No. 10 SMA Healthcare Chevrolet
Start: 13th
Stage 1 Finish:16th
Stage 2 Finish:16th
Finish: 7th
Dye struggled with a tight-handling No. 10 SMA Healthcare Chevy, losing a handful of spots when the first caution came out early in the race. Dye radioed that he struggled the most when in dirty air but was able to finish the opening stage in 16th. Crew chief Kevin Walter made the call for an air pressure adjustment, telling Dye that the track would soon free up as the sun went down. Dye started the second stage in 16th and dropped multiple spots, losing the lead pack, before the No. 10 Chevy’s handling improved. Late in the second stage, Dye caught the lead pack and attached himself to the bottom line. He finished the second stage in 16th, adding that he was happy with how the No. 10 Chevy felt. Dye pitted for four tires, while most of the field took two tires to start the final stage in 20th. Navigating through multiple cautions and avoiding last-lap mayhem, Dye made it through unscathed and scored his first top-10 finish of the season.
“Glad we got our first top 10 of the year. I wish we were up there a little earlier in the race than we were, but it was a good fight out of the No. 10 team to carve our way through the field. This SMA Healthcare Chevy was fast. I’m looking forward to heading to our first road course of the year.” – Daniel Dye
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet
Start: 3rd
Stage 1 Finish: 12th
Stage 2 Finish: 17th
Finish: 15th
Josh Williams lost six spots by the end of lap one after being shoved into the middle of three wide. Following a hectic start and a caution that reset the field on lap 12, Williams drove the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevy to a 12th-place Stage 1 finish. He pitted for tires and fuel, restarting in 15th when Stage 2 went green. The field ran single file until the final eight laps of the second stage, and Williams held strong on the outside line until lap 87. Then, the No. 27 gave Williams an untimely shove, and he took the green-white-checkered flag in 17th. Williams reported that he was loose when being pushed, and during the stage caution, crew chief Eddie Pardue called for a track bar and air pressure adjustment to go alongside the four-tire fuel stop. Williams restarted in 19th with 65 laps to go. Running mid pack, he avoided multiple wrecks to take the checkered flag in 15th.
“Not the run we hoped for today. We needed a little more speed. Appreciate the crew for bringing a fast hot rod to the track to start the weekend. Looking forward to COTA and getting some laps there.” – Josh Williams
No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet
Start: 9th
Stage 1 Finish: 8th
Stage 2 Finish: 10th
Finish: 29th
Eckes’ No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy fired off strong, and he remained in the top 10 throughout the entire opening stage, finishing eighth. Eckes earned three stage points and also recorded the fastest lap of the race on lap 45, awarding him one regular season point. The No. 16 pit crew gained one spot on pit road, putting Eckes in position to start the second stage from seventh place. Firing off slightly free in stage two, Eckes made his way into the top five by lap 63 and ran single file for most of it. With under five laps remaining in the second stage, the field went double file, and Eckes finished it in 10th. He radioed that the car felt great and pitted for four tires, while most of the field took two tires to start the final stage in 12th. Keeping the No. 16 Chevy clean in the top 10 throughout multiple incidents, Eckes lined up eighth with three laps remaining. On the final lap, he was hooked into the outside wall, taking him out of the race. He was scored 29th.
“Such an unfortunate way to finish a strong run. Our No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy was fast all day, and we picked up some good stage points. We just kept choosing the wrong restart lane all day, and that was no different on the last restart. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Looking forward to rebounding at our first road course as a team.” – Christian Eckes
About Kaulig Racing
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.
