Nick Sanchez takes first victory in NASCAR Xfinity Series

Nick Sanchez scored his first career win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Friday night's Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway. The Big Machine Racing driver held off Carson Kvapil to complete all 163 scheduled laps at the Georgia track.

Photo By Nascar Media

The Friday night event saw nine caution periods for 58 laps. Thunderstorms forced a red flag on Lap 36 for one hour and 18 minutes, extending the race past midnight.

The Lap 68 spin

Sanchez lost control of his #48 Chevrolet on Lap 68 and spun through the frontstretch grass. The incident brought out the fourth caution of the night.

"I'm still a little embarrassed about that. It was definitely a rookie mistake, but we recovered," said the Miami native after the race. His car sustained minimal damage and was able to continue.

The final laps

The Lap 157 restart changed everything. Jesse Love briefly took the lead from Sanchez, who regained it one lap later. The final five laps saw the leader defend his position against Kvapil's challenges.

"It's a weight off my shoulders. Now we can go chase checkered flags," said Sanchez about clinching his spot in the Xfinity Series Playoff.

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Kvapil's comeback

The rookie started from the rear after unapproved adjustments to his JR Motorsports #1 Chevrolet. His charge through the field landed him in second place, though he couldn't pass the leader.

"Being that close hurts. I didn't feel like we had enough cars lined up behind. I probably could have done something sooner, but I felt if we went side by side, someone would pass us both," Kvapil explained.

Multi-car wreck on Lap 41

Contact between Sanchez and Jesse Love on Lap 41 triggered a 10-car accident on the backstretch. Justin Allgaier, the points leader, finished 31st. Sheldon Creed had led the first 37 laps from the pole position.

Ryan Sieg broke an axle hitting the outside wall. Sammy Smith, Katherine Legge, Patrick Staropoli, Jeb Burton and Christian Eckes were eliminated.

"Probably the best car I've had all year. Really fast, could control the lines. We tried to stay up front with the short pit and it didn't work," said Creed about his fifth DNF in nine races.

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By the numbers

Aric Almirola led 48 laps, Creed 37 and Sanchez 32. The race had 12 lead changes among nine different drivers, with an average speed of 96.402 mph during the 2-hour, 36-minute event.

Sam Mayer was the only veteran in the top five. Connor Zilisch and Taylor Gray completed the top 5. Austin Hill, winner of the last three EchoPark races, lost six laps to fuel issues and finished 26th.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES RESULTS - FOCUSED HEALTH 250

EchoPark Speedway - Hampton, Georgia Friday, June 27, 2025