Corey Day now has two wins in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, winning at Dover on Saturday.
Driving the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, he ran down the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Justin Allgaier, passing him for the lead as they split the lapped car of Blake Lothian.
Day didn’t lead a single lap until passing Allgaier with four laps to go, driving away to take the win. After the race, Allgaier had a conversation with Lothian in what looked like a teaching moment after his indecision gave Day the chance to pounce on Allgaier.
Behind Day and Allgaier, Sam Mayer finished third, William Sawalich fourth, Austin Hill fifth, Brandon Jones sixth, Carson Kvapil seventh, Ryan Sieg eighth, Sammy Smith ninth, and Anthony Alfredo tenth.
Stage 1
Ross Chastain led the race from pole — his first pole position in the O’Reilly Series since 2018. Jones tried to take it from on the opening lap, but got loose under him into Turn 3.
Early in the race, Brent Crews got up into the wall after contact from Ryan Sieg. Jeb Burton lifted in reaction, and Parker Retzlaff got run over trying to slow up for Burton. Both of their cars were destroyed, while Lavar Scott also suffered nose damage.
Jones snatched the lead away from Chastain on the ensuing restart, and led the rest of the stage. He won Stage 1 over Chastain, Mayer, Gray, Caruth, Kvapil, Sawalich, Day, Love, and Allgaier.
Stage 2
Jones had a slow stop, putting Chastain back out front with Gray alongside him for the restart.
Chastain maintained control until the next caution, with Blaine Perkins backing his car into the Turn 3 wall in a significant impact.
There was no change for the lead in the restart that followed, but Gray could not hold onto second as Caruth passed him. He then proceeded to run down his teammate, challenging Chastain for the lead.
While it was close, Chastain managed to hold the lead and win Stage 2 over Caruth, Gray, Love, Mayer, Kvapil, Day, Allgaier, Sawalich, and R. Sieg.
Stage 3
Love won the race off pit road over Caruth, with Chastain sliding back to third.
On the restart, Caruth slid up into Love as they battled for control in Turn 3, making significant contact. Love got up into the wall and Caruth got sideways, both losing several positions while also sustaining damage.
Chastain was suddenly back in control of the race, but on the restart, Sawalich managed to pass him.
Caruth was involved in another incident, this time with H. Burton, triggering the next yellow. Sammy Smith tried to take Caruth and Burton three-wide, and those two collided, spinning through Turn 4.
With this yellow being right on the edge of the fuel window, Allgaier chose to come down pit road, also to check a potential loose wheel.
On the restart, things got tense in the battle for second with Gray getting into Chastain. The pole-sitter sideways into the wall at the exit of Turn 4, but straightened it out. Gray spun as he got hit from behind by Mayer, slamming the inside wall.
Most of the field took the opportunity to pit as the JRM team worked to repair the damaged car of Chastain.
Suddenly, Austin Green and Andrew Patterson were out front, and a handful of cars stayed out with them. Among that group was Allgaier, who charged into the lead on the restart.
The eighth caution of the race flew for Garrett Smithley, who went for a spin. Allgaier continued to lead in the run that followed, with Sawalich settling into second.
Smithley was the cause of the next caution as well, as a flat tire caused him to spin and ripped the right-rear fender apart.
The race resumed with 34 laps to go, and Allgaier held the lead.
The battle for second was interesting, with Mayer getting the upper-hand on Sawalich, only for Day to pass them both. He then set his sights on Allgaier, going high around a lapped car as Allgaier was forced low, and snatching the lead with just four laps to go.
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