The playoffs are just 5 seasonal races away. NASCAR fans are eager to watch the race today at Richmond Raceway as they get one step closer to the final day. There are endless speculations en route to the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship. However, amidst the excitement, a young face achieved his first Xfinity Series win at Road America 180 on Saturday.
Like any other NASCAR race, this one was not without controversies and contacts. A Joe Gibbs racer made a huge contact and moments later, he opened his mouth to the media and blamed his teammates for it. The fans were not very happy about the blame game, to say the least.
Fans bash the JGR driver in the comments
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Stage 1 saw John Hunter Nemechek hold a strong top 5 position with his No 20 Toyota GR Supra. Everyone thought that it was a significant challenge upon entry from Joe Gibbs Racing. However, a series of incidents that followed destroyed his afternoon and made him fall back to a 34th-place finish.
At the end of turn 13, Nemechek ran wide, off the course, and straight onto the grass. A major hit to the ground tore away the entire splitter bar of his car, which started leaking a lot of fluid on the track, creating trouble for Austin Hill and Riley Herbst. Some are of the opinion that his teammate Connor Mosack was repeatedly dive-bombing people and JHN and Sammy Smith got caught up in it. However, most of the reactions to the post-race comment made by Nemechek ridicule him.
Post the race, Nemechek said: “Who needs enemies when you have teammates?”
View this post on Instagram
To this, a fan said: “Stop whining like you’ve never done the same thing”
Another fan said: “Make a mistake running alone that ends his race. Shits on his teammates. Classic JHN”
Along with Nemechek, fans have also bashed Joe Gibbs racing, saying that pointing fingers is a normal thing for the team.
One of them said, “Says the one who was driving off the track the whole time. Always gotta blame other people, classic JGR.”
“An example of why Gibbs is a Toxic Organization,” said another.
However, some also sided with the JGR driver saying, “As someone who’s mostly been neutral about Nemecheck, he’s right. Mosack was driving like a clown and dive bombing people multiple times. The incident Nemecheck was referring to, Mosack dive bombed him and Sammy Smith and sent them 3 wide into the corner resulting in contact and Nemecheck going off course.”
A 20-year-old snatched a dramatic overtime victory
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Despite all the commotion, Sam Mayer had the last laugh as he led the final two laps. As Justin Allgaier and Sage Karam were battling each other for P1 during the second last lap, the former spun in turn 8 and the latter went wide in the turn 13. This gave the JR Motorsports driver, ample space to hold off Parker Kligerman, who also went wide in turn 14, to cross the checkered flag. Mayer won by 0.368 seconds over Kligerman, followed by Austin Hill, Sage Karam, and Riley Herbst.
The Wisconsin native could not contain his happiness, as it was the first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of his career. He got out of the window of his car, ripped apart the front of his fire suit like Superman, and threw his fists in the air in celebration.
It's been a long time coming for @sam_mayer_! pic.twitter.com/0fcLb4g4Is
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) July 29, 2023
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While talking to a reporter moments later, he said, “It was just about getting track position. We got it there at the end, I lost it for a second and then all hell broke loose there at the end, and we ended up on top. This team, it’s so special to get that first win, that monkey off your back. It feels so good.”
It was indeed special for him to win at his home state track. The entire NASCAR community looks forward to what this talented young man can achieve as a stock car driver following the footsteps of his father.
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Watch this story: Intensifying Playoff Pressure Triggers Hendrick Motorsports’ War Declaration on Joe Gibbs Racing