February 23, 2025: Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia.
(HHP/Blake Harris)
HAMPTON, Ga. (Feb. 23, 2025) – Christopher Bell emerged as the winner of another wild overtime finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday, as he dueled with Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson in the closing lap of the Ambetter Health 400.
As the trio of lead cars spread out three-wide half way through the white flag lap, the final caution of the race flew when Josh Berry’s car slammed into the wall back in the pack. Berry won Stage 1 in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford and ran in the front most of the night.
As NASCAR hit the caution button, Bell was in the lead at the time and was declared the winner in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
It was the only lap that Bell led in the race after starting 32nd. He was one of 15 different leaders for a track-record 50 lead changes.
Bell was half-a-car-length ahead of Hocevar and Larson was a couple more inches back as they were charging to the checkered flag.
The win is the first Cup Series victory for Bell on a superspeedway, his first win of the season and 10th win of his career.
“This place is just bonkers and every time we come here it gets wilder and wilder,” Bell said. “It can be risky to be on the top or bottom. You can pick wrong either way. First half of the race I couldn’t do anything right. We kept working on it and then these boys got it tuned up.”
The drama started to unfold as the field charged around the track with four laps to go. As the cars up front shuffled around, Austin Cindric’s machine grazed the outside wall and slid to his left where he made contact with Daytona 500 winner William Byron, who was positioning himself behind teammate Larson to begin pushing him. The two cars careened down the track and brought out a caution to set up the green, white, checker finish.
Larson and Bell were lined up side by side on the final restart and Hocevar, pole winner Ryan Blaney, and Ross Chastain were also in the mix. Bell was in the right place at the right time when caution waved on the white flag lap.
“That right there is what you dream of to restart on the first or second row of a superspeedway race,” Bell said. “I love superspeedways. This style of racing has been a struggle for me. Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and the boys had this car tuned up and I just had to hold my foot to the floor and that’s how you like it. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would win a superspeedway race.”
Larson, who won stage two and has also had his struggles with superspeedways, will remain winless on them, but he will take his third-place finish. It’s his third top-five at Atlanta after posting five recent finishes in the 30th place spot or worse.
“Bummer not to get a win,” Larson said. “I’m proud of the effort today by this No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy team. We had a lot of fun. It was super intense. It was my first legit finish here at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the reconfiguration, so I’ll take it. I feel like we learned a lot and I feel like we can be a lot better with the balance of our racecar to be a little bit more on offense while we are in traffic. We just came up a little bit short. Congratulations to Bell.”
Last year’s Cup Rookie of the Year Hocevar was aggressive in the overtime period and several drivers spoke to him after the race. He says he is still learning but was thrilled to be in the mix at the end.
“Apologies to Larson and Mr. H (Rick Hendrick, team owner),” Hocevar said. “I didn’t realize we weren’t racing back to the line. A little longer and maybe we win the race. I normally ride in the back and run last and try to get a decent finish. There’s some stuff I have to learn and clean up a little bit. We put ourselves in a good position to win a race tonight and I’ve never done that before, especially in a superspeedway race.”
Local favorite Chase Elliott saw his chances of winning his hometown race go away after his No. 9 Chevy got caught up in a caution late in Stage 2 around lap 150. He and Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Corey LaJoie were among the drivers involved in that incident.
Defending winner Daniel Suárez’s quest to repeat his victory here from last spring ended when his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevy was involved in a crash with Noah Gragson, Cole Custer, Ty Gibbs, and Todd Gilliland on lap 185.
Of the notables who were involved in cautions, their final finish spots included 20th place Elliott, 25th place Berry, Byron at 27th, Cindric at 28th and Keselowski at 39th.
Joey Logano led the most laps at 83 but finished 12th in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford.
Blaney finished fourth and was followed by Stenhouse, Denny Hamlin, Saturday truck winner Kyle Busch, Chastain, Bubba Wallace and John Hunter Nemechek in the top 10.
Ambetter Health 400 NASCAR Cup Series results Sunday from Atlanta Motor Speedway:
BELL CLAIMS VICTORY IN ATLANTA Christopher Bell leads just the final lap on his way to his 10th career Cup Series victory
HAMPTON, Ga. (February 23, 2025) – Christopher Bell drove his Toyota Camry XSE to the front when it counted – as the Oklahoma-native was scored the leader on the final lap when the caution fell, giving Bell his first Atlanta Motor Speedway victory and 10th victory of his young career. Bell drove through the field after starting 32nd and earned his first superspeedway win.
Bell led four Toyotas in the top-10 finishers as Denny Hamlin finished sixth, Bubba Wallace was scored ninth and John Hunter Nemechek finished 10th. Nemechek is one of two drivers (Ryan Blaney) to finish in the top-10 in both of the first two races this season.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Atlanta Motor Speedway Race 2 of 36 – 400.4 miles, 260 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, CHRISTOPHER BELL 2nd, Carson Hocevar* 3rd, Kyle Larson* 4th, Ryan Blaney* 5th, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.* 6th, DENNY HAMLIN 9th, BUBBA WALLACE 10th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK 17th, RILEY HERBST 19th, TYLER REDDICK 21st, CHASE BRISCOE 31st, ERIK JONES 32nd, TY GIBBS *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
It took a couple of seconds, but you are the official winner here. What are the emotions like?
“I definitely wasn’t going to start a burnout till they told me for sure that I won. I felt like I had it because I was gauging off the guys besides me – whenever I saw the yellow flag. I don’t know – for the last lap or so, I kept seeing smoke in my rear-view mirror, and I was like, oh my gosh, please don’t crash, please don’t crash. This place is just bonkers. Every time we come here, it gets wilder and wilder, and I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would have won a superspeedway race.”
Why was it so important to you to start in the high lane?
“You just have to keep the momentum. I can be risky to be on the top or the bottom, because sometimes it forms in the middle, sometimes it forms on the top. It forms on the top, you don’t want to be on the bottom. If it forms in the middle, you don’t want to be on the top. I don’t know – you can kind of pick wrong either way. It seemed like the first half of the race, I couldn’t do anything right, and I was just mired back in the pack, and then these boys got the DeWalt Camry tuned up. They got it going really well where I could drive it hard. The DeWalt Camry was fastest when it needed to be at the end.”
What momentum does this give your team?
“We are just getting started. We are going to our bread-and-butter next week. I’m super excited about it.”
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Finishing Position: 10th
How was your race?
