NASCAR Xfinity Series Fans Wowed By Austin Hill Gaslighting RAPTOR King of Tough 250 Field At Atlanta Motor Speedway
NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie Jesse Love captured the spotlight.
Austin Hill stole the show.
After starting from pole, capturing both stages and leading 157 of 169 laps, Love, like a number of competitors attempting to stretch their fuel capacity, ran out of gas at the start of overtime.
The extra stanza was created when Ryan Sieg ran empty of the RATPOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday. On the restart, Hill began P6, but benefited from his team’s fuel strategy and ran past Love and to his second consecutive victory to open the season.
“I was really thinking we were down and out,” Hill said, as reported by NASCAR.com. “I was thinking the 2 (Love) was going to go get ’em and, hey, if I can’t win, let my teammate win. We were riding there in fourth or fifth – whatever it was – I was saving fuel.”
X (Twitter) users responded to Hill saving enough at the 1.54-mile quad-oval speedway to increase his early Xfinity Series points lead to 17 over Sheldon Creed (two top-five finishes), 28 over Riley Herbst and 30 over Chandler Smith and Love …
NEWS: Post-race inspection is complete at @ATLMotorSpdwy.@_AustinHill's second win of the season is official! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/NV0DNEnbM7
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 25, 2024
Home cooking …
Winning hits different when it’s at your home track. 🍑 pic.twitter.com/FY8P0A1ePd
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 25, 2024
Hill thanked his team for helping him to two season-opening trips to Victory Lane …
.@_AustinHill with lot of respect for his teammate. pic.twitter.com/Fof2dPK2Bb
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 25, 2024
The command came for the drivers to “start your engines” …
Engines are fired at @ATLMotorSpdwy!
The time to get to FS1 is NOW. pic.twitter.com/L8lpBYBjNj
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 24, 2024
Out of the sunlight, the Xfinity machines went green …
It’s go time. 😤 pic.twitter.com/pTIIJweWDT
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 24, 2024
After becoming the first circuit rookie to capture the pole in the series’ opening two events, Love dominated from the start, leading 96 of the opening 106 laps …
Out front early ➡️ @jesselovejr1. pic.twitter.com/Dadh2TQRbS
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 24, 2024
Love certainly continues to make a statement, becoming the first first-year pilot to pace the field for more than 100 laps during his opening two outings since Christopher Bell in 2017. Love has led 191 laps at Daytona and Atlanta combined …
Not the result he wanted, but this driver made a statement tonight. pic.twitter.com/gYlhzkKfll
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 25, 2024
Established Supercars champion and series rookie Shane van Gisbergen also served notice, coming back from a pit-road mishap to place third. “Pretty awesome,” he said. “I had so much fun. Just learning about it and running in the pack. Yeah, to be P3 in the second race … is pretty awesome. I’m stoked” …
After a strong showing in the opening stage, @shanevg97 is forced back down pit road with problems. pic.twitter.com/r5hKM3KCks
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 24, 2024
JJ Yeley got loose but remained in control. The Cup veteran placed 24th …
Way to hang on, @jjyeley1! 🫣 pic.twitter.com/zOXgXF9h7i
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 24, 2024
Running in 13th place on Lap 67, John Hunter Nemechek ran into double trouble, making contact with both Jeremy Clements and Jeb Burton …
A check-up in line and @JHNemechek gets into the wall! pic.twitter.com/LzXCluxFuV
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 24, 2024
Love’s Stage 1 dominance continued throughout Stage 2 and down to the final lap, until fuel issues started playing havoc with most machines …
Get out those brooms! 🧹@jesselovejr1 sweeps the stages in the #RAPTOR250!
📺: FS1 | 📲: https://t.co/qkbTgR5OxE pic.twitter.com/kO2JJwqtAe
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 24, 2024
With the leaders, including Love, sweating out their gas situations heading into the final regulation lap, Sieg ran out of gas, forcing additional rotations and more stress on gas management …
The No. 39 runs out of fuel and slows to a stop on the apron! We are headed to #NASCAROvertime! pic.twitter.com/fW3H9ddFri
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 25, 2024
Opening the season with back-to-back wins, Hill kicked up his heels at his home track. Next week he’ll try for the trifecta at Las Vegas Motor Speedway …
Georgia pride! 🐶 pic.twitter.com/kETOakBDf5
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 25, 2024
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