Roulette Recap: Nick Sanchez – EchoPark

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.

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Driver: Nick Sanchez (Facebook, Instagram, X)
Organization & Number: Peterson Racing Group, #87 (Facebook, Instagram, X)
Crew Chief: Jody Measamer
Spotter: Trey Poole
Qualified: P18

Stage 1

Nick Sanchez pulled up to EchoPark Speedway to start his third race with Peterson Racing Group. In his previous two starts with the organization, he finished P23 and P12, and looked to repeat as the summer Atlanta race winner.

Sanchez immediately gained a position at the green flag and another before the caution waved on Lap 3. He noted his car fired off well, and it felt secure. After a nine-lap clean-up, Sanchez restarted P16, and he quickly found himself running three wide. With some shuffling, he moved to P12 as drivers discovered what they had.

By Lap 20, he landed in the top 10. Two laps later, the caution waved when Leland Honeyman, Jr. blew a tire and dove to pit road.

Sanchez confirmed he was still happy with his car and restarted P9 on Lap 27. He got pushed back to P12 early on, then went three wide. He gained a position when Sam Mayer went sideways and got into the wall.

Corey Day was pushing Sanchez hard in a three-wide situation, which solidified his claim on P11. Coming to the stage end, the caution waved when Brandon Jones blew a tire and made contact with Austin Hill. Sanchez was running with these two and had to slow down to avoid getting clobbered.

He finished the stage P13.

Stage 2

Following a pit stop for fuel, tires, and adjustments, Sanchez started the stage P16. He worked his way up two spots and was running P14 when Patrick Staropoli went sliding through the infield grass. The race stayed green, and he eventually made his way to P12.

As the stage came to a close, he fell to P13 and spoke with his team about necessary adjustments and potential track changes.

Stage 3

After pitting, he returned to the track in P12 with 65 laps remaining. In a wild turn of events, Sanchez opted to take the top lane – the opposite of every restart so far. He was warned the top might get tight, and that it did, with drivers also immediately going three wide.

He gained a spot before Harrison Burton blew up, leaking oil around the track. Sanchez immediately radioed in, “Glad to know it [the top lane] works!”

When the restart came, he opted for the top lane once again and took the green in P11 with 54 to go. After riding the bumper of Hill and going three-wide, Sanchez claimed P6. Immediately, the caution waved as Taylor Gray and Day got into each other.

This incident left so much debris that the red was displayed. While waiting for the race to resume, Sanchez and his team talked strategy.

Facing 45 to go, Sanchez restarted from the inside lane and was running in the middle of three when Jeremy Clements went for a spin and brought out another caution.

Once again, in an effort to save laps, the red flag was displayed for clean-up.

Sanchez sat P6 when drivers took the green with 36 to go. He was the first to make a third lane, and he immediately had help from Chevy teammates. His line got the run, and he was quickly scored P5. He claimed P4 when the caution waved with 31 to go, when Glen Reen went sideways.

30 to Go

Awaiting the green, the No. 87 team discussed their options when it came to choosing. Ultimately, Sanchez was told to go with his gut, which had him line up behind Rajah Caruth and Carson Kvapil in P5 in the top lane.

Following a hard push from the No. 2 of Jesse Love, he was running P5 when Jake Finch brought out the next caution with 24 to go.

For the restart with 19 to go, Sanchez once again opted for the top lane. However, before drivers could gain any ground, the caution was again out for Finch.

The next restart came with 13 to go, and Sanchez was in the same spot as before. The 11th caution came when a gaggle of cars got into each other directly behind him.

This led to the third red flag of the race.

With seven to go, Sanchez opted for the inside lane, with Justin Allgaier leading his line.

After going three wide, he rocketed to P4, then he found himself at the bottom of four and into P2 with three to go. Suddenly, the caution waved as top contenders went spinning. Another big clean-up brought out the fourth red flag.

Under caution, Crew Chief Jody Measamer reminded Sanchez, “This is what we live for.”

Spotter Trey Poole said, “Try to think about how the restarts have played out tonight.”

Sanchez agreed and said, “I just need to go execute.”

NASCAR Overtime

This caution forced NASCAR Overtime with Sanchez restarting on the front row. He lined up next to Kvapil with Clements behind him.

Before the leaders took the green flag, multiple cars behind them went spinning, including Clements.

They re-racked the field and went for another Overtime attempt.

Sanchez got a push from Brennan Poole to take the lead, but he got loose and fell to P3.

Coming across the start-finish line, he and Poole got into each other, putting them both into the wall.

Sanchez’s spotter apologized and said to blame him for the finish, “I hate that… a great day to finish like that.”

The day that was almost went in the books as a P19 finish.