Austin Hill Passes Taylor Gray for Emotional Win at Naval Base Coronado

 

Carol D'Agostino for Skirts and Scuffs

With two laps to go, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 quickly went from Carson Kvapil getting his first O’Reilly win to Taylor Gray getting his second win of the season to Austin Hill wheeling his No. 21 car underneath Gray for his 16th career win, his second of the season and his first at a road course.

After burning down his tires at Turn 8 in honor of his mentor, the late Kyle Busch, and getting an assist from the track tow truck to get the car to Victory Lane, an emotional Hill said he asked Kyle to help him find another gear to make the winning pass. 

Richard Childress got choked up during his Victory Lane interview as well.

 
The race began with a reminder that strange things can happen when you build a street course in a location that operates with a completely different purpose when there isn’t a race. Corey Day learned that lesson firsthand during Lap 1 when his No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy collected a loose manhole cover that became lodged in his car’s grille, spilling fluid on the track. The incident triggered the first red flag of the race for track repairs and cleanup.

As Stage 1 continued, Hill, Parker Retzlaff, Sam Mayer, Anthony Alfredo, and Kvapil were the class of the field with Hill winning the stage. Most lead lap cars, with the exception of Hill in first, Kvapil in fifth, and Smith in sixth, pitted. Mayer got off pit road first, followed by Gray and Retzlaff.

At the restart, Hill led from the inside with Kvapil on the outside. Hill cleared for the lead by Turn 1. Smith and Kvapil duked it out for second, but Kvapil prevailed.

Gray, Retzlaff and Alfredo continued to have strong runs throughout Stage 2 with Gray earning the stage win.

At Lap 35, the restart of Stage 3, Retzlaff led the field to green. Mayer misjudged Turn 1 with  Alfredo on his outside. Mayer hit the inside wall and shot across the track, hitting the outside wall head on, triggering a 23-car accident, the sixth caution of the day and the second red flag.

During the red flag, an enthusiastic spectator jumped the catchfence and entered the track, stopping by Sheldon Creed’s vehicle. After exiting the track and hopping two fences to get back into the fan area, he was arrested without incident as the cameras were rolling.

At the restart after the red flag, Gray and Retzlaff led the field to green. Retzlaff ultimately took the lead, leaving Gray and Kvapil to fight it out for second. Racing on fresher tires, Kvapil took the lead from Gray at Lap 38. Retzlaff secured second.

Gray pitted on Lap 40, banking on a caution --  which came at Lap 41 when Leland Honeyman Jr. spun into the tire pack in the chicane. Gray stayed out while Retzlaff was forced to come in for fuel, barely making it to his pit box.

With 17 laps to go at the restart, it was Gray, Hill and Kvapil vying for the lead. Kvapil had a strong car all day, but in the closing laps of the race, debris flew off the grille of the No. 21. Hill saw just one car standing in his way of winning the inaugural NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Qualcomm Circuit on Naval Base Coronado.

The victory was Richard Childress Racing’s first since the death of NASCAR Cup Series two-time champion Kyle Busch last month. 

 

Carol D'Agostino for Skirts and Scuffs