NOAPS Race Recap: Pennzoil 250

The “Racing Capital of the World” hosted the Pennzoil 250 for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The front row for the race had Sheldon Creed and Carson Kvapil. Jeremy Clements and Sam Mayer started the race behind them. Cup series regulars Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott qualified on the fourth row. Elliott had to start at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments. The stage lengths were 30 laps for the first two stages, with the final stage being 40 laps.

Clements to the Top

The front four got away equally. Creed took the lead out of turn two. Mayer got a push from Clements to take second. Brandon Jones got to the inside of Kvapil and pulled Taylor Gray with him. Kvapil settled in sixth.

Creed pulled away by half a second, and Mayer had a second over Clements in third.

Chase Elliott made his way up to 26th before seven laps were completed.

Kvapil recovered from his rough start to get back into the top four.

Creed continued to pull away from his teammate ballooning his lead to over two and a half seconds.

Clements led the charge to bring Mayer, Kvapil, and Chastain to the rear of the leader in Creed. With 10 to go in the stage, the lead shrank to less than half a second. Creed began to weave on the front stretch to limit the run they gained on him. Clements went on to take the lead, while Creed fell to fifth.

Creed continued to sink. Justin Allgaier pushed William Sawalich into the top five. Allgaier was also able to pass Creed.

Clements pulled away from Chastain by two seconds and held on to win stage one in the Pennzoil 250! Chastain, Kvapil, Sawalich, and Mayer finished in the top five.

Late Stage Strategy

Sawalich and Chastain brought the green flag out on the front row. Sawalich got a good restart and, with help from Creed, took the lead into turn three. Chastain battled back. He got to the inside of Sawalich. Creed pushed him to the front while Sawalich fell outside the top five.

Halfway through the stage, Chastain could not get away from Creed. The top four, Chastain, Creed, Allgaier, and Kvapil, pulled away from fifth by a second.

The second caution came out when Garrett Smithley spun around. He was racing with Blaine Perkins when he got too low on the track, which sent him around. That caution came on lap 54.

The race resumed with Rajah Caruth and Dean Thompson on the front row. Thompson got loose, which allowed Caruth to take the lead with Allgaier behind him.

Thompson fell out of the top five after being passed by Chastain and Creed on the back stretch.

Caruth held on to the lead to win stage two in the Pennzoil 250! Allgaier, Chastain, Creed, and Kvapil rounded out the top five.

Great First Win

Chastain and Allgaier got the Pennzoil 250 restarted. Mayer jumped to the inside and snatched fourth. Kvapil fought back by immediately passing Mayer back. Chastain and Allgaier battled for the lead. Chastain was able to take it out of turn four.

Mayer dove to the inside of Kvapil, and they made contact. They both cleared Allgaier, who fell to fourth. Kvapil held onto the runner-up spot. Mayer dropped to fifth.

With 24 to go, Kvapil closed to the rear bumper of Chastain in the lead. Creed, Allgaier, and Hill followed them to round out the top five.

Kvapil began to push the pace of Chastain. They pulled away from Creed by almost two seconds.

With 22 to go, Kvapil got a huge run off of turn two, which launched him into the lead. He was the quickest car on track. As soon as he took the lead, he began to pull away from Chastain.

Chastain was able to find pace and close the gap a bit.

Elliott got around Hill to take fifth. He then passed Creed for fourth.

Allgaier got to the rear bumper of Chastain and began to hound him for the runner-up spot. The top three were separated by under a second. Allgaier got around Chastain between turns one and two.

Clements had to make an unscheduled pit stop for battery issues.

Allgaier began to get closer to Kvapil. He got a tow on the back stretch to close the gap.

Kvapil got the white flag and held off Allgaier to win the Pennzoil 250 at the Brickyard! Allgaier, Chastai, Elliott, and Sawalich finished in the top five.

Marvin’s Minute:

JR Motorsports is fast. That is not new information. Carson Kvapil has been fast for a while. It was only a matter of time before he got his maiden win. He was one of the fastest cars all day. What a great track to get his first one at!

I was really impressed with how clean the racing was. With only one natural caution, the drivers gave each other space and kept it going straight. I wish NASCAR would get rid of the stage yellows: issue the points, but don’t stop the racing. That would make these wins so much more meaningful. With 30 and 40-lap stages, it is a game of sprints. Let’s make this track a marathon!

The series continues its schedule at Iowa in two weeks!