NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Nick Sanchez. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Nick Sanchez earns first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win in wild race at EchoPark Speedway

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 9:26 AM ET

As Friday evening turned to Saturday morning at EchoPark Speedway in Georgia, it was NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie Nick Sanchez who burned the midnight oil and held off a hungry pack to earn his first career Xfinity Series win just before the clock struck 12:30 a.m. on the East Coast.

Sanchez beat fellow rookie Carson Kvapil to the checkered flag by 0.104 seconds, leading the final six laps of the race. The win completed a comeback effort for Sanchez after a spin through the infield grass earlier in the race.

The victory also locks up a playoff berth for Sanchez and the No. 48 team, ensuring Sanchez will compete for a championship in his rookie campaign.

"We've been so close the last couple weeks," Sanchez told CW Sports. "We rebounded, and this was an awesome car. I'm speechless."

Now that's how you get it done!

Repost to congratulate @Nicksanchez080 on earning his first career #XfinitySeries victory! pic.twitter.com/udfyjl57sx
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 28, 2025

Kvapil, Sam Mayer, Connor Zilisch and Taylor Gray rounded out the top five, with Jesse Love, Aric Almirola, Daniel Dye, Kyle Sieg and Jeremy Clements completing the top 10.

Other notable finishers include Harrison Burton in 13th, Matt DiBenedetto in 15th, Christian Eckes in 19th, defending Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier in 31st and polesitter Sheldon Creed in 32nd.

Three-time defending Atlanta winner Austin Hill started second but suffered fuel pressure issues before the Lap 35 lightning delay and finished 26th, five laps down.

Gray won Stage 1, with Jones winning Stage 2.

The start of Friday's race was postponed due to lightning, and after 34 laps, another lightning delay brought the race to a halt for more than an hour.

Allgaier leads Mayer by 63 points in the regular season standings. Creed and Ryan Sieg are now tied for the 12th and final provisional playoff spot, with Creed owning the tiebreaker.

The 18th race of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season will take place at the Chicago Street Course on July 5. The Loop 110 will go green shortly after 4:30 p.m. ET, with coverage on the CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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