“I’m not sure where we officially got scored, but looks like p10. Solid day. Really proud of Hayden (Reeves, spotter), he worked hard today. Way more intense than Daytona. Hats off to all of the men and women at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Road crew, pit crew – everyone did a solid job all day. We were able to keep it straight all day and salvaged another top-10. Two really good runs to start the season and looking forward to COTA next week.”
TY GIBBS, No. 54 SAIA LTL Freight Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 32nd
Can you tell us what happened? “I think I just got really squeezed there. I feel like I was in position to run three wide and make up some positions that I lost. I don’t know. I haven’t seen a replay. I feel like I got squeezed there.”
How was it before the incident?
“Before I got wrecked, I felt like our SAIA Camry was really good. I felt like I could make really good charges and my balance was good. I felt like we were really fast, and I could charge through the field and make really good passes.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.
NASCAR CUP SERIES ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT FEBRUARY 23, 2025
Hocevar Leads Chevrolet with Runner-Up Result At Atlanta Motor Speedway
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS: POS. DRIVER 2nd – Carson Hocevar 3rd – Kyle Larson 5th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 7th – Kyle Busch 8th – Ross Chastain
In yet another photo finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Carson Hocevar led Chevrolet to the checkered-flag in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Ambetter Health 400 – driving his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet to a runner-up result.
Kyle Larson earned his career best superspeedway finish in NASCAR’s top division – tallying a third-place result in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
Larson delivered Chevrolet its first stage win of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. After a 17th place finish in Stage One, Larson progressively maneuvered his No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet towards the front of the pack throughout the stage – ultimately taking the lead on the final lap to earn his first career superspeedway stage win.
Michael McDowell and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team endured a power steering issue during the early laps of race. Making quick repairs to return to the track six laps down, the No. 71 Chevrolet team collected a record-tying six-straight free passes to rejoin the lead lap in the final stage – ultimately taking the checkered-flag for a 13th-place finish.
UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Circuit of The Americas with the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on Sunday, March 2, at 3:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Post-Race Driver Quotes:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 8th
“To qualify 33rd and drive through the field – I made some bad decisions throughout the race. The car was good enough in traffic to keep cycling forward. Great call by Phil Surgen (crew chief) there at the beginning of the final stage to come and get four tires. I was definitely second guessing that in the moment, but it was definitely the right call. So I am glad he is the one making the calls on the No. 1 Moose Chevrolet.”
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 3rd
“I think if I didn’t let the No. 20 (Christopher Bell) get to my outside, I would have had an opportunity, but he would probably split to my inside into (turn) one and clear me. If I don’t hesitate, the wreck probably doesn’t happen. So yeah, I don’t know.. I haven’t seen a replay yet. But yeah, bummer not to get a win. I’m proud of the effort today by this No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy team. We had a lot of fun. It was super intense. It was my first legit finish here at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the reconfiguration, so I’ll take it. I feel like we learned a lot and I feel like we can be a lot better with the balance of our racecar to be a little bit more on offense while we are in traffic. We just came up a little bit short. Congratulations to Bell. Thank you to HENDRICKCARS.COM, Chevrolet and all the Chevy partner teams, too. It’s been a good night, just wish we could have been a couple spots better.”
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 7th
“It was a better finish than I thought we were going to get tonight. There were a lot of crashed cars there too, so we kind of cycled our way forward a little bit with some guys that wrecked out. Overall, the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevy had really good speed, I just had a really hard time opening it up. When I got back in traffic, worse than third in line, I just really had to lift out of the throttle a lot and that was holding me up and holding my lane up. Not a lot of guys were willing to deal with that and have the patience for that, so it kind of shucked us back there a few times. But we were able to rally and get what we could for our Cheddar’s Chevrolet. Just wish we were closer to the front for the end, but that’s where all the wrecks were happening too, so maybe not.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Finished:
“Hard fight all night, just struggled with balance overall. Then when you get back there in traffic, it’s hard to make the right moves. I definitely need to be a little bit better making the right moves. I’m proud of the guys; we made a lot of changes to make the car as good as we could. We salvaged a decent finish there at the end, but we need to be a little bit better overall.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 5th
“It was an up-and-down day for the No. 47 Chevy team. We were at the back. We were at the front. We got some stage points. All-in-all, our Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls Chevy was really, really good. I could go anywhere I wanted to on the race track. I thought we had a shot at the end. I was bummed.. I wanted the No. 5 (Kyle Larson) or us to win. I thought my only shot was to push the No. 20 (Christopher Bell) as hard as I could, which I did. And then I was hoping to get to the outside of the No. 20 in (turns) one and two, but somebody got me in the fence down the frontstretch, and then we were just trying to hold on for a top-five. Our car was really good and I had a lot of fun today.”
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 13th
“That was an eventful day for the No. 71 Group 1001 Chevy team. We had an issue early on with the power steering pump. We actually lost the hose; came in the garage and went down seven laps. We got all of our laps back, nothing short of miraculous, and capitalized there at the end. So thankful to get a good finish, given that it could have been a disaster there. Really proud of Carson (Hocevar). He had a great race. I didn’t see the ending of it, but I know he was up front racing for the win all night long. Really proud of Spire Motorsports for bringing fast Chevy’s. We got some good notes for us for when we come back here. I’m proud of my team and their effort – just grinding through it, getting laps back, fixing a mechanical issue and never giving up. That’s what it’s all about.”
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 2nd
CAREER BEST FINISH FOR YOU, BUT I HAVE TO ASK YOU — THERE WAS A LONG LINE OF DRIVERS HERE TO TALK TO YOU. RYAN BLANEY, ROSS CHASTAIN, VERY AGGRESSIVE RACE OUT THERE, WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO SAY?
“I will just leave those to myself. But first off, apologies to (Kyle) Larson, HMS, Mr. H and everybody. They help us out a lot and I didn’t realize we weren’t racing back to the line. The last two nights were kind of that way, and I hit the No. 20 to get him out of the way and filled the middle. A little bit longer and maybe we win the race. But big thanks to Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet and Delaware Life. I normally ride in the back and run last, so I was just trying to get a good, decent finish. For how bad we were at Daytona, I was not riding. But yeah, there is some stuff I have to learn and clean up a little bit, but I feel like we put ourselves in the perfect opportunity to win the race. I have never had that opportunity really before, especially on a big superspeedway. So just big thanks to Spire Motorsports. They deserve all the praise, and I just get to hold the wheel, run wide open and try to put myself in a decent spot. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best spot but was just one spot short.”
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in the final stage.
Finished: 33rd
What was your take on the accident that ultimately ended your day early? It seemed like it went three-wide pretty quickly..
