Photo Credit: Steven Muncie/OnPitRoad.com
The limelight was on the NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers yesterday at Bristol Motor Speedway. With it being a Dash4Cash race, no Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers were in the field.
A lack of Cup experience in the field allowed for series regulars to reap the rewards. Perhaps no one—aside from maybe race winner Ryan Preece—was able to do that more than Spencer Gallagher. A solid run all race long, and a fifth-place finish. It was Gallagher’s best result since making the jump full-time to the XFINITY Series last season.
“It was a fantastic day for us at GMS [Racing]. This hasn’t been my strongest track historically, so I’m so proud of the work these guys put into this race car and I’m so proud of the effort they made,” Gallagher said after the race.
Just seven events into the season and Gallagher has performed light years better than he did in 2017. He currently sits eighth in points, and has four top-10 finishes. At this stage last year, Gallagher, in his rookie season, was 17th in points and had a best finish of 14th. It’s an improvement any sophomore driver would want.
“I wish I could point to any one thing and tell you that’s been the thing that’s sent us over the edge, but really it’s experience,” he said.
“It’s been getting Chad Norris (crew chief) on. He’s been an incredible help on the pit box and putting these things together. It’s getting to come back to these places for my second year of XFINITY.”
And now, after his first top-five in series competition, Gallagher will have the chance next week to race for the big bucks. He qualified for Friday night’s Dash4Cash race at Richmond Raceway.
“It’s an honor to be going into the first Dash4Cash race for GMS Racing. Getting to wear that red splitter and red blade. That’s a big deal to me,” he said. “The $100,000 is great, but I’m already clicking my heels just to be in the show and be talked about in that respect.”
