from the in-field care center.
  • Corey Day’s woes continued as the field set in for the final stage of the evening. Drawing further criticism, Day, while battling for the race lead, made contact with leader Carson Kvapil, sending them both into the outside wall. Also collected in the incident was Kvapil’s teammate, the 2024 series champion, Justin Allgaier.

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O’Reilly: Corey Day Triggers Big Wreck Early at EchoPark Speedway

What’s Happening?

After a mild start to the afternoon with a rather tame Truck Series race, it didn’t take long for things to get wild in Atlanta. Racing for a top 10 spot, Corey Day tried to squeeze his nose into an opening where it wouldn’t fit. As a result, a massive wreck broke out along the frontstretch. Here’s what went down.

  • Corey Day looked unstable from the jump as he was racing in the middle of the pack. He was able to work his way up to just outside the top 10. Around him, Ryan Sieg got a huge run. Now realizing that the No. 39 was beside him, Day turned him straight into the outside SAFER Barrier.
  • This caused a huge multi-car incident which collected the likes of Ryan Sieg’s brother, Kyle, Harrison Burton, and Blaine Perkins, who was coming off a top 10 run at Daytona.
  • Understandably, Ryan Sieg was very upset over the radio. He did suffer a brutally hard impact. In his radio communication, he heavily criticized Corey Day, stating that every week he’s in the middle of some sort of on-track incident.
  • Sieg is also the owner of his and his brother’s cars. This will be a tough one to swallow at the office next week.

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