- Food City 300 - Bristol Motor Speedway - 1. (#1) Zach Johnson - 2. (#71) Michael Deitch - 3. (#26) Caleb Sheets - 4. (#29) Stewart Harding Walker - 5. (#97) Zack Saunders - 6. (#11) Bob Baker - 7. (#88) Tyler Belanger - 8. (#92) Jacob Fifield - 9. (#25) Noah Spaulding - 10. (#54) Cory Mott - 11. (#52) Leeroy Sellers - 12. (#8) Joe Gibbons - 13. (#55) Cameron Romano - 14. (#20) Jim Mott - 15. (#9) Gordon Fraley - 16. (#4) John Conner - 17. (#6) Jacob QuillBy: Garth Griswold, CJR Media Team
Drivers in the TCSP Cup Series and VRS Truck Series Playoffs showcased their unwavering determination this week. Despite early mistakes, Cory Mott’s victory in the Truck Series and the triumphant performances of Thomas Wolfe and Jacob Fifield in the Cup and Xfinity Series proved that perseverance can overcome any odds.
VRS Truck Series
The VRS Truck Series race at the Auto Club Speedway was thrilling. The expansive two-mile track, illuminated by the stars and lights, set the stage for a fast-paced battle. The leaders, pushing hard to stay at the front, created an intense race that took several front runners out on Lap 14.
Connor Wold would get to the front and win Stages 1 and 2 before Playoff driver Cory Mott would get to the front in the final stage. Mott would survive the multiple green-white-checkered finishes to win at Auto Club Speedway and has locked himself into the Round of 4.
Bob Henry’s Xfinity Series
The Xfinity Series traveled to Charlotte Motor Speedway to take on the Roval road course. Jacob Fifield’s early mistake at the start allowed Stewart Harding Walker to win Stage 1 by .347 of a gap to Fifield. Saunders would take the lead for 9 Laps during Stage 2 from Walker before Fifield would return to the front and win Stage 2. Saunders and Fifield battled early in the final stage before Fifield ran away with it to win by a 38-second margin for back-to-back wins in Bob Henry’s Xfinity Series.
Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series
Wednesday night at the Roval tested resilience in the TCSP Cup Series Playoffs. Despite being outside looking in, Caleb Tipton, Ben Lawson, Steven Carlile, and Cory Mott refused to give up. The race, which went green through the first stage, saw all 12 playoff drivers finishing 1-12th when the green and white checkered flag waved on Lap 20. Thomas Wolfe’s win in the first stage further intensified the competition, with Ben Lawson and Steven Carlile’s Top 5 finishes in Stage 1 adding to the drama.
After the carnage was cleaned, the field returned to green, but cars started dropping like flies. Within a span of 2 laps, six cars would get black-flagged for damage. Stephen Menke’s engine would blow on Lap 29, but lucky for him, he had accumulated a significant gap in playoff points that would remain above the cutline. This threshold determines which drivers advance to the next Round of the playoffs. Vince Mitchell and Nathaniel Campbell would get involved in an incident on lap 30, which would put them laps down, something neither of them needed as they tried to stay above the cutline.
Steven Carlile refused to give up after losing power for a moment during Hurricane Milton while racing at Talladega would put his playoff dreams on the chopping block. Carlile would start the race -18 points under the cutline, but a Stage 2 win would give him life and the chance to keep his playoff dreams alive.
Carlile would lead the first few laps of the final stage before Thomas Wolfe would make his way back to the front. Wolfe would run away with it to win the race with a 28-second margin to extend his lead even further heading into the Round of 8. Carlile would finish in 3rd and get a total of 51 points for the race, but it wasn’t enough to keep the playoff hopes alive, and he would be eliminated, finishing 2 points under the cutline. Nathaniel Campbell’s playoff dreams would end by finishing 3 points back after the incident with Vince Mitchell on Lap 30.
Vince Mitchell would advance to the Round of 8, keeping his playoff dreams alive and securing the final spot. Palmetto Motorsports team owner and driver Cory Mott would take Campbell’s playoff spot to advance. Carlile, Campbell, Lawson, and Tipton’s playoff run would end at the Roval.
Next Week in the CJR
Next week in CJR League, the ARCA Series takes on the Monster Mile at Darlington Raceway on Sunday Night. The VRS Truck Series is off Monday night before resuming Round of 8 playoff action on October 28 at Homestead Speedway. The Bob Henry’s Xfinity Series and Team Conti Sim Performance Series will travel to Fabulous Las Vegas to tackle the mile-and-a-half oval. Tune into the Crown Jewel Racing Network next week to see who can beat the odds and win in Sin City.