Nick Sanchez battles with Justin Allgaier for position during the Loop 110 at the Chicago Street Course. (Photo: James Gilbert | Getty Images)
CHICAGO — After closing out the final laps at Atlanta to become a first-time winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Nick Sanchez proved that his lone win was not a fluke.
The 24-year-old rookie driver started inside the top 10 for the Loop 110 at the Chicago Street Course, giving the No. 48 Big Machine Racing team a firm chance at a good result on a road course layout.
In the past two road course events this season, Sanchez brought his team home in the 13th position at Circuit of the Americas and a 16th place effort at Mexico City a few weeks ago. The results may have been lackluster for the up-and-coming driver, but that was sure to change with the speed that the No. 48 has shown as of late.
Sanchez started the event on a high note, quickly working his way near the top five when a caution was thrown for a collision into the tire barriers in Turn 6 by Jack Perkins, who was making his first NASCAR start behind the wheel of the No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Sanchez stayed up front for the entirety of Stage 1, however, carnage quickly ensued for the No. 48 crew. At the end of Stage 1, Sanchez brought his Chevrolet Camaro down pit road for scheduled service, but his crew cost him track position when they were penalized for an uncontrolled tire and a safety violation.
Nick Sanchez running a qualifying lap for the Loop 110 at the Chicago Street Course. (Photo: Kevin Bowman | The Podium Finish)
Sanchez restarted outside the top 30 at the beginning of Stage 2, but the newest addition to the Xfinity Series playoff field did not let a little bit of adversity stop him from climbing his way back up through the competition.
By the end of Stage 2, Sanchez was already back inside the top 15, keeping his eyes on the goal of a top 10 and possibly a top five finish by the end of the show. With only 15 laps remaining in the race, the field started to get chaotic. Every driver was doing anything they could to gain track position. With that, cautions waved every few laps, giving drivers like Sanchez the ability to make ground up on the restarts with a fast race car.
By the end of the event, Sanchez was able to quietly make his way into the top five with a two-lap dash to the finish remaining. A dominant Shane Van Gisbergen eventually found his way around rookie teammate Connor Zilisch by the end of the show, and Sanchez wheeled his No. 48 home in the fifth position, a result that would not have happened if it were not for the speed that the Big Machine Racing group had been showing in the past couple weeks.
“I’m actually pretty bummed with fifth,” said the driver out of Miami, Florida in his post-race comments. “I feel like I could have been second to the (No.) 9 on my strategy right there. Another great car by the team.”
This was the best road course finish on the year for Sanchez after the team had race-winning speed every time that Parker Kligerman was behind the wheel of the No. 48 over the past couple of years.
Sanchez and his Big Machine Racing team will look to keep up the road course speed as they take on the twists and turns of Sonoma Raceway next weekend.
