NOAPS Race Recap: Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250

Sam Mayer was the fastest in qualifying for the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echopark Speedway. Carson Kvapil joined him on the front row for the start. Sheldon Creed started the race on the second row. Last week’s winner, drafting ace Austin Hill, started in 20th. The stage lengths were 45 laps for the first two stages, with the final stage being 73 laps.

Beating and Banging Out Front

Mayer got a better launch with his teammate pushing him. The front two exited turn two side by side. The inside line quickly dissipated, leaving Kvapil out to dry. Hill gained five spots before the third lap began.

The first caution came out on lap five for a wreck in the tri-oval. Ryan Sieg got turned off of the nose of Corey Day and slid up the track. Kyle Sieg, Harrison Burton, Patrick Staropoli, and Blaine Perkins were also involved in the incident.

Mayer and Taylor Gray brought the field back to the green flag. They both got equal jumps and drove out of turn two alongside each other. Gray gave Mayer a love tap on the frontstretch. Mayer ended up with a tire rub on his left front tire. He was able to keep going for the time being.

Hill was in and out of the top ten. He made aggressive moves to move up the field, but did not have help behind him. He settled out in tenth but did not give up.

The inside line fell back, allowing Mayer, Creed, Rajah Caruth, and Gray to lead the race in the top four. Mayer began to feel the effects of his tire rub. He slowed and began to spark from underneath his car. He made it to the pits with a flat tire.

Up for Love and Down for Hill

Hill and his teammate, Jesse Love, used the inside line to break up the party. Caruth used a run on the inside to pass and take the lead. Love was able to get back around for the lead, and the two of them traded the lead for several laps.

Mayer had to do a drive-through penalty after speeding on pit road during his unscheduled stop.

Love pulled away and held onto the lead. The field behind him battled for the runner-up spot. Creed got out of the racing line and fell from second to fifth.

Hill complained over the radio about a possible flat tire. He got very loose in turns three and four, but was able to keep it straight. He fell from the top five to 17th.

Love maintained his lead and got the stage one win in the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250! Caruth, Parker Retzlaff, Gray, and Justin Allgaier rounded out the top five. Hill finished the stage in 17th.

Caruth on Top

Love and Creed restarted from the front row. Love was able to get out in front and retake the lead. Creed and Kvapil battled for the runner-up spot. Kvapil made slight contact with the left front of Creed, but it did not bother them.

Hill continued to make moves on the outside line and then would fall back on the inside.

Creed used a great run off of turn four to get underneath Love and take the lead. Love tried to take it back but got stuck underneath Creed.

Allgaier, who came from the back at the start, pushed Creed around the track. Allgaier used a run to pass for the lead, but it did not work. Caruth pulled underneath them and took the lead easily.

Gio Ruggiero got into the outside wall with a flat right front.

Kvapil began to challenge for the lead but could not make the pass on the inside line. Creed did the same thing and ended up with the same luck.

Caruth took the field to the green-white-checkered flag for his first career stage win in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series! Allgaier, Kvapil, Day, and Brandon Jones finished in the top five.

Day and Night Difference

William Sawalich joined Kvapil on the front row for the restart. Kvapil got the better launch with Allgaier staying on his rear bumper. Caruth fell back after getting stuck in the middle of traffic.

Day began to challenge for the lead. As soon as he did, he got tight and into Kvapil to his outside. They both hit the outside wall, collecting Allgaier in the incident. That brought out the fourth caution of the evening.

Sawalich and Hill brought the field back to the green flag with 51 to go in the race. Creed pushed Hill out in front to take the lead. The inside line fell apart, as the field lined up on the outside.

Jeremy Clements got loose and into the infield apron. No caution was thrown, and he was able to keep going.

The fifth caution came out when Cody Ware put some debris on the track due to a mechanical issue.

With 32 to go, Love and Hill restarted the race out in front. The bottom line did not get going, which allowed Hill and Creed to jump out in front. Love fought back and forced his way into the runner-up spot.

“Apollo” Creed to the Lead

Creed began to push Love from third. They stayed in line and waited to make a move. Love finally got the run he liked and tried to make a move for the lead. That move stalled alongside Hill, so Love attempted to get back in line. He clipped the left rear bumper of Hill, and they both got loose. Creed pulled to the inside of the action and took the lead, passing them both.

Ross Chastain used the turbulence out front to push for the lead. Brandon Jones pushed Chastain out in front. Jones stayed fighting for the second spot.

Caruth got into the outside wall by his teammate, Sammy Smith. Smith got a flat tire and turned around on the track. That started a huge wreck and collected several cars. Taylor Gray, Sawalich, Smith, Ruggier, Nick Leitz, Brennan Poole, Lavar Scott, Staropoli, and Mason Maggio were all involved in the incident.

With 15 to go, Chastain and Hill restarted the race. Creed pushed Chastain back out in front. Hill fought back on the inside line and took the lead. Caruth got a flat left front, which stacked up the field a little bit. Josh Williams got turned into the outside wall by Sam Mayer. That brought out the next caution of the night. NASCAR red-flagged the field to allow for cleanup.

Six to go

Chastain and Hill restarted the race from the front row. Creed pushed Chastain out in front. Hill got a mediocre restart but was able to catch back up with Brandon Jones pushing him. Love pushed Creed out to second. Nick Sanchez split Love and Hill to take them three wide. Sanchez got to the inside of Creed and took the runner-up spot. Creed pushed Love back into second on the outside. Love moved inside, which allowed Creed to drive up to the outside of him.

Creed used a huge run on the outside to get back to third. Chastain tried to pass Hill on the back stretch but clipped him. Hill got sent onto the turns three and four apron. Creed snuck back to the lead. Creed would collect the checkered flag to get his first career win in the series. Sheldon Creed got the win in the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250!

Marvin’s Minute:

Sheldon Creed has fought for so long to get to victory lane. He earned a victory many times over and finally got it. His former rival turned friend, Austin Hill, was nothing but smiles for Creed. Creed has been a contender in the series for so long without a victory. If I were to make a prediction, I would say that Creed will be back in victory lane twice more this season. He has shown speed at most tracks. Not to belittle his victory, but he is fast enough to win at a track that does not have the drafting component to it. He will win again soon.