NASCAR & ARCA Race Weekend Recap (Homestead-Miami & Madera)
Winners: Christopher-Bell (Cup); Sam Mayer (Xfinity); Carson Hocevar (Trucks) Kaden Honeycutt (ARCA West)
NASCAR Cup
Christopher Bell holds on for Homestead win, clinches return to Championship 4
In one of the most thrilling NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races of the season, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell rallied from a frustrating race start to lead the final 16 laps of Sunday‘s 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to earn a second straight appearance in the Championship 4.
Bell, who only made his first appearance inside the top five with less than 50 laps remaining, got around a pair of the day‘s front-runners in the final laps to blaze to the lead in the No. 20 JGR Toyota and claim that automatic championship admission ticket. It‘s the 28-year-old Oklahoma native‘s second win of the season — sixth of his career — and the first of the season‘s eight playoff races to date.
“I’ve got the best team behind me, honestly I don‘t know (how we did it), that race was a whirlwind,” Bell said. “I was about ready to throw the towel in during that second stage, I got really frustrated. But (crew chief) Adam Stevens kept after it and gave me what I needed. Whenever we got some clean air, this thing was really good.
“I cannot say how proud I am to be here with our partners, driving these Toyota Camrys. Thank you to everyone who supported me. This is better than a dream come true.”
Pole: Martin Truex Jr
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Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, Oct. 29 2:00 PM ET for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
NASCAR Xfinity
Sam Mayer holds off Herbst, seals Xfinity Series title shot with Homestead victory
Sam Mayer claimed his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series oval-race victory in the second half of a NASCAR doubleheader at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday in the Contender Boats 300 after holding off last week’s race winner Riley Herbst by a mere 0.227 seconds.
It marks the JR Motorsports driver Mayer’s fourth series victory of the season and his career, and most importantly for Mayer – who joked he didn’t breathe the final four laps – it is his ticket into the Championship 4 finale that will decide the series title at Phoenix Raceway in two weeks.
“It’s unreal, we won on an oval,” a grinning Mayer screamed into the front grandstands. “This Chevrolet Camaro was so good. It’s all about putting a full race together, and I’m so proud of these guys. They kicked tail on pit road and we made it happen with these HMS (Hendrick Motorsports) engines. It’s just really cool to be able to beat an amazing organization like that (Herbst’s Stewart-Haas Racing team). We’ve got to turn it on a little harder going into Phoenix.”
Pole: Cole Custer
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Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday Oct. 28 3:30 pm ET for the Dead On Tools 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
NASCAR Trucks
Carson Hocevar Converts Homestead Win, Joins Rhodes, Heim, Enfinger in Championship 4 Field
Carson Hocevar secured his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship 4 appearance with a victory Saturday in the Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, earning all four of his career series wins this season — the trophy Saturday most impactful among them.
Hocevar put his No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet into the lead with 11 laps remaining and held off the hard-charging Zane Smith by 2.705 seconds to claim the win over last year’s series champion, whose runner-up effort was disqualified by NASCAR after a post-race technical inspection found the defending series champion‘s No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford used an unapproved windshield support.
Hocevar celebrated the clutch win by climbing high atop the flag stand to claim the checkered flag in person. He threw it down to the cheering fans behind the fence then climbed back down on the grandstand side to high-five fans and celebrate the biggest win of his life to date.
“It kills me I can’t do a burnout but we have to take this truck to Phoenix,” a grinning Hocevar said. “This truck was so good. We just got behind on pit stops and just lost track position which was unfortunate, but man, it’s so good to feel [like this]. I love it.
“I thought we could win today with our truck, even with all the setbacks from the debris and everything, we had a shot to win and we did just that.”
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Pole: Nicholas Sanchez
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Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday Nov. 3 10:00 pm ET for the CRAFTSMAN 150 at Phoenix Raceway.
ARCA West
Kaden Honeycutt Does it Again, Delivers a Dominant West Series Win at Madera Speedway
Saturday night’s ARCA Menards Series race at California’s Madera Speedway was a story of déjà vu.
Just like he did when he made his West Series debut a few weeks ago at All American Speedway in Roseville, California, Kaden Honeycutt dominated from beginning to end in the 51FIFTY Jr Homecoming ARCA 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame.
The 20-year-old from Willow Park, Texas did so after recording the fastest lap in practice and qualifying on the outside pole — exactly what he did at All American.
“This feels so good. These guys work their butts off,” Honeycutt said, referring to his crew. This car was phenomenal. I was so worried about the Speedy Dry [after it was applied during a late-race red flag]. There was so much put down in [Turns] 1 and 2 in my lane and where I wanted to run.”
“But, executed on the restart, got down to the bottom and kicked their freaking butts. That’s what this team’s about.”
Pole: Eric Nascimento
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Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 1:30 p.m. ET for the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix Raceway.
source: NASCAR Media