“Yeah, I mean it was quickly, definitely, but the No. 54 (Ty Gibbs) was there. He was in the middle, and I didn’t know he was in the middle. That’s on me and my spotter. I think we have to do a better job in those situations. It’s part of it. I think that, overall, we just put ourselves in very bad situations throughout the race. We were not fast enough. The No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy wasn’t handling the way I was hoping it would. Normally our speed is good and our handling is great, and that’s how we’ve been successful here. Today, that just wasn’t the case. We have to go through everything and see what we can do better for next time.”
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.
AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Delta Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was unfortunate. As a team, as Fords, we had the best cars here this weekend. We put ourselves into position to win the race and got used up and into the fence and didn’t win the race. It’s a shame. Two weeks in a row I feel like we have had the car to beat and haven’t done it. One way or another it is disappointing.”
RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 BodyArmor Zero Sugar Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was a good comeback. I just fell back from getting spun there and I was able to pick our way through and ended up scrounging a good finish out of it, so not a bad recovery.”
YOU SLOWED AND THEN GOT HIT BY THE 77. WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND? “I wasn’t slowing. He was drafting to me and he didn’t lift and just gave me a shot when I’m turning into one and it spun me out. I was just happy I didn’t hook a right back into everybody and was able to stay on the apron.”
ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE RESULT? “I’m happy with the result after being spun with 20 to go, so a decent comeback.”
YOU GOT BACK TO THE FRONT TOWARDS THE END. HOW WAS YOUR DAY? “It was a little bit of a struggle getting to the front after I lost some track position in the first and second stage, and then we got spun when I finally got track position by the 77 and we were able to make it back up and run forward, so it was an up and down day, that’s for sure. I’m happy we were able to make a recovery.”
JOSH BERRY, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We had a really fast car. We saw yesterday that all of our cars were fast. We were able to stay aggressive, stay on the offense, stay up front. I feel that I am in a situation now where I can succeed. We tried to make the most of it there, but we obviously didn’t get the finish that we deserved. It was just crazy. Honestly, it was a lot of fun, but it was just crazy. A lot of aggressive moves racing there at the end. The [number] 77 threw the [number] 1 out of line and I kind of pushed him through the middle and then we just got squeezed together once into [turn] one and then again off of [turn] two. We all just ran out of room there. It’s just disappointing. I have to go back and look to see if there is something I could have done better. I mean, what’s the use of wrecking for eighth or whatever? I hate that we didn’t get the finish we deserved.”
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was just challenging all day. We had a really fast car and when we were up front we could control it really well. When we had a couple Fords up front it was domination and then when I got in the back I didn’t handle good enough. It just cost us too much back there and I couldn’t move my way back up. Every time I got a gap it just wasn’t good enough to get back up there handling-wise, so the car was fast but we just needed more steering.”
BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Somebody got into the 9 car and put him into the fence off of turn four. I saw it and lifted for that but he seemed to regroup and was fine. As soon as I went to take off again he blew a right rear rear or broke a toe link and hooked left right in front of us. So, we hit him trying not to hit him and broke a radiator. That was the end of our day. The racing is definitely intense. It is actually phenomenal racing. Just wish we would have gotten up front.”
COREY LAJOIE, No. 01 AirMedCare Network Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “There is nothing to get your heart rate up in a race car more than this. You can talk about restarts at Dover where it is really hectic and stuff is happening at lightning speed but at Atlanta you have to be so precise and so instinctive with the moves that you make. We were making our way forward. I thought we got our car driving good after the first pit stop and broke into that top 20 bubble where you can get some fresh air, some clean air, on occasion. That is when you can really maneuver. And we got there. We also got there with a pretty decent strategy to get into the top ten.”
ABOUT THE INCIDENT “Everyone was sort of gummed up and I was just in line pushing. I got by him [number 9] and the next thing I know he caught me in the right rear somehow.”
NOAH GRAGSON, No. 4 TitleMax Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I saw the 99 get turned through the trioval and I don’t know if he was coming back up or if I clipped him with the left-rear, but I had a lot of left-rear damage and couldn’t continue.”
COLE CUSTER, No. 41 3D Systems Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “That was really big. I’m just thankful for everybody at our shop. It was a lot of work they had to do this offseason, but they took the time and made all the seat stuff right. Everybody did a great job on our interior stuff, so happy that we’re all OK, but I’m just disappointed. I hate it for 3D Systems and everybody at the shop. We struggled a little bit, but to get caught up in a wreck just stinks.”
WHAT DID YOU SEE? “I just saw the 99 come up the track and from there I clipped him and went straight head on into the wall. I don’t know what started it.”
ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE TRADITIONAL NASCAR RACING? “It will be nice to get off the superspeedways for a little bit and get to a road course and then to normal racetracks.”
CODY WARE, No. 51 Arby’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I honestly have no idea. I know the 99 was spinning out ahead of us. It felt like we slowed down. I’m not sure if we got hit from behind, but the next thing I know I’m in the outside wall. It’s just another frustrating weekend of superspeedway style racing for the 51 Arby’s team this week.”
Heim Set to Compete in Multiple Cup Series Races with 23XI and Xfinity Series Races with Sam Hunt Racing
Atlanta, Ga. (Feb. 23, 2025) – 23XI Racing announced today that Corey Heim has signed a multi-year deal to join the team as 23XI’s first development driver. The 22-year-old, who will continue as part of the Toyota Driver Development Program (TD2), will also race in multiple events throughout the season in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series. A 12-time winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and winner of the season-opening event at Daytona, Heim will also continue to serve as 23XI’s reserve driver.
Heim, who raced with 23XI last season at Nashville Superspeedway, will run multiple Cup Series races behind the wheel of the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE, with veteran crew chief Bootie Barker set to lead the team. Heim is set to make his first Cup Series start of the season in May at Kansas Speedway, where he raced last spring while filling in for Erik Jones in the No. 43 Toyota Camry.
Additionally, as part of his development process, Heim will compete in multiple Xfinity Series races with Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) in a Toyota GR Supra supported by 23XI. Last season, Heim competed in 13 races with SHR and has 17 total starts in the Xfinity Series, earning three top-five and five top-10 finishes. Heim’s first race with SHR will be at Circuit of the Americas, where he will compete in his first road course event in the Xfinity Series.
“It’s a dream come true to be a part of 23XI, and I’m excited for the opportunity to race more Cup and Xfinity races this year. I’m blessed to have the chance to compete in all three series as I continue to set my sights on full-time Cup racing when that time comes,” said Heim. “The success that 23XI has shown in only a few short years has been impressive and I’m excited to learn from the organization. I’m also grateful to everyone at Toyota for their ongoing support in my development both on and off the track, and I look forward to strengthening that relationship for years to come.”
