NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Debut Review

(Los Angeles, CA) It was a hot July summer night in Irwindale, CA. The atmosphere rang with the sounds of V8 thunder as cars qualified for their starting positions and the fans poured in. Qualifying was sure to excite as it was a two-lap shootout for each car. Thirty seconds and done. Austin Varco, making his debut in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Spec Truck series in the #2 Special Needz Coffee machine was first in line. As drivers drove deep into Turn 1, all that stood between them and the wall was a little prayer.

The qualifying grid was set with Jacob McNeil #97, multi-time series and track champion, on pole with a blistering 20.51 second lap. Varco, not short behind him, with a 20.6, and Ron Nava #47 short one tenth behind him. The rest rounded out the field within half a second.

Racing began shortly after, the Pro Late Models led an excellent exhibition of 30 green flag laps with an exciting finish. The rest of the night was fairly clean, with the Spec racecars and the Pro Late Models closing the show. As the Spec racers took to the track and the multi-class grid order was set, the midfield was tidy. Austin timid, in his first start, lined up inside of the fourth row. The green flag flew, and the cars poured through the turns three and four abreast for an entire lap. Coming out of Turn 4, the #98 Spec Late Model mistakenly drove up the track into the #19 he was racing. Anderson, the 98, lost control of the car and headed down the track, collecting an innocent bystander of Varco in his first start. The two retired from the race. McNeil went on to an uncontested victory in front of his home crowd. 07.14.2024