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.
Alsco 250
The last time the NASCAR Xfinity Series hit the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway, Parker Retzlaff was the Roulette Recap driver. As luck would have it, the random wheel picked him again this time around for the Atlanta race.
Earlier this season, Retzlaff finished P27 after getting caught in a wreck with 10 laps remaining. Without a doubt, the Jordan Anderson Racing driver was hoping for a better finish this time around.
To start, Retzlaff qualified P20, one spot ahead of his JAR teammate, Jeb Burton. But, after an unapproved adjustment, Retzlaff would be forced to start from the rear.
Crew chief Josh Graham encouraged his driver coming to the green flag, “We’re just going to follow the (Nos.) 2 and 21 up through there.” It went without saying, there was only one way to go for the No. 31 JAR team.
Spotter Chris Osborne told him, “Hook on that (No.) 21 and let’s have a great night!”
With that, it was go time!
Stage 1
With the sun setting, drivers took a clean opening lap around the track, going three wide for the lead.
By lap 13, the field had mostly shaken out to single file, while Retzlaff had worked his way to P25. Throughout this time, Osborne was coaching his young driver on some pack racing tactics.
Lap 22 saw him in P23 and as one of the biggest movers, having gained 11 spots since the green flag. Kligerman brought out the first caution six laps later.
Retzlaff had just hit the top 20. He radioed in to tell his team, “I’m a little free, I just feel like I have no straightaway speed.”
Graham immediately went to work on a plan for a potential early pit stop. At the last second, he reversed his decision and opted to go for stage points. He confidently backed up his reasoning for the quick call, noting how it would potentially pay off in the long run.
With six to go in the stage, Retzlaff lined up P12 on the inside lane. Coming to two to go, the No. 20 of John Hunter Nemechek fell back and almost caused a big one, but the racing stayed clean.
Retzlaff settled into P13 in the outside lane. That lane got a surge coming to the stage end, and he ultimately earned a stage point with a P10 finish.
Stage 2
During the stage break, Retzlaff came in for fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments. He was in P26 to start the second stage. While the opening laps were clean, drivers were ramping up the intensity early by going three and four-wide at the front of the field.
Lap 11 of the stage had Retzlaff sitting P23. One lap later, Retzlaff had the save of the night – or at least the first half of the race.
Nemechek got loose and into the left rear of Retzlaff’s No. 31. As Retzlaff went sliding, the caution waved. He was able to avoid hitting the outside wall, any other car, and even the infield grass.
What a huge save by @Parker79p.#XfinitySeries | @JARnascar pic.twitter.com/cwym8kZJkS
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) July 9, 2023
Graham complimented his driver on his “pretty f—ing cool” save.
Retzlaff stayed on track and restarted P25 to drive through the field – again – with 24 laps to go. On Lap 59, Retzlaff once again hit the top 20 as fans were treated to door-to-door, bumper-to-bumper racing.
Lap 39 brought the next caution as Greg Van Alst provided some 8th of July fireworks after blowing a tire.
Retzlaff was scored P22 and told his team, “I feel like we got a lot of speed right now.”
Graham responded, “Yeah! It looks good. Really good. I’m going to try something here. Be ready.”
After a lengthy clean-up, Retzlaff hit pit road, then re-joined the track in P30 with nine to go.
Coming to the restart, Graham encouraged his driver regarding the strategy. Ultimately, if the race went in their favor, they would be able to take fuel only on the next stop and jump ahead of much of the field.
Within three laps, Retzlaff gained five spots. However, the race got a little dicey as drivers took things four-wide with six laps remaining. This shook up things throughout the field and he lost two spots.
With four to go, he was sitting in the middle of a three-wide situation. Graham told his young driver, “Calm down. Let the car do the work.”
As the second stage came to a hectic close, Retzlaff was scored P23.
Stage 3
Fortunately, things were still going the 31’s way and the pit strategy would pay off on this stop. It was fuel only for the JAR driver. He hit the track P12 to start the final stage with instructions to, “Max save.”
