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Sammy Smith, Ryan Sieg take heavy damage late in Talladega Xfinity Series race

JHby:Jonathan Howard•about 17 hours•

Jondean25

sammy smith talladega wreck
Screenshot credit: Sports on The CW via X.com

On Lap 80 of today’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race, space ran out in the middle of the pack as Sammy Smith and Jeb Burton touched. The contact led Smith to get turned before getting up and into Greg van Alst. Ryan Sieg was a casualty in the aftermath as he came back up the track and into the 35 car.

We waited all afternoon for it. Our first caution for cause. This isn’t the big one, but it is going to change this race.

Sammy Smith is the perfect example of how up-and-down NASCAR can be. From his Martinsville fiasco to winning at Rockingham because of a DQ and then immediately getting into a wreck like this at Talladega. A wild ride, for sure.

This race has 28 laps to go as the green flag flies. There is going to be more action. Drivers are getting anxious and starting to make big moves. It has been very clean so far in the race, but that can’t last forever as drivers start to make ever more aggressive moves.

Jesse Love has led the most laps so far today. He is hoping to win this race for the second year in a row. Will the RCR organization walk away with another drafting track win this season?

Unfortunately for Sammy Smith, he won’t follow up his Rockingham win via DQ with a straight-up win. Still, he is locked into the playoffs, and that likely gives him a little reassurance after today.

Sammy Smith didn’t get the worst of it

The wreck definitely caused more damage to Ryan Sieg’s car than anyone else. That little contact from Jeb Burton was all it took to cause this wreck. Sieg attempted to avoid the wreck but when he got into the wet grass, his car was unstoppable.

Sieg shot up the track and found his way into Greg van Alst, who had already bounced off the wall. This race is now getting three wide throughout the field and there are big blocks being made. There will likely be one or two more big wrecks before we are all done today.

Rookies like Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch are doing what they can to prove they belong. They are racing like veterans. JR Motorsports really does have a great roster of drivers this season, and the sky is the limit with these two rookies.

Who is going to win this Talladega race? Can we make it a clean race to the end?