What was a celebration for Jesse Love following an unbelievable drive within the North Carolina Schooling Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway is now a celebration for Sammy Smith.
In post-race inspection, a problem was discovered with the rear suspension on Love’s No. 2 Chevrolet, disqualifying him from the race. Runner-up Sammy Smith has been declared the race winner. Love can be credited with a Thirty eighth-place end and also will be stripped of the 4 stage factors he earned in Stage 2.
The win is the third of Smith’s Xfinity Collection profession, his second with JR Motorsports and his first of the 2025 season. The win additionally ensures Smith a berth within the NASCAR Xfinity Collection playoffs for the third season in a row.
After qualifying thirteenth on Saturday morning, Smith completed 14th in Stage 1 and twelfth in Stage 2. He made his technique to the entrance in Stage 3, and was handed by Love on the race’s last restart. With questions on gas mileage swirling, Smith held on for what was a initially a second-place end. Now, Smith holding off the likes of Parker Retzlaff, Harrison Burton, Brennan Poole and Taylor Grey for the runner-up place turns into the transfer that ended up profitable the race.
Smith will go for his second consecutive win on April 26 when the Xfinity Collection visits Talladega Superspeedway for the Ag-Professional 300 (4 p.m. ET, the CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Smith received the final time the Xfinity Collection visited the two.66-mile superspeedway in October of 2024.
