RICHMOND, Va: You could not have asked Kaz Grala or his No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing team for a more meaningful race to turn their 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series around than Richmond (Va.) Raceway, site of Saturday afternoon’s ToyotaCare 250.
A lackluster start to his first full season of Xfinity Series competition aboard the flagship No. 26 entry for former ARCA Menards Series East driver Sam Hunt had the team hoping to invade Hunt’s stomping ground and earn a top-10 finish.
Not only did Grala aboard his No. 26 Toyota Racing Development Toyota deliver his first top-10 finish of the season, but Grala roared to a fourth-place finish, earning the Mooresville, N.C.-team their fourth career top-five finish and second at the 0.75-mile d-shaped oval.
Without the benefit of practice or qualifying Saturday morning, Grala had to rely on the NASCAR metrics to set his starting position which put him mid-pack in 21st for the 250-lap race.
Grala said goodbye to the mid-pack pace though at the beginning of the race, using a well-balanced race car and a firm strategy that allow Grala to tip-toe his way through a mixed top-20 field.
When Grala marched inside the top-10, he turned up the heat and his car withstood the changing track conditions that allowed his car to get back the deeper the race went which proved pivotal late in the race.
Over the final 18 laps of the race, two cautions waved – setting up late race restarts where the aggression meter found itself pegged but for once Grala was on the right side of the stick.
Withstanding challenges in the closing laps, Grala muscled himself from outside the top-five in sixth to fourth when the checkered flag flew – earning his sixth career top-five finish.
“It was our best race of the year – but not for a lack of effort,” said Grala after the race. “We’ve been bringing really, really fast Toyota GR Supras. Today was no exception. Everything fell our way – we had a solid day, through and through.”
While Grala admitted that he undoubtedly had a top-10 competitive car for the short runs, he felt like his car was best on the longer green flag runs.
“We were a top-10 car easily on the short run, but we might have just been the best car out here in the long run,” Grala explained. “When the caution came out late, I was almost disappointed – but it turned out okay. We will take a fourth place. I’m really, really proud of everyone at Sam Hunt Racing, Toyota, our partners, Reudebusch, Island Coastal Lager, Fire Department Coffee. We can’t do it without those guys.”
While Grala was excited to get a strong finish for his growing list of race partners, to earn another team top-five for team owner Sam Hunt at a track that is so important to him – felt like a win.
“Absolutely. Sam (Hunt, team owner) has a lot of friends, family and guests here this weekend, so this being his home race – this was a huge one,” Grala explained. “It is always a little bit sweeter to run well in your home race.
“We did just that. I liked today because there was no crazy pit strategy, no cycling, no attrition – we were just straight-up pretty good today. We were good on the short run, and really, really good on the long run. Very proud of everyone at Sam Hunt Racing, This was a fun Saturday. We’ve got more of these.”
For team owner Hunt, the finish wasn’t about him – it was about the people that helped make his team and Saturday’s finish happen, especially after the challenging start to the season.
“It means a lot,” smiled Hunt of the finish. “Especially, because it has been a tough year so far, we’ve had fast cars and things just haven’t fallen our way. We were good all day long. We were really hoping it went green because I think we had a car to beat in the long run, but for this team, this group, to run with these guys and beat the cars we beat, it is special. It is really cool.
“I’m just grateful for all of the people that have believed in us, believed in me. I feel like I really don’t deserve this stage, this situation, this finish. I have just been so lucky to have great people help me and help this program.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01 or email: [email protected]