“Our team was fortunate to work with Corey last year and we look forward to growing our relationship with him as our development driver starting in 2025,” said Steve Lauletta, President of 23XI Racing. “Corey continues to prove he is a talented, hard-working driver, and we plan to make all the resources of 23XI available to support his development within the Toyota family as he progresses in NASCAR.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to have Corey back with us at SHR this year, working alongside 23XI on his professional development,” said Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing. “Corey has become like a little brother to me — we understand each other’s journeys, and he genuinely cares about the growth and success of SHR long-term. We have had some very strong performances together in the past, so we are looking to continue maximizing our resources and flexing strength as we chase that first organizational win and develop Corey as a Sunday driver.”
While Heim will run several races with 23XI and SHR, TRICON will continue to be his primary home for the third straight season, where he drives the No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. His performance has been impressive in the NASCAR Truck Series, including twelve wins and 33 top-five finishes. Heim, the 2023 Regular Season champion, is the youngest driver in Truck Series history to earn 10 wins, and has made back-to-back appearances in the Championship 4 the last two seasons.
Heim will also continue to be a valued part of the TD2 program, which has helped support drivers achieve their dreams of earning full-time NASCAR Cup Series rides. TRD takes an active role in each TD2 driver’s development to help them achieve their goals of long-term success in motorsport. The mutual long-term commitment allows TRD to provide additional opportunities on and off the track to encourage and support their personal development.
“Corey continues to impress on-track with his racing acumen and talent behind the wheel and also continues to work hard behind the scenes with TRD partners, at TPC, and on the simulator,” said Tyler Gibbs, president, TRD U.S.A. “We are pleased to have a robust schedule in place for Corey this year and know that he will take advantage of every opportunity to continue to grow as a race car driver. Everyone at TRD looks forward to a long tenure with Corey as we support him in reaching his ultimate goals in NASCAR competition.”
About 23XI Racing
23XI Racing – pronounced twenty-three eleven – was founded by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin in 2020. With rising NASCAR star Bubba Wallace selected to drive the No. 23 Toyota Camry, the team made its NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2021 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Wallace made history on October 4, 2021, when he captured his first career Cup Series win, becoming just the second African American to win in the Cup Series, and earning 23XI its first-ever victory. 23XI expanded to a two-car organization in 2022 with Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry. With a win at Kansas Speedway in May of 2022, Busch earned 23XI the team’s first-ever playoff berth. In 2024, Tyler Reddick won the Regular Season Championship and raced to a spot in the Championship 4, a first for both the team and Reddick. 23XI currently features the lineup of Bubba Wallace in the No. 23 Toyota Camry, Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 Toyota Camry and Riley Herbst in the No. 35 Toyota Camry. The team operates out of Airspeed, a state-of-the-art facility in Huntersville, N.C. that opened in January of 2024.
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Earn Pole Position and Stage Points at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Finish: 16th Start: 1st Points: 3rd
“We had a fast No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet tonight at Atlanta. Our car drove great, and handling wasn’t an issue. We were able to lead laps and gain stage points. On our last pit stop, we took four tires and many guys took two. We felt like our car was strong enough to move through the field and get back up there to the No. 21 car. It turned out to be very tough to pass and get runs deep in the field. Once we lost control of the race by taking four tires, we were unable to make that ground back up. It was still a decent points day. I’m happy for Austin (Hill) and the No. 21 team for getting the win and having both Richard Childress Racing cars locked into the playoffs this early in the season. We learned a lot today on how this race played out and we will come back stronger the second time around.” -Jesse Love
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Secure Fifth Victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250
Finish: 1st Start: 2nd Points: 1st
“It’s just so much fun to strap into my Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet. To do what we did tonight is very special. Not only for our team, but more importantly for everyone at Bennett Family of Companies. To win the Bennett 250 is huge. To be honest, I left Daytona pretty mad last week. I was frustrated, not at the team, but just because we didn’t lose the race on our own terms. I hated it for the No. 21 guys and pumped everyone up coming into this weekend. Our entire group had a little extra oomph and pep in their step that we were going to win this one. I want to give a huge shoutout to everybody at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines. Tonight was Chad Haney’s first career win as a crew chief. This is so cool for him. He’s been working his tail off this offseason. Him and I are going to work great together this season. We are going to soak this one up, enjoy it, and get ready for the next one.” -Austin Hill
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
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
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.
February 22, 2025: NASCAR Xfinity Series races during the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. (HHP/Jacy Norgaard)
HAMPTON, Ga. (Feb. 22, 2025) – Austin Hill overcame a late race challenge from rivals Justin Allgaier and Aric Almirola to win the Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Hill led a race-best 146 laps in his No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevy to claim his third consecutive victory at his home track and fifth overall. It is his first win of the 2025 season and his 11th career victory in the Xfinity Series.
Hill had the dominant car of the night but was challenged by both Allgaier and Almirola in separate runs after a late-race caution brought on an intense three-lap final sprint to the checkered flag that brought fans to their feet.
At first, defending Xfinity Series champ Allgaier moved into the front of the field after taking the bottom lane of the front row on the restart. Hill surged back to the lead and then had to fend off a pesky Almirola who was part-timing in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 machine.
Almirola looked high and then low and got Hill loose at one point with two laps to go. Hill managed to maintain control and pulled away to cross the finish line first in a thrilling finish.
“The 7-car got clear of me on that restart and I can’t believe he didn’t go to the top,” Hill said. “That was a present for me to be honest. We got clear of him and didn’t want the 19 to get in my top rear. He had a run and I was worried about him getting under me. I have to give a big thanks to Parker Retzlaff for giving me that push at the end. I was wide open and hoping they weren’t going to come back and give me another run at the end.”
Hill started the race second and was joined on the front row by teammate Jesse Love, who earned the pole position. Love eventually finished 16th after posting top-five positions in both stages. Love, who opened the season with a victory at Daytona last weekend, led 13 laps in the race before his No. 2 RCR Chevy faded to mid-pack at the end of the race.
Hill, who swept both stages, was pleased to be able to ultimately give RCR its 99th career Xfinity Series victory and also claim the win at his home track; his race car sponsor Bennett was also serving as the race entitlement partner for the event. It’s a dream win for the kid who grew up in nearby Winston, Ga. and got his start in the sport by racing Legends cars here on the quarter-mile track in the tri-oval.
