Weekend Stat Sheet: Vegas, Montgomery and More

NASCAR provided another exciting weekend during its west coast swing, while several series got their 2022 seasons underway back east in grand fashion. Here are some stats of note from the past weekend.

• While we have seen three different winners in three races in the NASCAR Cup Series, the bottom of the points sheet is a bit of a shock with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin tied for 29th with 38 points. It’s still early, so don't expect these two to hang around long.
• He may not have a win in his first three NASCAR Xfinity Series races this year, but Noah Gragson leads the points with three-straight top three finishes. The west-coast swing netted runner-up finishes at Fontana and Las Vegas.
• Randy Anderson, son of Wayne Anderson, started off 2022 in style with victories in both legs of the 50-lap twins at Auburndale Speedway (FL).
• Josh Lowder got the monkey off his back after 11 near-misses in the Carolina Pro Late Models Series in 2021. Lowder got the job done at Southern National Motorsports Park (NC).

• Hometown heroes were the theme of opening night at Montgomery Motor Speedway (AL). First, Augie Grill won his 14th Modifieds of Mayhem Tour event. It was Grill’s sixth win in the series at the track, and he’s well over 25 wins at the track when you count Late Model events.

• The Alabama 200 went to a few faces that we have seen before. Hunter Robbins won his second Alabama 200, most recently in 2004, the same year he won the Snowflake 100. Robbins took the Ronnie Sanders ride to victory lane. Sanders has won the race as a driver as well as an owner.

• Should we be surprised? Matt Hirschman wins yet another Modified race, this time the SMART Modified Tour opener at Florence Motor Speedway (SC). Hirschman won the season opener at Caraway last year. At this point, Matt Hirschman is three-for-three in SMART Tour action.
• Jeff Choquette went to victory lane for the first time in over 20 years on the dirt in Florida this weekend. Choquette won a CRUSA Dirt Late Model race at All Tech Raceway (FL). Choquette is no stranger to the track, as he won there in 2006 in a FASCAR race when the track was known as Columbia Motor Speedway.
• A little day dirt racing on Sunday saw Chris Madden pick up his first Southern All-Stars win in over four years. The win came at Cherokee Speedway's March Madness event when Chris Ferguson blew a tire late in the race. For Madden it’s his fourth win in the race all in even numbered years. 2006, 2016, 2018 and now 2022.
• Connor Hall swept the night away at Hickory Motor Speedway (NC) as he took both 40-lap events to start the 2022 season. Hall inked his first two wins of his career at Hickory in the featured division. The fields were deep with 25 cars in the first race and 22 in the second for an extremely healthy start to 2022.