Nick Sanchez gets ready for his hometown race at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Photo: Erik Smith | The Podium Finish)
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Nick Sanchez had a turbulent weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, ending with a 17th place finish, missing the cutline for the Championship 4 in a tiebreaker with Ben Rhodes.
Sanchez had an ideal start to the race weekend, with getting the pole position on Friday afternoon during qualifying and was three points above the cut line to race for the championship in Phoenix next weekend. Just before the race, Sanchez spoke about his expectations for this race and what he has been focusing on to prepare for this race.
“My focus has always been on Homestead, even before I took the green flag at that race (Talladega),” Sanchez said. Me and my team worked really hard on this No. 2 Gainbridge Chevy and honestly we’re just trying to get to victory lane. I know I’m above the cut line, I have to be mindful of that, but I just want to control what I can control today and I think
‘I can do that best out front. I have no nerves, going into the year this was my expectation all along and I’ve had a lot of fun this year I’ve learned a lot as a driver but I feel like these last two races I can right my wrongs on everything I’ve done wrong this year.”
When the green flag dropped for the Baptist Health Cancer Cure 200, the 22-year-old kept his position for the first six laps until Corey Heim was able to pass him. In the remaining 24 laps of Stage 1, Sanchez fell back to seventh. Sanchez was able to gain track position throughout Stage 2, securing a third place stage finish.
Nick Sanchez racing for a spot in the Craftsman Truck Series Championship 4 (Photo: Erik Smith | The Podium Finish)
Stage 3 was not as smooth for the Miami, Florida native and his team. Sanchez was running 10th and sat two points above the Playoff cut line before pitting on Lap 99 when he made contact with Tanner Gray entering pit road. With just over 30 laps remaining in the race, Sanchez was not able to gain back his track position and ended in seventeenth place and one point outside of the Championship 4. After the race, Sanchez spoke about his mistake on pit road and his goals going into the Phoenix race weekend.
“Obviously, I lost a lot of time there,” Sanchez said. “I lost time in the pits trying to fix it. It was just my fault, no two ways about it. I really don’t know the No. 15 (Tanner Gray) was pitting and I had time to slow down and I just didn’t. So that’s on me. I apologize to my team and everyone who supports me. To miss by one point is pretty rough. All you can do is go to Phoenix and try to win. But yea, that’s on me.”
Initially missing the Championship 4 by a single point, Zane Smith’s post-race disqualification put Sanchez in a tie with Rhodes. However, Rhodes won the tiebreaker over Sanchez due to two runner-up results.
Still, Sanchez and the No. 2 team have a lot to be proud of throughout the 2023 season and have shown they are capable of great things with their young driver.