“To be able to do this is something special,” said Hill, who with the win tied Kevin Harvick for most Atlanta Motor Speedway Xfinity Series victories. “Looks like (Bennett Transportation) should sponsor more Xfinity races. It’s a good omen for us. I saw the trophy earlier and I didn’t touch it because I didn’t want to jinx it. I gave it all I had tonight and I have to give it all to my crew chief (Chad Haney) for his first win. We are going to soak this one up and get ready for the next one.”
Allgaier said there wasn’t much more he could’ve done at the end and was happy to finish second in his No. 7 JR Motorsports entry.
“It was hard at the end there,” Allgaier said. “It’s such a weird race where it’s single file for the majority. When it got to double-file it was hard to know what we should do. I saw the run develop on the top and felt like I didn’t have any push behind me and knew I would be a sitting duck if I pulled up top without any help. Congrats to Austin, I mean to lead 145 laps here is really strong for that team. To get another bowtie in Victory Lane is a good thing.”
Almirola, a former full-time Cup racer got a late call to again pilot the No. 19 JGR machine and as the white flag was waving thought he was about to grab another race victory.
“I love racing these cars, it’s so much fun,” Almirola said. “When I took the checkered flag in Phoenix last year I was like, oh well I will just ride off into the sunset, I’m done. But then I got this opportunity last week. I really thought I was going to steal this one away there at the end. The 21 was the dominant car and when I got to his left rear corner, I got into him and got him close and crossed him back over and unfortunately our lane just didn’t have any energy on the bottom for some reason. I was drag racing him and there just wasn’t any drag racing an RCR car tonight. He was the class of the field. They are so strong here, you just have to tip your cap to them.”
For fans there’s still one more opportunity this weekend to enjoy more intense side-by-side racing as tickets are still available for Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400 NASCAR Cup Series race. To purchase tickets, please visit www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series results:
Austin Hill maintained his race-winning status in front of his home crowd and sponsors at Richard Childress Racing by winning the Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, February 22, following a thrilling three-lap dash to the finish.
The 30-year-old Hill from Winston, Georgia, led five times for a race-high 146 of 163-scheduled laps in an event where he shared the front row with his teammate and pole-sitter Jesse Love. Once he assumed the lead for the first time on the 12th lap, Hill hardly looked back as he swept both stage periods and raced primarily at the front of the field that had fanned out to multiple lanes and was stacked deep amid the draft.
During the event’s final restart period with three laps remaining, Hill briefly lost the lead to Justin Allgaier, but he reassumed the top spot from the outside lane that had all the momentum while Allgaier chose to remain on the inside lane with hopes of gaining a draft from teammate Sammy Smith. After being drafted back to the lead by Aric Almirola for the following lap, Hill barely got loose exiting the backstretch and was locked in a tight side-by-side battle with Aric Almirola through the frontstretch at the start of the final lap. Hill then surged back ahead with a push from Parker Retzlaff through the first two turns and maintained the lead as a multi-car wreck that involved Retzlaff erupted on the frontstretch.
Amid the carnage, Hill proceeded to fend off Allgaier and Almirola through the final set of turns before he cycled back to the frontstretch victorious and win the spring Atlanta event for a third consecutive time and to notch both his third consecutive victory and his fifth overall at his home track.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, February 21, Jesse Love, winner of the 2025 season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, notched his sixth Xfinity pole position of his career with a pole-winning lap at 174.724 mph in 31.730 seconds. Joining Love on the front row was teammate Austin Hill, the latter of whom clocked in his best qualifying lap at 174.378 mph in 31.793 seconds.
Prior to the event, Joey Gase dropped to the rear of the filed due to unapproved adjustments made to his No. 35 Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet entry.
When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Jesse Love received a push from Josh Williams to storm his No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet entry ahead of teammate Austin Hill entering the first two turns. With Love being placed on early defense by moving up the track to block Hill’s momentum through the backstretch, Williams would get shoved out of the draft amid an early three-wide action at the front. As Taylor Gray, Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer and rookie Carson Kvapil all battled for third place, Love would lead the first lap over Hill.
Over the next three laps, Love would lead the field that was slowly fanning out to three-stacked lanes before Mayer used the inside lane to edge Love and lead the fourth lap by a hair. Love and Mayer would continue to duel for the top spot during the next lap before the event’s first caution flew due to rookie Dean Thompson coming to a full stop up the track in Turns 3 and 4 as he had a flat left-rear tire and right-side damage to his No. 26 Thompson Pipe Group Toyota Supra entry. At the same time, Ryan Sieg, who was racing towards the front, spun sideways towards the bottom of the track entering the backstretch, but he managed to keep No. 39 Sci Aps Ford Mustang entry intact.
During the event’s first caution period, some including Brandon Jones, Matt DiBenedetto, Nick Leitz, Kyle Sieg and Nick Sanchez pitted while the rest led by Love remained on the track. By then, Thompson was assessed a one-lap penalty for intentionally causing the caution by stopping on the track.
The start of the next restart period on the 11th lap featured Richard Childress Racing’s Love and Hill occupying the front row. At the start, both dueled for the lead until Hill, who restarted on the inside lane, received a push from rookie Christian Eckes to muscle ahead through the first two turns. Hill then veered his No. 21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet entry to the right in front of Love through the backstretch and fended off Love through Turns 3 and 4 to lead the following lap. As Eckes led a small group of competitors in a draft in the inside lane, a majority of the field filed in a single-line formation towards the outside lane as Hill maintained the lead over Love, Mayer, Gray, Kvapil and rookie Connor Zilisch by the 15th lap.
Just past the Lap 20 mark, Hill was leading ahead of a long line of competitors as Love, Mayer, Gray, Kvapil, Zilisch, Harrison Burton, Sheldon Creed, Jeb Burton and Justin Allgaier all followed suit in the top 10. Behind, Josh Williams, Parker Retzlaff, Christian Eckes, Anthony Alfredo and Sammy Smith were racing in the top 15 while rookies Daniel Dye and William Sawalich along with Jeremy Clements, Aric Almirola and Leland Honeyman were scored in the top 20, respectively.
At the Lap 25 mark, the top-14 competitors were separated by more than a second of one another and racing in single-line formation as Hill continued to lead ahead of Love, Mayer, Gray and Kvapil, respectively. Over the next five laps, Creed and Eckes nearly made contact while swapping spots entering the first two turns within the top-15 mark, but they both kept their cars racing straight as Hill maintained the lead. With no competitors breaking out of the long single-file line towards the outside line, Hill proceeded to lead at the Lap 35 mark.
