Jake Garcia, who started his racing profession at at age 13, led for 2 laps within the Curb Information/Large Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers All American 400 Sunday. These final two got here
The Monroe, Georgia native took the lead within the second extra time and held off 2020 All American 400 winner Casey Roderick, , and Lebanon’s Dawson Sutton, who led essentially the most laps within the race (163), to win the guitar trophy and a $20,000 purse.
The race was scheduled for 300 laps, however was underneath warning at that time with Gio Ruggiero within the lead, Garcia in second, Roderick in third, Sutton in fourth and Jake Finch in fifth.
After one other warning Garcia handed Ruggiero on the restart and held on for 2 laps to the checkered flag within the fortieth working of the race, which is a part of the American Pace Affiliation Stars Nationwide Tour.
“It wasn’t till about 4 (laps) to go on that first green-white-checkered after I noticed I used to be lining up fourth and I knew I had higher tires than the blokes in entrance of me so I knew at that time I might have a very good shot at it as a result of my tires have been that significantly better,” Garcia mentioned. “I felt like my automotive was dealing with fairly good at that time too. It was undoubtedly a nail-biter there on the finish.”
Garcia, 19, mentioned it was the primary time he had received a race during which he solely led two laps. He was grateful the opposite drivers did not pull one of many stunts just like what NASCAR drivers have in tight races this season reminiscent of Austin Dillon spinning out Joey Logano, which additionally despatched Denny Hamlin into the wall, at Richmond, Virginia.
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“The most important factor was getting a very good launch within the restart zone,” Garcia mentioned. “I managed to try this and I respect these guys behind me racing me clear. They may have simply wrecked me there. It is good to see some sportsmanship particularly with what’s been happening in NASCAR the final couple of weeks. These guys listed below are actually good race automotive drivers and I feel all of us race one another with quite a lot of respect more often than not.”
Garcia’s first race on the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway was in 2018 in a professional late-model 100-lap function. He had turned 13 three weeks earlier making him the youngest driver to ever compete on the historic venue.
Garcia has continued to race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and that have, he mentioned, was useful in Sunday’s race.
“I’ve received quite a lot of laps at this monitor; I imply I’ve ran in all probability 4 or 5 races a yr right here for a very long time,” Garcia mentioned. “I really feel like I do know all of the bumps and every part like that. This monitor is so much totally different from the others we go to. I felt like figuring out what your automotive must be good within the race versus apply is a bit of bit totally different right here than it’s at different locations.”
Sutton, 18, who made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Collection debut this yr, took the lead on lap 121. He stayed in entrance till Lap 287 when Ruggiero overtook him on a restart.
Sutton retook the lead on the subsequent lap and remained there till the primary extra time. Ruggiero moved again in entrance on the primary restart in extra time.
