WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.: In just his fourth career NASCAR Xfinity Series race, Sammy Smith delivered an impressive third-place finish in Saturday afternoon’s Sunoco Go Rewards 200 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
“I learned a lot,” said Smith after the race. “It was a good day overall. We had a good day as a team and I was able to capitalize. The last few races I didn’t feel like I was able to capitalize and I feel like I did a better job today.”
The effort by the 18-year-old driver was an excellent rebound from the outcome of Friday’s ARCA Menards Series race at the Finger Lakes road course where he dominated the race but contact on the last lap of the race dropped him to fifth at the checkered flag.
On Saturday, Smith rebounded in a huge way earning respect from his competitors along the way and finished on the heels of two of the sport’s best on road courses winner Kyle Larson and AJ Allmendinger.
After methodically moving through the field from his 19th place starting position, Smith showcased the speed of his No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota Supra quicky muscling through the field.
Approaching the end of Stage 1, the yellow flag flew which sent teams into varying strategy modes with Smith deciding to stay on the track for track position and would pit later in Stage 2.
On the restart, Smith hustled his car into the race lead and never looked back collecting his first ever Xfinity Series stage win.
At the start of Stage 2, Smith briefly held the top spot but with drivers behind him on fresher tires, he began to gently drop down the leaderboard – losing the lead to Kyle Larson at Lap 23 and two laps later falling to fifth and desperately trying to stay inside the top-10.
Alex Labbe had an issue at Lap 28 igniting the race’s fourth caution with Smith electing to make his planned stop under the yellow for tires, fuel and adjustments.
Restarting 25th with seven laps to go in Stage 2, he picked up 11 spots over the remaining laps to finish Stage 2 in 14th.
With one more pit stop on deck, Smith stayed out during the break in between Stage 2 and Stage 3 which allowed him to restart ninth at Lap 45.
Smith again worked his way back into the lead during green flag pit stops and made his final trip down pit road at Lap 54 for service.
A few laps later, the caution waved again for a crash involving Daniel Hemric which kept Smith inside the top-10 when racing resumed with 15 laps to go.
With 10 laps to go, Smith had hustled back inside the top-five in fourth but when Ross Chastain spun on Lap 75 it triggered the race’s final caution and allowed the rookie to bunch back up with the rest of the field.
On the final restart, Smith kept pace with the lead group and avoided the spinning lead cars of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs and William Byron to find himself in third and hunting an opportunity to snooker the two cars ahead for an upset victory.
The opportunity, however, never arrived with Smith delivering his first career Xfinity Series top-five and bettering his most recent career-best effort of 12th achieved at Michigan International Speedway earlier this month.
After the race, Smith described the hectic final restart from his point of view.
“I felt like it was a good opportunity and I felt like I did a good job pushing Ty (Gibbs) and then I’m not sure what happened between him and (William) Byron, but they got pushed wide and then I got pushed wide,” he explained.
“Then I got put three wide in the esses and killed my momentum. (I) was in a bad spot going into the bus stop but did a good job coming out of there and it was a good day.”
Smith will return to the No. 18 Toyota Supra in the Xfinity Series’ next race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Aug. 26.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
