Roulette Recap follows a randomly-selected NASCAR Xfinity Series driver throughout a race and recaps their efforts. The driver could face calamity on lap one or start from the rear and win the race – there is no telling ahead of time. With that, may the odds be ever in the driver’s favor.
Ag-Pro 300
AM Racing driver, Brett Moffitt, just barely advanced to round two of qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway for the Ag-Pro 300. In the final round, Moffitt put down a lap that would grant him a P10 starting spot.
In his past six starts at the Alabama superspeedway, Moffitt’s best finishes included P5 and P10. While his average finish was 16.3, he was already besting his average starting position of 14.7. Also worth noting: he had completed 98.9% of the laps in those previous starts. This goes to show he is typically in contention at the end of a usually wild race.
Stage 1
Once cars got rolling, Moffitt gained six spots in three laps. One lap later, the No. 25 driver jumped to the lead after getting a push from fellow Ford driver, Riley Herbst.
Over the next four laps, the leaders would get shuffled around in typical superspeedway fashion, each turn of the track seeming to bring Moffitt to a new position.
The opening stage finished clean and caution free. After getting bumped out of a run to the front, Moffitt was scored P13.
When asked for an update on his car, he told crew chief Joe Williams, “It’s out of control when we get hit.” He went on to share that he was “a little free” when on his own, but ultimately, it would be difficult to maintain control in a pack.
Moffitt came to his team for fuel, tires, and adjustments. That same team quickly got him off pit road in 4th, allowing him to gain nine spots on track.
Stage 2
Moffitt would start the second stage in P4 and within two laps, he would take control of the lead, if only for a moment.
Some criss-cross action with the No. 7 of Justin Allgaier would switch the lead, but when the first caution for incident came, he would be sitting in P1.
On the restart, with eight laps left in the stage, there was a lot of shake-up behind him, but Moffitt maintained the lead. One lap later, he lost the lead and got shuffled back to P8.
Spotter Tony Raines told him to “run the middle.” With three laps remaining in the stage, Moffitt was about to do just that when the caution came out – a yellow that quickly turned red for track repairs.
A wild crash for Blaine Perkins. A huge hit for Dexter Stacey. Everyone is okay. Wow. https://t.co/Zf7MwyVQaz pic.twitter.com/qZ6K4hh4qo
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 22, 2023
This would end the stage with Moffitt sitting P17.
Stage 3
Coming to the green flag of the final stage, the No. 25 team was discussing pit strategy for the final laps.
As drivers immediately went three wide, the positions once again changed as quickly as the turns came. Moffit started P17, went to P14, then P19, then P21. However, lap 92 saw Moffitt trend in the right direction – to the front.
Before too much ground could be made, Sammy Smith, who had been in Moffitt’s mirror all day, spun and wrecked. Moffitt would be scored in P9 and the “to pit or not to pit” discussion began.
The verdict was to pit and once fueled and adjusted, Moffitt came out to restart P7.
The old adage of “cautions breed cautions” started to ring true. Just 10 laps later, with 39 laps remaining, the yellow was waving again.
Cautions, Cautions, and More Cautions
The pits opened and the call for the No. 25 team was to stay. This would bump Moffitt to P2. However, he was sitting in the lead when the next caution came two laps after the restart.
Under caution, Raines was trying to work out a plan with the No. 39 of Ryan Sieg’s team but was not getting much in the way of a response. Moffitt ultimately said, “From this point forward, I don’t care about anything but the 25.”
An extended caution occurred while the No. 9 team of Brandon Jones and race control tried to work out where Jones was scored. During this time, Moffitt’s team was gaining a great deal of TV time, and the broadcast booth was singing his praises.
Crew chief Joe Williams expressed his frustration over “burning laps,” but Moffitt spoke the truth, stating, “These are the easiest laps we’ll lead all day!”
With the next restart, Moffitt was once again in the lead with 24 laps remaining. Unfortunately, Moffitt lost the lead to Sieg and was sitting P2 when the next caution came four laps later.
It was a case of wash, rinse, repeat over the next 15 laps. Moffitt started P2 with 15 to go and two laps later, the caution waved.
Awaiting the restart, Moffitt told Raines, “If we can get clear up off (Turn) 2, we need to take it.”
Following a lengthy cleanup, Moffitt once again started on the front row with six to go and battled door-to-door with Sieg.
After getting shuffled back in the pack, Moffitt went to make a charge back to the front and got clipped in the right rear. Behind him, a massive wreck ensued.
Moffitt came to his team for repairs and fresh tires and awaited a restart after another red flag.
NASCAR Overtime
The first NASCAR Overtime saw Moffitt restart P13, but before the leader took the white flag, the caution waved. When Moffitt asked the reasoning, he was told, “I have absolutely no idea.” However, viewers quickly learned it was for debris on the track and a limping Austin Hill.
NASCAR re-racked the cars and Moffitt found himself sitting P8 for the second Overtime restart. Williams told his driver, “Alright, big dog. You still got gas in the tank! Go get ‘em.”
The restart was oddly enough calm while going three-wide at the front. But after the white flag, all ‘Dega heck broke loose and the field wrecked coming to the checkered flag.
As they wreck across the line behind him.@JebBurtonRacing wins #XfinitySeries at @TALLADEGA for the first win for @JARnascar! pic.twitter.com/Z9pyqmyCE6
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) April 22, 2023
Moffitt, who led 20 laps throughout the race, brought his No. 25 AM Technical Solutions machine home P12.
Post-Race Comments
Following the race, Moffitt shared his thoughts “A decent day here at Talladega. We were able to run up front a lot. Our AM Technical Solutions/Lane Frost Brands Ford Mustang had a lot of speed in it, which was good. We had a little bit of a handling issue that we made better, but it sucks to end the way it did. We were really, really close to avoiding that big wreck and that would have set us up for a really good shot at the win.
The second to last restart worked in our favor. The last restart did not. We got pinned on the bottom and that was unfortunate, and we all go spinning across the line, so that’s a great way to end the day.”
Sliding to a 12th Place finish @TALLADEGA 😳 pic.twitter.com/xgleYs3REk
— AM Racing (@AMRacingNASCAR) April 23, 2023
Sponsor Shoutout
As NASCAR fans know, sponsors make the sport go ’round. We want to give a shoutout to a few of those that were part of the weekend for Brett Moffitt and the No. 25 team:
AM Technical Solutions and Lane Frost Brand
Be sure to give Brett Moffitt (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and AM Racing (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) a follow to keep up with the latest news from the driver and team.
