Since 2016 when Texas Motor Speedway underwent a significant configuration, Dallas-Fort Worth’s home track became a bit of an afterthought on the schedule. Both drivers and fans lamented the on-track product at the one-and-a-half-mile quad-oval. The NASCAR NextGen car produces solid racing on the intermediate tracks but TMS notably failed to deliver.
However, in discussions with fans leading up to the weekend, there seemed to be a common note of hopeful optimism. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday night saw Kyle Busch claim yet another victory – but the young talent in the series kept the race competitive, albeit with the assistance of multiple late race cautions. The result boosted my sense of optimism as I made the drive from Houston to DFW for the Xfinity and Cup races.
Of course, if the Truck race boosted hope for a great weekend of racing, Xfinity on Saturday attached a rocket ship to the hopes and sent them soaring skyward.
Saturday – Xfinity Series Action at Texas Motor Speedway
Late-race cautions have a tendency to spice things up but even before a bobble in turn one saw leader Justin Allgaier in the #7 make contact with the lap car of Leland Honeyman and send the #42 into the wall, the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 felt like a set up for a great finish. While Allgaier carried the lead after the final round of green flag pit stops, Riley Herbst in the #98 closed rapidly. Unfortunately for both Allgaier and Herbst, the aforementioned caution turned the race on its head.
Contact between the leader and a lapped car!
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) April 13, 2024
The yellow is out with less than 30 to go! pic.twitter.com/KycFBPKMoA
The ensuing pit stops saw a massive shift in the running order with both the #7 and the #98 losing multiple spots. Instead, Allgaier’s JR Motorsports teammates Sam Mayer in the #1 and Brandon Jones in the #9 appeared poised to swoop in and claim victory.
However, it was Ryan Sieg who came out of nowhere to shock the field and take the lead before opening up a bit of a gap between himself and Mayer in second place. Sieg led 17 of the final 18 laps. Unfortunately, for the driver of the #39, the one lap he failed to lead was the most important.
Sam Mayer managed to close up the gap as Sieg’s Ford got tight. Mayer passed Sieg on the backstretch, but the #39 managed to get back to the #1’s door in turns three and four. The two drivers battled to the finish line but ultimately, Sam Mayer claimed his first victory of 2024 by .002 seconds – tied for the second narrowest margin of victory in Xfinity Series history.
It was THAT CLOSE!! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/R10ZC9WFsc
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) April 13, 2024
Mayer would go on to credit his spotter Kevin Hamlin for encouraging the driver to use the bottom in turns three and four. The line shift played a massive role in Mayer running down Sieg.
Sunday – Cup Series Chaos Wreaks Havoc At Texas Motor Speedway
After a largely uneventful Stage One that saw just one caution (a solo spin from Jimmie Johnson), several drivers had problems in Stage Two. The combination of bumps in turns three and four and a very difficult entry into turn one claimed several victims. Only adding to the issues was the difficulty in passing which forced drivers to be uber-aggressive on restarts.
Trouble for @Mc_Driver, who spins from second place! pic.twitter.com/CVsTYqB2Nz
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Stage Three saw more of the same before the drivers settled into a long green flag run with Tyler Reddick running out front. Denny Hamlin would get by Tyler Reddick on pit road after a slow stop by the #45 crew during the pit cycle forcing Reddick to run him back down. However, it was Joey Logano in the #22 who would gain serious track position after staying out on the long green flag run and catching a timely caution thanks to a John Hunter Nemechek spin.
The ensuing pit stops saw the drivers who stretched that green flag run pit while Reddick, Hamlin, and others stayed out on track to gain that all-important track position.
A Wild Finish
A bold three-wide move on the restart by Chase Elliott saw the driver of the #9 claim the lead. The lead was brief, however, as Hamlin would get past Elliott. Though Brad Keselowski chased down the leaders with fresh tires – the dirty air seemed to impact his speed and it appeared Hamlin was en route to victory. And then, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun with 13 to go.
The calamity didn’t stop there as the restart following that caution saw Kyle Larson spin in turn one. We threw the green flag again, this time with Chase Elliott in the lead and two laps remaining. This time the field at least made it to turns three and four before trouble struck in the form of Denny Hamlin wrecking from second place.
HAMLIN SPINS!! pic.twitter.com/gK7VbOv9hM
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
The chaotic restarts continued with a Harrison Burton spin on the first overtime restart. A second green-white-checkered saw Chase Elliott get ahead of Ross Chastain in the #1. Elliott took the white flag and Chastain wrecked on the backstretch, ending the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 with a Chase Elliott win in dramatic fashion.
Closing Thoughts
Given the criticisms leveled at Texas Motor Speedway in recent times, I came away from this NASCAR weekend pleasantly surprised. I won’t pretend that the Cup race came close to some of the better events from earlier this season but the race represented a dramatic improvement from both Richmond and Martinsville.
Obviously, the difficulty of passing is not ideal – cars with speed got mired in traffic and struggled to improve position. Drivers struggled mightily at times resulting in numerous incidents setting a record in cautions for a 400-mile race at a mile and a half track. However, I think the track ultimately danced the line between challenging and undrivable to the extent that the race was intriguing. I don’t think that Texas in its current form will produce the best racing on the circuit, but it clearly represents a massive test for drivers and their racecraft.
That's one big smile, cowboy. 🤠 pic.twitter.com/JVwHe2YfFe
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Additionally, the fan presence all weekend provided an electric atmosphere. With the added atmosphere of a crowd larger than recent Texas races, the feel around the track provided a bit of a boost to the on-track action as well. With Elliott’s stature in the sport among fans, the resulting win caused an eruption from the front stretch crowd. Fan reaction isn’t everything but in a sport that depends on spectators, the impact of a win by the #9 for the atmosphere around the track can’t be understated.
Though Texas Motor Speedway still has room for improvement, this weekend felt like a step in the right direction.
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