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NASCAR Xfinity Series Fans Respond To Focused Health 250 Action At EchoPark Speedway

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
Updated –
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New name, same ol’ oval.

During Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series at EchoPark Speedway, 30 of the opening 55 laps were under caution. Through 48 laps, nine machines were forced into the garage area.

That’s nearly double the number of cars drawing DNFs during the spring race at the often wild 1.54-mile track.

The Focused Health 250 was not aptly named as on-track chaos unfolded, resulting in a game-changing crash on Lap 41, collecting several top pilots like eventual race winner Nick Sanchez, circuit points leader Justin Allgaier, pole-sitter Sheldon Creed, Sammy Smith, Christian Eckes and ex-Cup Series regular Anthony Alfredo.

The on-track chaos continued. Through 88 laps, 24 of the 38 starters were involved in a crash.

Through the mayhem, Sanchez outlasted rookie Carson Kvapil, Same Mayer and rookie Connor Zilisch over the final laps, claiming his first series win.

“I spun and I won,” he told CW immediately after accepting the checkered flag.

X (Twitter) users responded to Sanchez putting a full race together, following some rookie growing pains …

Elsewhere in the stock-car universe, specifically at Lime Rock Speedway in Lakeville, Connecticut, ARCA Menards Series drivers are sharing the space with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In his ARCA debut, Thomas Annunziata on Friday earned the pole position for Saturday’s race …

Creed’s pole position at the newly named EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, marked Ford’s first Xfinity Series pole at a drafting track since Dakoda Armstrong at Daytona in July 2014 …

Getting fired up for a rare Friday night outing …

Going green …

Atlanta twilight …

The yellow flag is out early after Eckes (16) and Blaine Perkins (31) make Stage 1 contact, resulting in a multi-machine clash …

Austin Hill’s No. 21 Chevrolet experienced fuel pressure issues after fighting Zilisch for P3 on Lap 17. Hill, who entered Friday second in the drivers’ standings, returned seven laps down …

Lighting struck, causing a Lap 37 red-flag situation …

Friday night’s delay message …

There were bigger problems not far from the speedway …

The race resumed after an 80-minute delay …

Off the red-flag restart, the event changed when several favorites were knocked from the lead pack. Sam Mayer initially held off Taylor Gray along the backstretch as Sanchez bumped Jesse Love out of control, triggering an incident that collected Creed, Allgaier, Smith, Eckes, Patrick Staropoli, Jeb Burton, Katherine, Legge, Ryan Sieg and ex-Cup regular Anthony Alfredo …

Gray earned a Stage 1 win …

Following a restart on Lap 86, Jeremy Clements, running P3, was forced into a spin by Brennan Poole along Turns 1 and 2. Four laps later, Brandon Jones claimed the lead and the Stage 2 win …

Former Cup regular Aric Almirola claimed the advantage on Lap 95, overcoming Leland Honeyman and Gray. His pursuers were slowed when Harrison Burton attempted a three-wide move, but got loose briefly along Turns 3 and 4 …

Friday night’s weather-delayed finish …

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  
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