Nick Sanchez Earns First NASCAR Xfinity Series Win At EchoPark Speedway
by Hunter Thomas June 28, 2025 1 commentHAMPTON, Ga. – Nick Sanchez held off Carson Kvapil and Sam Mayer on the final lap of Friday night’s Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway to earn his first-career NASCAR Xfinity Series win.
It took the Sanchez just 25 series starts to visit Victory Lane. The driver of the No. 48 Big Machine Spiked Coolers Chevrolet raced his way through the grassroots level and graduated from the Drive for Diversity program. Now, he’s a winner going to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.
Sanchez about didn’t make it to the finish on Friday. On Lap 69, contact from Matt DiBenedetto sent Sanchez spinning through the frontstretch grass. Sparks and grass flew, but Sanchez’s car was unscathed.
“I’m going to be honest, this is just a reminder of my 2023 debut here in a truck at Atlanta,” Sanchez said. “I spun and I finished second. Now I spun and I won, so that’s awesome. Just a huge thanks to Scott Borchetta (team owner).”
Kvapil started the race from the rear due to an unapproved adjustment prior to the race, but by the end of Stage 1, the driver of the JR Motorsports No. 1 Registix Chevrolet was sitting in the ninth position, and at the end of Stage 2, he was running second. Kvapil was there at the end, but he just didn’t have the speed to challenge for the lead on the final lap.
“I just couldn’t really generate a run there,” Kvapil said. “I didn’t feel like we had enough cars nose-to-tail and organized. We were all just a car or two away from each other, and I tried backing up on the last lap, and I probably could’ve made a move earlier – I just felt like if we got side-by-side we’d both get swallowed up by somebody.”
Mayer, Connor Zilisch and Taylor Gray rounded out the top-five. Jesse Love finished sixth, followed by Aric Almirola, Daniel Dye, Kyle Sieg and Jeremy Clements.
Gray won Stage 1 and Brandon Jones won Stage 2.
There were 12 lead changes among nine drivers. Aric Almirola led a race high of 48 laps.
The caution flew on nine occasions for 58 laps. The largest crash of the night occurred on a restart on Lap 42. As the field was getting back up to speed, contact sent Love spinning in front of the pack. Ten drivers were caught up in the accident that ended Stage 1.
Justin Allgaier continues to lead the standings. He’s 63 points ahead of Mayer.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will now head to the streets of Chicago for The Loop 110. Live coverage of the race will broadcast on the CW at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Photo Credit: Mitchell White/TheFourthTurn.com
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