NOAPS Race Recap: Sports Illustrated Resorts 250

Qualifying for the Sports Illustrated Resorts 250 was rained out, so the lineup was set by the metric. Jesse Love and Austin Hill started the race on the front row. Carson Kvapil and Corey Day started in row two. Justin Allgaier started in 17th. Cleetus McFarland started in the very back. The stage lengths were 45 laps for the first and second stages, with the final stage being 98 laps.

Don’t You Just Love Love

Love and Hill both got good launches at the start. They drove into turn one side by side. Love, on the inside, took the lead out of turn two. Day drove to the inside of Hill to try to take second. It took him several laps to complete the pass. As soon as he did, Hill tried to pass him back on the inside but couldn’t.

That jockeying for position allowed Love to scamper away by over a second.

Before lap ten was completed, Allgaier had already passed his way to eighth. He was among the fastest cars on track.

Kyle Larson used the outside line to get a run and pass William Sawalich.

Allgaier caught the rear of Sawalich and made the pass. He then passed Larson to get into the top five. Allgaier continued his speed as he got to the rear bumper of Hill. He made quick work of him.

With the stage winding down, Love caught and passed McFarland to put him a lap down. McFarland got loose, which made it easy for Love. McFarland spun into the grass as Love won stage one in the Sports Illustrated Resorts 250! Day, Allgaier, Hill, and Larson finished the stage in the top five.

Back and Forth

Love and Allgaier brought the field back to green. Love took the lead out of turn two. Allgaier drove to the inside of Love and passed him on the front stretch.

Larson got loose in the middle of Day and Hill racing for fourth. Hill and Larson lost several positions, with Hill falling out of the top ten.

Day complained of smoke coming from his right front.

Halfway through the stage, Allgaier was the leader with Love right behind him. Love would not let Allgaier pull away. They were two seconds ahead of Carson Kvapil in third.

Love got to the inside of Allgaier and snagged the lead in turns one and two. Allgaier did not let him get away and stayed on his rear bumper. They caught lapped traffic, but it did not slow either of them down. The traffic allowed Allgaier to take the inside line and the lead with five to go in the stage. They traded the lead back and forth with Allgaier coming out on top. They continued to take swings, but Allgaier took the green-white-checkered flag, winning stage two in the Sports Illustrated Resorts 250!

Stage 3

Kvapil joined Love on the front row for the restart. Love took the lead into turn one. Allgaier quickly got back to second and began to challenge for the lead again.

Larson got loose and dropped several positions.

Brent Crews caught Allgaier as Love pulled away by over a second. Crews took a few shots but could not complete the pass on Allgaier. However, he was finally able to take second out of turn two.

Love began to complain of a loose wheel. He slowed, and his lead shrank.

Crews quickly tracked Love down and made quick work to take the lead with 70 to go in the Sports Illustrated Resorts 250. Crews pulled away from him by over a second and a half.

Love was the first car to pit. He had a very slow pit stop as they remedied his wheel issue.

Crews maintained his lead at over three and a half seconds. He was comfortable out front.

Pit Stops

Green flag pit stops began on lap 143 with Sammy Smith. Allgaier waited until lap 146 to stop. Crews stopped on the next lap. Allgaier was able to close the gap to Crews.

Hill assumed the lead in the middle of the pit cycle. He pitted on lap 150.

After the pit cycle, Allgaier was behind Crews by just under two seconds. He was faster than the leader and slowly closed the gap.

With 20 to go, the gap was a quarter of a second. Crews was slowed trying to lap Jeremy Clements. Allgaier drove alongside Crews but was not able to complete the pass. Crews fought to keep the lead. Allgaier ultimately took the lead with 15 to go. He pulled away by almost a second and did not look back.

Justin Allgaier took the white flag, then the checkered flag to win the Sports Illustrated Resorts 250! Crews, Sawalich, Sam Mayer, and Brandon Jones rounded out the top five.

Marvin’s Minute:

What more is there to say? Justin Allgaier is one of the greatest O’Reilly Auto Parts Series drivers of all time. He got his third win at Nashville Superspeedway and should be the favorite to win the championship. Allgaier has been dominant this season, and I don’t expect him to slow down.

Brent Crews impressed me as he battled a seasoned veteran. He fought hard to keep the lead, but the experience and skill of Allgaier were too much. He will be in victory lane soon; it is only a matter of time.

The series continues its schedule in the Poconos after a week off.