Nick Sanchez looks to parlay his Daytona win with another triumph at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon. (Photo: Jared Bokanoski | The Podium Finish)
HAMPTON, Ga. — Nick Sanchez enjoyed the sweet success of a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory last Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
It was a historic win as Sanchez piloted the No. 2 Gainbridge Chevrolet Silverado to Victory Lane for Rev Racing, the first major NASCAR victory for the organization. Founded in 2010 by Max Siegel to bring in people of color and women into stock car racing, Sanchez delivered for the team in grand fashion.
Save for eight starts in the NASCAR XFINTY Series for B.J. McLeod Motorsports and Big Machine Racing in 2022, Sanchez has raced for Rev Racing for a majority of his professional career. In many ways, Sanchez repaid the favor to Siegel and those who offered him with the opportunity to showcase his talents in the big leagues of stock car racing.
Prior to the Fr8 208 race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Sanchez expressed his gratitude to Siegel and Rev Racing, particularly when reflecting on the significance of winning at Daytona as a Miami native.
“It’s really big for myself and Max Siegel and all of Rev Racing, every employee there,” Sanchez said. “This win has been a long time coming. Me and Max, we’ve had success at every level we’ve competed at, from legend cars, late models, ARCA to now the Truck Series. To get this win is big.”
Naturally, Sanchez has plentiful confidence in his team, led by Kevin “Bono” Manion, a crew chief who has valuable experience with championships and wins in NASCAR’s top three series. Likewise, the 22-year-old racer knows how to win a title, having done so in one of stock car’s premier ladder series.
“I think we can also do a lot more than just this win,” he considered. “That’s the exciting part to me. We still have 22 races left this year. And our goal right now is the championship. We’ve done it before in 2022 in ARCA. I don’t see any reason why we can’t do that now in the Truck Series with me, Max and Rev Racing.”
Sanchez has a bit of work to do if he wants to win on Saturday afternoon. Qualifying 18th for the 135-lap race, it may not be the same as starting sixth as he did for last Friday’s Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona.
Nick Sanchez hopes to capitalize on another win on Saturday at Atlanta for his No. 2 Rev Racing team. (Photo: Ricky Martinez | The Podium Finish)
Then again, the young racer started 20th and led 11 laps before finishing second at Atlanta last year. It was this very race weekend that showcased Sanchez’s potential and prowess, again on display at Texas, Kansas, Nashville, Talladega and Homestead-Miami.
In each of those races, the Floridian had a shot to win for his No. 2 team before circumstances deterred him from Victory Lane. Now, with the taste of victory finally quenched in one of the most prestigious tracks in racing, Sanchez believes in his chance to win the Truck championship.
By all means, Sanchez may have what it takes to at least make a deep Playoffs run as seen last year. With a valuable season under his belt, the Miami native, with his Rev Racing trucks prepared by Spire Motorsports, is a weekly threat to win races, no matter the track type.
For now, Sanchez is still beaming about his Daytona success. No matter the age, series or experience, Sanchez has one thing that any racer would covet – a victory at “The World Center of Racing.”
“Being from Florida, with Homestead technically being my hometrack, I think of Daytona as my second,” Sanchez said with a smile. “I went to many races as a kid, watching Daytona. It feels like home. The water’s nearby. The palm trees, the ambiance… just the weather, everything about it feels like Miami and it feels like home.
“So to get a win there is pretty big. I guess you could say it’s the second biggest race of the year behind Phoenix, the championship race. It’s pretty cool. It’s definitely a cool weekend for me and Max Siegel.”
