Snake eyes for smaller NASCAR Xfinity teams in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — The first 55 laps of the Alsco Uniforms 302 saw three cautions for incidents, all involving drivers with smaller NASCAR Xfinity Series teams.
The third caution was the costliest. Entering turn one, Kaz Grala blew an engine and triggered a multi-car wreck.
“I went into the first turn and as soon as I lifted, I lost the engine it seems. No indication of it at all,” Grala said, “I was along for the ride. As soon as I lifted, the cockpit filled with smoke that I couldn’t see where I was going. I had no grip.”
The wreck involved Rajah Caruth, Brennan Poole Jeremy Clements and others.
“Nothing you could do there. You were just along for the ride after that. We had an unfortunate bad pit stop that put us back there. It stinks. I hate it for [car owner] Mario [Gosselin]. I tore up another one of his cars.” Kyle Weatherman said.
Weatherman and Josh Williams, his lone DGM Racing teammate, fell out of the race after the wreck.
Anthony Alfredo, who sported an all-white No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports, was also involved. The team has limited resources and was set to run the Las Vegas car at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“It totally sucks. We’ve run this whole season with only four cars, including one speedway, one road course car. We’ve run every oval with two cars. So hopefully we get that other car ready for Homestead because obviously, this one is junk now,” Alfredo stated.
Alfredo expressed frustration as his team is depending on a strong end to 2023 to look ahead to 2024.
“We’ve got a lot of amazing sponsors that believe in myself and this team. It’s a blessing to be out here every week. We want to be competitive and you gotta run better to not be in all of this crap,” Alfredo said. “We don’t have a lease motor, we’re a small team as we only have four crew members. We’re overachieving running inside the top 20 and I’m really proud of that.”
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com