Gase Collects Another Top 15 Finish at Kansas Speedway

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In: Xfinity Series News

Gase added another top 15 finish to his 2018 campaign last weekend at Kansas Speedway. Saturday’s result marked his third top 15 in the last six races. His 15th place finish in the Kansas Lottery 300 also matched his season best finish. 

Practice got rolling on Friday afternoon and it started off well for the Go Green Racing team. After a couple of runs in the first practice Gase said the Absaroka Chevy was pretty stable and didn’t have any major complaints. CC Donahue would call for some minor adjustments as the splitter was hitting a tiny bit. At the end of the day the team was pretty satisfied with their speed and ended with the 21st fastest lap time. The team would head into the chilly race day with confidence after a good day of practice and a 20th place qualifying effort.

Gase would get strapped in the No. 35 Absaroka Chevy for Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 ready to bounce back after a tough weekend in Dover. He would get the command to fire up his engine and off he went. It didn’t take long for the mile and a half track to bring out the races first caution. Before even completing a lap, Justin Allgaier got into the back of Christopher Bell sending him into the wall and collecting the better half of seven others. Gase did a great job avoiding the wreck with the help of spotter, David Pepper, and escaped with no damage. Gase had found himself all the way up to 11th before even completing a lap, and they weren’t done wrecking. After getting the green for the second time another caution would come out before they got back the start/finish line. Next thing you know it was lap 16 all of which had been under caution. 

They would finally get some green flag laps in but not for long. Another caution was drawn for the #23 of Spencer Gallagher who had blown a tire which sent him into the front stretch wall. Luckily this would be the final caution of the stage and Gase would finish the stage in 14th. 

Gase had reported to CC Patrick Donahue earlier in the stage that the Absaroka Chevy was a little snug in turns one and two as well as up-off of turn four. With that in mind, Donahue would bring him down pit road for fresh tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment to help free him up. 

Five short laps after the start of stage two another caution would come out. During the caution Donahue would ask Gase, “How’s your race car?”. Gase replied, “Those adjustments did help but he’s still a little too tight. I could use a little more.” They would complete the remaining 30 laps of the stage under the green flag. However, coming to the green and white checkered Gase would sustain some damage to his left front fender while racing hard for the lucky dog. He won the battle for the lucky dog, but unfortunately because he was involved in the wreck coming to the finish line he would be unable to make the free pass to get back on the lead lap. 

The final stage would get under way with 103 laps remaining in the 200 lap affair. Things had finally started to settle down a bit and the final segment was pretty clean for the most part. The first caution of the stage wouldn’t be brought out until lap 163 for the #78 of Vinnie Miller who had stalled on pit road. Gase had brought his Absaroka Chevy down pit road about 10 laps prior to the caution for his green flag stop so Donahue elected to stay out. After the #78 was able to fire it back up and clear the track, the field would stay under the green flag for the remaining 32 laps. Gase would bring it to the checkered flag from the 15th position. 

Overall, it was pretty good weekend for Joey and the Go Green Racing racing team. They bounced back well after engine issues cut the teams day short at Dover before the break. The NASCAR XFINITY Series will have another short break before heading back to Texas Motor Speedway for the final stretch of the season. 

Joey Gase PR

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