With five laps remaining in the first stage period, the top-13 competitors were separated by within a second over one another while the top-seven competitor were separated by less than a second. Amid the battles, Hill kept leading ahead of Love, Mayer, Gray and Kvapil, respectively.
Then on the final lap of the first stage period, Mayer steered his No. 41 Audibel Ford Mustang entry to the inside lane in his effort to overtake the two Richard Childress Racing competitors. Hill, however, also steered to the left to stall Mayer’s momentum. With Hill pulling away, Mayer was left to battle Love for the runner-up spot on his own through the backstretch and Turns 3 and 4. Amid the battles, Hill returned to the frontstretch to notch his third consecutive stage victory of the 2025 season and his first of Saturday’s event at Atlanta on Lap 45. Teammate Love edged Mayer for the runner-up spot as they were followed by Gray, Kvapil, Zilisch, Allgaier, Eckes, Harrison Burton and Creed, respectively.
Under the stage break, nearly the entire lead lap field led by Hill pitted for a first round of pit service while Leland Honeyman remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Hill and Love exited pit road in the top-two spots after both opted for two-tire pit services. Sammy Smith, who also elected a two-tire pit service, followed suit in third while Mayer led Gray, Creed, Eckes, Zilisch, Brandon Jones and Kvapil as competitors who received four fresh tires to their respective entries. Not long after, Honeyman would pit and Hill cycled back into the lead.
The second stage period started on Lap 53 as teammates Hill and Mayer occupied the front row. At the start, both dueled for the lead in front of two-stacked lanes for a full lap until Hill muscled ahead with drafting help from Love as he led the following lap. Hill, Love and Sammy Smith would all proceed to muscle ahead of the stacked field and a majority of the field would migrate towards the outside wall while Mayer kept leading the inside lane towards the Lap 55 mark.
Through the first 60-scheduled laps, nearly the entire field raced in single-line formation towards the outside lane as Hill led teammate Love, Sammy Smith, Gray, Zilisch, Eckes, Mayer, Creed, Kvapil, Williams, Allgaier, Ryan Sieg, Jeb Burton, Retzlaff, Sawalich, Alfredo, Jones, Almirola, Harrison Burton and Brennan Poole, respectively.
Ten laps later, Hill continued to lead as the top-19 competitors were separated by within two seconds of one another. A few laps later, Zilisch made a move on Gray for fourth place. Zilisch’s move caused the rest of the field racing behind to join Zilisch and resulted with Gray getting shoved out of the draft as he drifted back to within the top-20 mark.
On Lap 71, Love made his move beneath Hill through the first two turns to reassume the lead. Love would continue to lead through Lap 74 until Hill repaid the favor by going beneath Love, overtaking him and moving back in front of him amid the draft through the first two turns. As select names that included Harrison Burton, Aric Almirola and Allgaier started to break away from the single-line formation to the inside lane, Hill continued to lead over Love, Sammy Smith, Zilisch and Eckes at the Lap 80 mark.
Then with eight laps remaining in the second stage period, a charge led by Mayer on the inside lane ignited exiting the backstretch as the latter managed to overtake Love for the runner-up spot. Mayer’s charge forced Hill to go on defensive mode between two lanes while Love tried to keep pace from the outside lane. Hill and Mayer would proceed to muscle ahead of the field while Love was battling Creed dead even for third place. With Creed also clearing Love through the frontstretch with five laps remaining, Allgaier battled Love for fourth place while Hill maintained the lead.
Over the next three laps, the Haas Factory Team competitors of Mayer and Creed continued to race in single-line formation behind the leader Hill while Love was still mired in a side-by-side battle with Allgaier for fourth place.
During the final lap of the second stage period, teammates Mayer and Creed dueled as the former tried to gain a run on Hill through the first two turns. Hill proceeded to block Mayer’s advancement from the inside lane to the outside lane through the backstretch as Allgaier tried to overtake Creed for third place. With the field fanned out to two lanes behind him, Hill proceeded to win the second stage period on Lap 90. Mayer and Creed settled in second and third, respectively, while Allgaier edged Love for fourth place. By then, Almirola, Sammy Smith, Zilisch, Jeb Burton and Eckes were scored in the top 10.
During the stage break, the lead lap field led by Hill returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Hill retained the lead after he exited pit road first ahead of Mayer, Almirola, Allgaier, Sawalich, Sanchez, Gray, Sammy Smith, Ryan Sieg and Kvapil, respectively, as all went for a two-tire pit service. Amid the pit stops, Love exited pit road in 12th place following a four-tire pit service.
With 65 laps remaining, the final stage commenced under green as Hill and Allgaier occupied the front row. At the start, both dueled in front of two-stacked lanes for a full lap as Hill managed to lead the following lap by a hair. Hill would then receive a push from Mayer through the backstretch to clear Allgaier and lead two-stacked lanes over the next lap. As the field started to fan out to three lanes while Nick Sanchez battled Sammy Smith for third place, Hill fended off Allgaier to lead with 60 laps remaining.
The caution would then return with 57 laps remaining due to an incident involving CJ McLaughlin in Turn 2, where he blew a tire and went straight into the outside wall. During the caution period, none of the front-runners pitted as all were using the caution period to conserve their amount of fuel and have enough to reach the event’s scheduled distance.
As the race restarted under green with 50 laps remaining, Hill and Sanchez, both of whom occupied the front row, dueled in front of Mayer, Allgaier and the stacked field through the first two turns until Mayer pinned Sanchez in the middle lane with no drafting help through the backstretch. With Sanchez falling back, Hill muscled ahead with drafting help from Allgaier. Sammy Smith would then battle and overtake Allgaier for the runner-up spot as he was being drafted by Almirola. Meanwhile, Hill proceeded to lead the following lap. As both Sanchez and Love were trying to draft their way back to the front, the field continued to fan out to three lanes as Hill retained the lead with 47 laps remaining.
Then shortly after, the caution returned due to a multi-car wreck that started when Jeremy Clements got sideways in front of Blaine Perkins and Taylor Gray in Turn 2. While Perkins slid and hit the outside wall, Clements spun his No. 51 One Stop/All South Electric Chevrolet entry down the track and collided into both Gray and Zilisch as the trio were left with significant damage to their respective cars. Following the carnage, Clements, Perkins and Zilisch managed to continue while Gray, who sustained the most damage to his No. 54 Operation 300 Toyota Supra entry, retired.
