Per the rulebook, Justin Haley started the Pala Casino 400 29th, after practice and qualifying were canceled due to inclement weather.
Haley made up seven spots before the competition caution fell on lap 15 of the opening stage, telling his team his No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro had good speed. The team made a positive adjustments that helped Haley finish the first stage in 21st with improved ride quality.
On a restart following a caution in stage two, Haley was involved in a multi-car pileup on lap 86, resulting in nose damage to the No. 31 Camaro ZL1. The team assessed the damage and made repairs while on the damaged vehicle clock. Haley nursed the car to the end of the stage while still managing to make up spots, finishing 23rd
The team continued to make repairs and adjustments throughout the final stage, resulting in a 21st-place finish for Haley and the No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1
“Our No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1 was so fast. We ran free in comparison to my teammate, AJ (Allmendinger), but we knew we had so much speed and potential. Trent (Owens) made some great calls to help the ride quality of the car, and we knew if we could get some track position we would be in a good spot. Unfortunately, we got caught in a pileup on a restart and sustained heavy nose damage. P21 was a decent finish for the day we had.”
– Justin Haley
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions FARM SMART Camaro ZL1
Per the rulebook, AJ Allmendinger started the Pala Casino 400 sixth, after practice and qualifying were canceled due to inclement weather.
Allmendinger lacked lateral grip all throughout the opening stage. The team continued to make adjustments to the rear of the car in effort to tighten up the No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions FARMSMART Camaro ZL1, and Allmendinger finished 19th in the first stage.
On lap 75, Allmendinger’s day ended early after a hit in the right-side door resulted in contact with the inside wall and damage the team was not able to repair on pit road.
Allmendinger and the No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions FARM SMART Camaro ZL1 were scored 36th.
“Disappointing day at Auto Club for sure. We were battling handling all day; just lacked grip and struggled over the bumps in turns three and four. The team worked to make adjustments to try to give me more grip and confidence in the car, but ultimately our day ended early after contact with the inside wall. Not the day we hoped for, but we’re focused forward on Las Vegas next week.”
– AJ Allmendinger
Production Alliance Group 300
Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Chevrolet
Per the rulebook, Chandler Smith started the Production Alliance Group 300 fifth, after practice and qualifying were canceled due to inclement weather.
Smith showed impressive speed in the opening stage and made massive strides throughout the field early on. Smith restarted 16th and worked his way up to third after the competition caution restart where he finished the opening stage.
During Stage 2, Smith raced in the top ten of the pack, battling his teammates for the sixth position before finishing the stage in 10th.
In the Final Stage, the team made positive adjustments during the pit stops, and Smith closed in on the top five again before leading his first laps with Kaulig Racing, Smith went on to finish fourth, earning his first top five with Kaulig Racing.
“Overall we had a really solid day and earned our first top five of the season. I’m looking forward to hopefully building off this as we head to Las Vegas and hopefully working towards that first win. We had a really fast Quick Tie Chevrolet, and I’m really proud of the effort for the first race of the West Coast Swing and everybody at Kaulig Racing.”
– Chandler Smith
Austin Dillon, No. 10 LA Golf Chevrolet
Per the rulebook, Austin Dillon started the Production Alliance Group 300 15th, after practice and qualifying were canceled due to inclement weather.
Dillon struggled with right-rear grip in the opening stage. The team made adjustments early on to help, and he went on to finish the opening stage eighth.
Dillon improved during the second stage, finishing fourth in the No. 10 LA Golf Chevrolet
In the final stage, Dillon received right front damage from an incident he could not avoid. The No.10 team was able to make repairs, helping Dillon to an eighth-place finish.
“Man, what a fast Kaulig Chevrolet. Thanks to Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice for the opportunity. Our Chevy was great until it got out into clean air. Then, it was plowing. Just had a little bit of damage that affected the handling of our LA Golf Chevrolet. I love racing at Auto Club Speedway.”
– Austin Dillon
Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Poppy Bank Chevrolet
Per the rulebook, Daniel Hemric started the Production Alliance Group 300 35th, after practice and qualifying were canceled due to inclement weather.
Hemric showed impressive speed, making up sixteen spots early on. The team battled the handling of the car all stage long, making minor adjustments each pit stop to try to help the balance of the car, and Hemric ultimately finished Stage one in fourth.
In stage two, the team continued to make adjustments each pit stop to help with long-run speed. Hemric reported the balance had improved, and he finished the second stage in the 17th position.
Hemric continued a strong run in the final stage and went on to finish 12th in the No. 11 Poppy Bank Chevrolet.
“Sad to think we just ran our last race here at the incredible two-mile racetrack of Auto Club Speedway. We had wanted to go out and have a better finish in our No.11 Poppy Bank Chevrolet, but we could just not figure out how to move forward when we needed to the most there at the end of the race. Although a disappointing finish, the car is in one piece, which is something to build off. Heading to Vegas we will regroup and be better.”
