You can call him SUPERSPEEDWAY SAMMY.
Making one of his final planned O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts before moving full-time to Trucks in 2027, Sammy Smith foiled the plans of his championship-contending teammates and made a late move for the victory at Talladega Superspeedway, winning The Progress Group 250 with a last-lap pass on Carson Kvapil.
The victory gives Smith, a native of Johnston, Iowa, a two-for-two record for this weekend’s NASCAR National Series events at Talladega, after winning Friday’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event for Spire Motorsports.
In doing so, he joins an exclusive list of drivers who have won twice at Talladega in the same weekend, which includes Ernie Irvan, Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and now, Sammy Smith.
JR Motorsports (and their tight-knit alliance partner Hendrick Motorsports) were able to stay in control for much of Saturday’s 250-mile contest, collectively pacing the field for 83 of the race’s 94 laps, but Smith, the race-winner, only led one: the final lap.
“Man, I’m out of breath; that was mentally draining. Just, thank you everybody, it was a great executed race by JR Motorsports and Corey [Day], and we did a good job sticking to our plan and getting those guys stage points,” Smith said on the frontstretch post-race. “I’m sure they wanted them to win, but I had a good run there to take it, and I thought Tyler Green did a good job up top to get me backed up and thank you to Jesse Love for pushing me – I’m sure I’m his biggest fan helping him out, right now.”
“It’s been a tough year this year; thank you to everyone, Corey Shea, for giving me fast race cars, and I’m looking forward to Martinsville next week.”
For Smith, whose realistic shot at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series title evaporated several weeks ago, securing another victory before the end of his tenure at JR Motorsports is a big deal, as he embarks on a new opportunity with TRICON Garage in 2027.
Carson Kvapil was able to maintain a runner-up finish at the line, while Jesse Love rebounded from some early-race issues to finish in third place, keeping his lead in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series points heading to Martinsville.
Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, and Corey Day, all of whom remain in relative contention for the title, finished fourth, fifth, and sixth.
Blaine Perkins and Dean Thompson both collected top-10 results for their underdog organizations Jordan Anderson Racing and Sam Hunt Racing, finishing seventh and eighth, while Brandon Jones and Viking Motorsports’ Anthony Alfredo completed the top-10.
Sam Mayer was in contention for the victory in the closing laps, but couldn’t make his move for the win work, backsliding to 13th at the checkered flag.
Leaving Talladega, Jesse Love continues to hold the lead in points by 19 markers over Justin Allgaier, with Corey Day in third, 29 points behind.
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series heads to Martinsville Speedway next weekend for the penultimate event of the year on Saturday, October 31 at 4:00 PM ET on The CW, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