The start of the ensuing restart with 40 laps remaining featured Georgia natives Hill and Ryan Sieg occupying the front row. At the start, both dueled for the lead through the first two turns until Hill launched ahead from the outside lane and with drafting help from Sammy Smith. Both Hill and Smith would then transition in front of Sieg on the inside lane prior to the following lap. As Brandon Jones began to have smoke coming out of his No. 20 Menards Toyota Supra entry due to a tire rub, the field quickly fanned out to three lanes entering the backstretch as Sieg battled Smith for the runner-up spot. As Sieg, Mayer and Allgaier all overtook Smith from second to fourth, respectively, in a draft, the caution returned with 38 laps remaining due to Jones cutting his left-rear tire and spinning from the bottom to the top of Turn 3. As the field scattered to avoid Jones’ entry, Mason Maggio spun to the bottom of the track.
With the event restarting under green with 32 laps remaining, Hill muscled ahead of Sieg entering the first turn as he quickly transitioned from the outside to inside lane. As the field fanned out to multiple lanes through the backstretch and back to the frontstretch, Hill retained the lead and he would lead while being placed on defensive mode with 30 laps remaining.
Down to the final 25 laps of the event, a majority of the field migrated to a single-file line towards the outside lane as Hill led ahead of Allgaier, Sammy Smith, Almirola, Parker Retzlaff, Eckes, Creed, Jeb Burton, Honeyman and Ryan Sieg, the latter of whom was leading the inside lane. Meanwhile, Sawalich, Mayer, Alfredo, Poole and Love were mired in the top 15 ahead of Kvapil, DiBenedetto, Sanchez, Ryan Ellis and Zilisch.
Then three laps later, the caution returned due to a vicious crash that started when Mayer, who was racing just outside of the top-10 mark, was hit by Sanchez, the latter of whom had also gotten sideways in Turn 3. As Mayer slid to the bottom of the track’s third turn, he bounced off of Zilisch’s No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet entry before he shot back across the track and hit the outside wall head-on as Alfredo piled into Mayer’s wrecked No. 41 Ford. The incident spoiled Mayer’s strong event in racing towards the front as he along with Alfredo were eliminated from further contention. During the caution period, select names including Zilisch, Kvapil and Sanchez pitted while the rest led by Hill remained on the track.
With the race restarting under green with 13 laps remaining, Hill and Almirola occupied the front row, but Hill received another strong shove from the outside lane by Allgaier to muscle ahead entering the first turn. Both Hill and Allgaier would rocket ahead of Almirola entering the backstretch and lead the field back to the frontstretch, where Hill led the next lap. Sammy Smith would then charge his No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet entry into the runner-up spot over teammate Allgaier through the first two turns and the backstretch as Creed tried to join the battle. As teammates Allgaier and Sammy Smith dueled in front of Creed, Almirola and two stacks of lanes, Hill would be placed on defensive mode, but maintain the lead with 10 laps remaining.
Following another late-race caution period with nine laps remaining due to debris being reported on the track, the event restarted under green with three laps remaining. At the start, Allgaier gained a brief advantage from the inside lane as he started to muscle his No. 7 Protect Your Melon Buckle Up Chevrolet entry ahead from the inside lane and with drafting help from teammate Sammy Smith. Despite Allgaier leading through a majority of the backstretch, Hill would come storming back from the outside lane as he was being drafted by Almirola’s No. 19 Yougnlife Toyota Supra entry. By then, Allgaier remained on the inside with hopes of gaining a draft from Smith.
Through the frontstretch, Hill would lead the following lap by a hair and he would receive another push from Almirola to launch ahead through the backstretch. Then as both Allgaier and Sammy Smith were trying to keep Hill within sight, Almirola received a huge push from Parker Retzlaff and Ryan Sieg to get to Hill’s rear bumper entering Turn 3. With Hill briefly getting loose and going up the track, Almirola made his move beneath Hill as both dueled entering the frontstretch.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Almirola was leading by a hair over Hill as he moved up the track and got Retzlaff, who was pushing Hill, sideways while trying to side-draft Hill. Almirola’s move, however, did not work as Hill stormed back into the lead through the first two turns. Then as the field fanned out entering the backstretch, Retzlaff, who slid back into fourth place, got sideways off the front nose of Creed and clipped Ryan Sieg, which sent the latter and Eckes head-on into the outside wall as more names, including Kris Wright and Carson Kvapil, also wrecked.
With the field scattering to avoid the crash and the race remaining under green flag conditions, Hill maintained the lead over both Almirola and Allgaier entering Turns 3 and 4. With Allgaier attempting to overtake Almirola entering the frontstretch, Hill was able to retain the top spot and claim the checkered flag to score another victory in front of his home crowd.
With the victory, Hill, who rallied from his late retirement during last weekend’s opener at Daytona International Speedway, notched his 11th career victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series division, his fifth overall at Atlanta, his eighth on a superspeedway venue and his first with his new full-time crew chief Chad Haney. Hill’s victory also marked his fourth consecutive victory at Atlanta as he has won five of the previous six Xfinity events at his home track. Hill has also won three in a row in Atlanta’s spring event.
As a result of drivers Hill and Jesse Love winning the first two-scheduled events of the 2025 Xfinity season, Richard Childress Racing has tallied a total of 99 victories in the series.
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“On that [final] restart there, [Allgaier] got clear,” Hill said on the frontstretch on the CW Network. “I cannot believe he didn’t go top there down the backstretch. That was just a present for me. [I] Got down in the corner, got clear of him, then we came back around and we were about to come to the white [flag]. I drove into [Turn] 3. I really didn’t want [Almirola] to get to my right rear. Derek Kneeland, my spotter, he’s a bad man up top and he told me all night, ‘Just don’t let him get to your right rear,’ and I was so worried about letting him get under me because he had a run, but I had help out back, was abe to drag some brake as soon as I came off of [Turn] 4 [and] kept [Retzlaff] with me.”
“Thank you to Parker Retzlaff for giving me that push,” Hill continued. “Once I got clear and I landed into [Turn] 1, I was just wide open and I was hoping that they weren’t gonna build a momentum. This Bennett Chevrolet was as fast as Xfinity Mobile. It’s the Bennett 250. We have everyone here from Bennett. There’s over 500-plus people here. To be able to do this, it’s something special. We were able to do it last year with the gold car for [Bennett’s] 50th anniversary and they sponsored the qualifying [session at Atlanta]. It looks like, to me, they need to sponsor some more NASCAR Xfinity races because this has been some good omen for us. [Crew chief Chad Haney]’s been working his tail off this offseason. Him and I, I think, are gonna work great together. We’re gonna soak this one up, drink a lot of beer and get ready for the next race.”
