Winners: William Byron (Cup); Ty Gibbs (Xfinity); Corey Heim (Trucks) Plus Sammy Smith (ARCA East)
NASCAR Cup (Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500)
William Byron Surges to Atlanta Win
It was superspeedway racing with all the trimmings.
“New” Atlanta Motor Speedway produced a fifth different 2022 winner — William Byron, who managed to keep an angry pack of drafting cars behind him for the final 10 laps of Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
In a race that produced 46 lead changes among 20 drivers — both track records — Byron crossed the finish line .109 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell and .145 seconds ahead of Ross Chastain.
Bell, however, was penalized for passing below the boundary line on the backstretch on the final lap and was demoted to 23rd, the last position on the lead lap. That elevated Chastain to his second straight runner-up finish.
“It was so different,” said Byron, who collected his third NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Atlanta, which had undergone a major repaving and reconfiguration since the series raced at the 1.54-mile track last July. “Honestly, the last few laps there and trying to manage the gap to Bubba and trying to not get too far out front. You know, my spotter Brandon (Lines), his first win, so congrats to him. Thanks to this whole team. They’ve done a great job this year.
“Lots of changes with the Next Gen car. The (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports) Chevrolet was awesome there. Worked hard overnight. Had a pretty rough practice and worked hard on it and got it handling well, like I told you. It was kind of an intermediate style with a little bit of speedway into it, so a lot of fun.”
Your #FOHQT500 winner @WilliamByron!! pic.twitter.com/ntx2rXGpvA
— Atlanta Motor Speedway (@amsupdates) March 21, 2022
Next Race: The Cup Series will return on 03/27/2022 for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas.
Pole: Chase Briscoe
(Qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather.)
Click Here for Race ResultsNASCAR Xfinity (Nalley Cars 250)
Ty Gibbs Earns Second Xfinity Series Victory of 2022
With a brilliant move to the inside of leader Ryan Sieg on the final lap of a second overtime, Ty Gibbs seized control of Saturday’s Nalley Cars 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and won by 0.178 seconds over runner-up Austin Hill.
Overcoming a mistake on pit road, where he overshot his stall, Gibbs rallied to run near the front as the race reached the end of regulation and moved into overtime.
“What the heck? Oh, my gosh! I didn’t expect this at all,” said Gibbs, who at age 19 already is building a formidable legacy. “That’s one where I learned a big lesson-just never give up… Now I’m going to go party with the boys — let’s go!”
Let’s go! pic.twitter.com/rMUPL3gczW
— Ty Gibbs (@TyGibbs_) March 20, 2022
Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on 03/26/2022 for the Pit Boss 250 at Circuit of The Americas.
Pole: Noah Gragson
(Qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather.)
Click Here for Race ResultsNASCAR Trucks (FR8 208)
Corey Heim Snags First Truck Series Win at Atlanta
Moments after taking the white flag in Saturday’s FR8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Corey Heim powered to the inside of Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Chandler Smith, got a push from teammate John Hunter Nemechek and held on to win his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.
Heim’s No. 51 Toyota crossed the finish line 0.173 seconds ahead of the Toyota of Ben Rhodes, as Ty Majeski came home third and Smith slipped to fourth. Daytona International Speedway winner Zane Smith completed the top five on the repaved and reconfigured track.
“It’s awesome — I was at the right place at the right time,” said Heim, a 19-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, who won in his fifth Truck Series start. “Toyota Racing just helps us so much to get here and I’m just so glad to be here.”
Let’s go!!! Winners at my home track in the ATL! Thank you so much @kbmteam @toyotaracing!! My @JBLaudio #Tundra TRD Pro was awesome today. Looking forward to the next one! #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/zcstQmzcgB
— Corey Heim (@CoreyHeim_) March 19, 2022
Next Race: The Truck Series will return on 03/26/2022 for the XPEL 225 at the Circuit of The Americas.
Pole: Chandler Smith
(Qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather.)
Click Here for Race ResultsARCA (Pensacola 200 )
Sammy Smith Cruises to Victory at Five Flags in Pensacola
The ARCA Menards Series East ventured back to Florida on Saturday for Round 2 of the 2022 season at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida.
While Sammy Smith was the driver who visited Victory Lane, it wasn’t without a fight from his chief rival, Taylor Gray. The two traded the lead multiple times in the final portion of the race, with Gray eventually fading to third after a late-race restart penalty.
“The whole time I felt good about it,” Smith said in Victory Lane. “Thanks to the whole team for making the car better all day. We struggled there in practice and really worked hard to get it good and here we are.”
The victory by Smith, combined with Gray’s third-place finish, means Smith has a 12-point edge in the battle for the East Series championship after two events.
To the point! @sammysmithSS takes the lead from @TaylorGray17_! @FloRacing | @5FlagsSpeedway pic.twitter.com/UFMoQJrWEc
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) March 20, 2022
Next Race: The ARCA Series – West will return on O3/26/2022 for the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame at Irwindale Speedway.
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