Roulette Recap follows a randomly selected driver throughout a race to break down their efforts. There is no telling ahead of time how the race will go. The driver could face calamity on the opening lap or start from the rear and win the race. With that, may the odds be ever in the driver’s favor.
Andy’s Frozen Custard 300
Entering Texas Motor Speedway, Blaine Perkins sat 21st in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Standings. With a 2024 average finishing position of 22.7, he looked to better that average in his first NXS race at Texas.
With Steve Addington atop the pit box and Tony Raines on the spotters stand, Perkins took to the track for the super-short practice session where he wound up P26. Oddly enough, after his lone qualifying lap, he was slated to line up P26.
Stage 1
With the green flag in the air, Stage 1 got off to a chaotic start. There was some shuffling and stacking on the initial start, and immediately after drivers took Lap 2, two separate incidents threatened to bring out an early caution.
Fortunately, the race stayed green and allowed Perkins to work on moving forward. Lap 3 saw the RSS Racing driver sitting P23. He maintained this position over the next eight laps until the caution waved. Directly ahead of Perkins, Daniel Dye went for a spin, allowing Perkins to gain a position.
While pacing, Perkins noted his car was “a little bit free” in both corners and “tight center, off.” He went on to note the freeness wasn’t “bad at all,” and told Addington, “I wouldn’t really worry about it.”
The race resumed on Lap 17 with Perkins in P22. Immediately, Perkins found himself in the middle of a three-wide battle. Once the chaos shook out, he was sitting P25, but was able to set his eyes forward.
As the Stage 1 laps ticked by, he lost another position, but worked hard against Shane van Gisbergen to gain one back. With 20 to go, he was working on getting around Parker Retzlaff and Leland Honeyman, Jr. as a two-for-one deal. Unfortunately for Perkins, the deal didn’t work out and he found himself in P27 with 15 to go.
Raines radioed in, “Just hit your marks. We’ll work on it when we can.” He also updated his driver on the fact that many drivers were attempting to make the second groove work as the stage came to a close.
With nine to go, Perkins’ lap times were picking up, but with three to go, he was working hard to remain on the lead lap.
The stage ended with Perkins in P30, down one lap. He was likely looking forward to some much-needed adjustments during the stage break, noting his car was “way too tight.”
Stage 2
With adjustments made to the No. 29, Perkins started the second stage in P30. After losing a couple spots on the restart, he was off to the races to secure the Lucky Dog spot and make some ground.
Twenty laps into the stage, Addington asked his driver if the adjustments helped any. “A little bit,” was the response.
Honeyman going for a spin in Turn 2 bought out the caution on Lap 80. Perkins was sitting P33 and the team immediately went to anazlying the issues the No. 29 was having.
With the entire field pitting, Addington made the decision to keep his driver on track and take the wavearound. This move put Perkins back on the lead lap with less than 10 to go. However, the team went to work on a stage break pit stop plan.
Back on the lead lap, with six to go in stage, the No. 29 team had a new goal of “just make it to the stage end” so the adjustments could be made. Perkins took the green in P29, but hung back a bit in anticipation of chaos at the front of the field.
While he lost three spots after the restart, he remained on the lead lap and finished in P32. The team finalized plans and Perkins came to his crew.
Stage 3
After giving the car a good work over, Addington sent his driver out for the final stage of the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300. Perkins started the final stage in P30.
As soon as the green flag was in the air, Raines noted, “We got the hood bowed up a little bit, but we’re all good.” Thanks to a few drivers having issues, Perkins moved up to P29, but the chaos sent him back to P32 within a lap of the restart.
The fourth caution came on Lap 102 as Jeb Burton went for a spin. Addington opted to bring Perkins to the pits and fix the damage sustained on the the restart. After a two-stop strategy, Perkins resumed the race in P34 on Lap 107.
Perkins held his position, despite getting lapped with 73 to go.
Ten laps later, he confirmed his car will still running tight, but he was expericing a vibration as well.
Green flag pit stops started with 58 to go, but Addington noted the team would “run long” and work on getting back the lap they lost. Addington radioed in, “I know it sucks. We gotta run it long,” as Perkins sat P29, down two laps, and was getting passed left and right by drivers with fresh tires.
With the lack of a caution, Addington called Perkins to pit road with 38 to go, and he returned to track in P35.
Cautions in the Closing Laps
With 27 to go, Honeyman once again brought out the caution. Addington informed Perkins they would be staying out to gain back a lap.
Perkins sat P33, down three laps, with 21 to go, and had instructions to be heads up – not only for the chaos that would likely ensue, but also because Parker Kligerman was leading the field on old tires. Within four laps, the caution came out again – this time, as Kyle Weatherman and Hailie Deegan went spinning.
Despite only a handful of laps remaining, Addington brought Perkins back to the pits to make sure all repairs were holding as the race wound down.
The green waved again with 11 to go. Perkins surged ahead from P36. The next two laps were filled with near-catastrophe as drivers slammed the wall, and other cars.
Perkins brought it home P35 after a hard-fought afternoon in Texas. He thanked his team and Addington apologized for the “head-scratcher.”
Sponsor Shoutout + Driver & Team Socials
NASCAR fans know sponsors make the sport go ’round. We want to give a shoutout to AutoParkIt.com who played a huge part of the weekend for Blaine and the No. 29 team.
Be sure to give Blaine (Facebook, Instagram, X) and RSS Racing (Facebook, Instagram, X) a follow to keep up with the latest news from the driver and team.
