Nick Sanchez Prevails for First Career Xfinity Win at Atlanta

Nick Sanchez scored his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win at EchoPark Speedway in the Focused Health 250. (Photo: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)

HAMPTON, Ga. — In what turned out to be a chaotic night, Nick Sanchez scored his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in the Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway.

After multiple rain delays and nine cautions, a final restart was set up with just seven laps to go, with Sanchez on the outside lane and Jesse Love to his inside. On the restart, Love was able to take the lead away with the help of Carson Kvapil, who delivered a huge push to the back of the No. 2 car heading into Turns 1 and 2.

The lead did not last long for Love, however, as on the next lap, Sanchez dove to the inside and got drafting help from Kvapil, Aric Almirola and Connor Zilisch to take the lead back and score the win.

Nick Sanchez celebrating in Victory Lane after scoring his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory. (Photo: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)

“We’ve been so close the last couple of weeks, and it’s (been) every little thing that could go wrong,” Sanchez said. “I put a lot on my shoulders. So, to come back and get a win is just amazing.”

On Lap 68, Sanchez spun out down the front stretch, eventually going through the grass. Following the race, he credited his team for helping him rebound to reach Victory Lane and also gave his thoughts on the “rookie mistake” he made.

“I’m still a little embarrassed about that,” he said. “It was truly a rookie mistake, but we rebounded and just an awesome car. I can’t win a race here at Atlanta with a crappy car and the team just did amazing. I’m speechless.”

Nick Sanchez after winning the Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway. (Photo: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)

Sanchez led 18 laps en route to his first career victory, which also locked him and his No. 48 team into the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs; a feat that helps take a lot of pressure off the remainder of the regular season.

“It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders, that’s for sure,” said Sanchez. “Now we can go chase checkered flags.”

It was another close defeat for the fellow rookie Kvapil, who finished the race in second place. In the closing laps while running behind Sanchez, Kvapil felt he was not able to generate a big enough run to have a look at the lead and would have been swallowed up by the pack.

Nick Sanchez doing a burnout after winning the Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway. (Photo: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)

“To be that close really does sting,” Kvapil said. “I couldn’t really generate a run there. We were all kind of just too far away from each other. I just felt like, if we got side-by-side, we’d get swallowed up by somebody.”

Finishing inside the top five behind Sanchez and Kvapil were Sam Mayer, Zilisch and Taylor Gray. Rounding out the top 10 were Love, Almirola, Daniel Dye, Kyle Sieg and Jeremy Clements.

With Sanchez’s win to lock himself in the playoffs, the bubble for the provisional playoff cutline has shifted. Sheldon Creed now holds the final spot above the cutline by a tiebreaker over Ryan Sieg and by one point over Harrison Burton with nine races remaining in the regular season.

The next race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series will be at the Chicago Street Course on Saturday, July 5, at 4:30 p.m. EST on The CW, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Stage 1 Top 10 Results

1. Taylor Gray
2. Sam Mayer
3. Daniel Dye
4. Nick Sanchez
5. Dean Thompson
6. Connor Zilisch
7. Brennan Poole
8. Leland Honeyman
9. Carson Kvapil
10. Matt DiBenedetto

Stage 2 Top 10 Results

1. Brandon Jones
2. Carson Kvapil
3. Jesse Love
4. Matt DiBenedetto
5. Brennan Poole
6. Dean Thompson
7. Nick Sanchez
8. Kyle Sieg
9. Blaine Perkins
10. Ryan Ellis

Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway Finishing Results