Lap 88 brought out the caution for a big one – it would remain to be seen if it was The Big One.
Ryan Sieg was three-wide right in front of Retzlaff. Sieg got turned by Brandon Jones who got loose. Retzlaff’s response was to thread the needle.
A tire down on the #XfinitySeries No. 98 results in a big wreck on the backstretch. pic.twitter.com/vRoqRTZ9GW
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) July 9, 2023
He made it through relatively unscathed and would restart P12. Graham told his driver to keep saving fuel, “There’s still gonna be 67 to go. Still a lot to happen.”
The top line had the momentum and Retzlaff was able to break into the top 10 two laps after the restart. A lap later, he gained another spot. However, before much more ground could be made, the caution was out. Kyle Weatherman blew a tire and hit the wall hard. Once on pit road, he jumped from his car as it burst into flames.
“I feel really, really good!” Retzlaff told his team under cation. Graham gave Retzlaff some instructions on pack racing and how to handle the situation when things went back to single file. During all the caution chatter, there was a definite pep in everyone’s voice now that Retzlaff was in the top 10.
Long Green-Flag Run
The next restart came with 55 to go and Retzlaff in P9. Within a lap, he had gained two spots as the leaders fell into single file. This also kicked off a long green flag run – the longest of the evening.
With 46 to go, Chandler Smith got around Retzlaff and he was reminded to, “Stay calm. There’s still a lot of race left.”
Retzlaff told Graham he was struggling on the straightaways. Graham responded, “Catch him in the corners. Use that to our advantage.” Sure enough on the next lap, Retzlaff did just that – he passed the No. 38 of Joe Graf, Jr. to reclaim P7.
With that, Retzlaff had his eyes set on the No. 00 of Cole Custer. However, Kligerman was sneaking up on his inside. Once again, he used the corner to accelerate and put some space between himself and “the other” Parker.
With 36 to go, the intensity was ratcheted up by the lap. Four laps later, he was holding off the No. 7 of Justin Allgaier and the No. 25 of Brett Moffitt.
As drivers faced 29 laps remaining, the leaders also were battling lapped traffic.
Running P9, Retzlaff told his team he did not feel he was fast enough to go to the bottom to help anyone. In return, he was encouraged to keep up the good work. With that, he gained two more spots with 17 to go.
The top 10 drivers were still single file with the occasional nose poking out to attempt a move.
With 10 to go, Retzlaff had lost some ground and the lead pack. Graham told him, “When they start racing [up front] you’ll catch them.” That ‘when’ was only a matter of time as they faced five to go.
With three to go, the No. 21 of Austin Hill went for a spin. Once again, Retzlaff made it through without incident. He told Graham he just couldn’t do more than what he was doing at that time.
NASCAR Overtime
Graham apologized saying, “I don’t have what they [the leaders] have.”
Retzlaff responded, “Nothing to be sorry about. We work with what we have. We’re fighting above our weight right now.”
Graham took a deep breath and said, “This is a reset. We’re stacking back up.”
He would line up P10 for NASCAR Overtime and was told, “Go race!”
Unfortunately, those in front of him ran out of fuel on the restart. This forced a stack up and he lost six spots.
After taking the checkered flag, Retzlaff said, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I could have done differently.” Graham responded, “No. No. Not on you.”
After a strong day, Retzlaff would finish P16 – not at any fault of his own.
Sponsor Shoutout
As NASCAR fans know, sponsors make the sport go ’round. Give Parker’s sponsors a follow and thank them for sponsoring the JAR driver!
FunkAway, Bommarito Autosport, FVP Parts, Alsco Uniforms
Be sure to give Parker Retzlaff (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and Jordan Anderson Racing (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) a follow to keep up with the latest news from the driver and team.
Nice piece on this very talented young driver! Great effort by the whole team. Again there is no I in team and you all prove that more and more each week. Proud to cheer you on Little P! Great job everyone! It’ll come, I can feel it in my bones!