Behind Hill, Allgaier bumped and edged Almirola at the finish line to finish in the runner-up spot. While Allgaier was left lamenting over remaining on the inside lane and not moving in front of Hill earlier amid the draft, Almirola was left delighted over his top-three run in his first of nine Xfinity starts of the 2025 season.
“I just watched the run develop on the top [lane],” Allgaier said. “Those guys had a big push and I really didn’t have any push behind me and at that point, I knew that I was probably a sitting duck if I tried to pull up in front [of Hill]. Really proud of this team. To put ourselves in position like we did, to be there at the end, I thought we were gonna be in great shape. When you look at the box score, Austin [Hill] led like what, 145 laps? Hats off to that team and everybody at [Richard Childress Racing] because that’s a butt-kicking than I’ve ever seen one.”
“I love racing these cars and it’s such a blessing to get to come do this,” Almirola said. “When I took the checkered flag at Phoenix [in November], I was like, ‘Alright well, that was it. Sail off into the sunset and enjoy retirement.’ Then I got this call to do this again. Just really happy and I had fun. I just told Justin [Allgaier] how much fun it was to race with him. [Hill] was certainly the dominant car and I thought we were gonna snooker him there and steal one away, but just came up a little bit short.”
Sammy Smith and rookie Nick Sanchez came home with top-five results. Jeb Burton, rookie Daniel Dye, Leland Honeyman, rookie William Sawalich and Harrison Burton completed the top 10 in the final running order.
Notably, Jesse Love ended up in 16th place while Brandon Jones and Sheldon Creed finished 13th and 14th, respectively. In addition, Ryan Sieg, Carson Kvapil, Kris Wright, Parker Retzlaff and Christian Eckes fell back to 20th, 23rd, 26th, 27th and 29th, respectively, following their last-lap wreck.
There were 11 lead changes for 16 different leaders. The race featured eight cautions for 49 laps. In addition, 28 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the second event of the 2025 Xfinity Series season, Austin Hill leads the regular-season standings by a single point over Sheldon Creed, six over teammate Jesse Love, eight over Justin Allgaier and 18 over Jeb Burton.
Results:
1. Austin Hill, 146 laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner 2. Justin Allgaier 3. Aric Almirola, one lap led 4. Sammy Smith 5. Nick Sanchez 6. Jeb Burton 7. Daniel Dye 8. Leland Honeyman, one lap led 9. William Sawalich 10. Harrison Burton 11. Jeremy Clements 12. Matt DiBenedetto 13. Brandon Jones 14. Sheldon Creed 15. Josh Williams 16. Jesse Love, 13 laps led 17. Brennan Poole 18. Ryan Ellis 19. Blaine Perkins 20. Ryan Sieg 21. Joey Gase 22. Nick Leitz, one lap led 23. Carson Kvapil 24. Garrett Smithley 25. CJ McLaughlin 26. Kris Wright 27. Parker Retzlaff 28. Mason Massey 29. Christian Eckes – OUT, Accident 30. Josh Bilicki, one lap down 31. Mason Maggio, one lap down 32. Carson Ware, two laps down 33. Kyle Sieg, nine laps down 34. Connor Zilisch – OUT, Accident 35. Dean Thompson, 14 laps down 36. Sam Mayer – OUT, Accident, one lap led 37. Anthony Alfredo – OUT, Accident 38. Taylor Gray – OUT, Accident
Next on the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for the Focused Health 250. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, March 1, and air at 2:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network.
ALMIROLA STARTS HIS SEASON STRONG WITH THIRD PLACE FINISH IN ATLANTA Toyota Development Driver William Sawalich earns first career top-10 run
HAMPTON, Ga. (February 22, 2025) – Aric Almirola started his part-time schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing with a strong third-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Almirola led on the white flag lap, but was unable to come away with his fourth win with Joe Gibbs Racing in the last two seasons.
His teammate, William Sawalich, drove through the last lap incident and delivered his first career top-10 finish, as the Toyota Development Driver brought his Toyota GR Supra home in ninth.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Atlanta Motor Speedway Race 2 of 33 – 251.02 miles, 163 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Austin Hill* 2nd, Justin Allgaier* 3rd, ARIC ALMIROLA 4th, Sammy Smith* 5th, Nick Sanchez* 9th, WILLIAM SAWALICH 13th, BRANDON JONES 35th, DEAN THOMPSON 38th, TAYLOR GRAY *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 19 Young Life Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
Can you describe that last lap for us?
“It was fun. It was exciting. I thought we were going to steal it away from them. Their cars are just so strong – you can’t do anything but tip your cap to RCR (Richard Childress Racing) and their superspeedway program. They are the cars to beat when you come to these places. Austin (Hill) does a great job. Their cars are incredibly fast. I thought we were going to win the chess game. He got out front, and I felt like I had the help I needed from Parker (Retzlaff) and was going to be in a good spot. I got where I needed to – I got the position, but when I got to the inside, the 7 (Justin Allgaier) and our lane didn’t have the energy to help me race side-by-side and kind of drag race. He got back out front and I just tried really hard to slow down to the 7 but he didn’t have any energy behind him, and I just over-slowed my race car and let the 7 beat me to the line, which is probably dumb, but it was the right thing that I needed to do to try and generate one last run to try and beat the 21 (Austin Hill). I guess at that point, I should have just taken second.”
WILLIAM SAWALICH, No. 18 Soundgear Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 9th
Solid top-10. What do you feel like you learned today and can take to the next superspeedway?
“I learned a lot about how to stay in the draft and how to manage your position and how to manage runs. We had a good Soundgear GR Supra today. We had some speed – not so much in the first and second stage, but we brought it together for the third stage and we had good pit stops and did the little things right today.”
TAYLOR GRAY, No. 54 Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 38th
What are you feeling like after ending up in a wreck after a strong run early?
“I felt like our Operation 300 GR Supra was as fast as Xfinity Mobile; just fought being really free at the beginning of the race, and got shuffled out and lost my track position. Unfortunately, that happens when you bring a bunch of cars here and essentially do a speedway and try to make ground back up when we are all running single file. I was trying to run the middle and get some ground made back up. I felt like the laps were winding down and I needed to start going somewhere. The 51 (Jeremy Clements) just started to shade down – not sure if he was just following the guys in front of him and wasn’t paying too close attention or didn’t hear necessarily from the spotter or what, but he just started shading down and got him free aero wise and then I was just kind of wrecked.”
About Toyota
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