Dominating for two whole stages, leading the pack for over half the race after starting from P2, and entering the final stretch with victory seemingly in his grasp—that was Chandler Smith’s story at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

But in a cruel twist of fate, the young driver’s dream of securing the checkered flag in what would be his second Xfinity Series victory was snatched away in the final stage at the hands of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate John Hunter Nemechek. Was it a strategic “overadjustment,” or did a mechanical gremlin steal his Vegas crown? What caused this dramatic shift from potential champion to runner-up for #81?

JGR Sweeps Vegas, But Chandler Smith Still Searching for Answers

With Smith starting strong alongside pole-winner Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing, the JGR contingent displayed their prowess throughout the race. The Toyota Supras dominated the Nevada heat, logging a staggering 173 laps out of 200 under Nemechek and Smith’s command, leaving the competition, including RCR’s three-peat hopeful Austin Hill as well as Custer, gasping in their dust.

The 21-year-old Georgia native expressed his disappointments in post-race interactions with the media, stating, “I feel like we may have overadjusted a little bit… had something going on mechanical we don’t really know yet, so we get back to the shop.” He was hinting at a potential mechanical issue that hampered his car’s performance.

While the exact nature of the problem remains unclear, Chandler Smith described a significant change in his car’s handling after the final pit stop. “I just got laterally super free,” he explained, detailing the car’s instability.  “At the same time when I fired back off there was a really loud pop like something broke or something in the rear and after that, I went to crap for the rest of the race. So I don’t know. I get out of the car, I feel it’s a lot cooler out here and this track’s super sensitive to track temp change as well, so I think it’s a combination I definitely think we overadjusted it.” explained the #81.

When asked by a reporter what he meant by getting “laterally super free,” the 2021 Truck Series ROTY said, “Just you can’t turn the wheel without trying to spin out I about got wrecked… getting into (turn) 3 probably five times and then I was good then out of nowhere. I just had a huge moment off of four, just had no lateral grip.”

JGR Boast Their Xfinity Dominance as John Hunter Nemechek Claims Las Vegas Title Win

Despite the setback, Smith went on to emphasize JGR’s collective efforts throughout the race.

A Top-5 Streak Fueling #81’s Phoenix Fire

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“I’m proud of the effort, sucks I’ve been waiting on this since Phoenix of last year when I knew I was coming over. I knew JGR is going to be good there, and Toyota’s always been good there.”

Known for his affinity for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway after finishing in the top 5 in his last three outings, Chandler Smith expressed his love for the Sin City circuit, citing, “It’s a fun mile and a half.” Unfortunately, this admiration didn’t translate into a victory this time around, leaving Smith disappointed despite JGR’s strong showing and his own personal three-for-three streak of top-five finishes early into the 2024 season.

“I’m disappointed but I shouldn’t be. Yeah, it’s cool, but I really feel like I let this one get away today because a part of the real direction we went in was because I steered our team in that direction, but win as a team, lose as a team.”

With the Xfinity Series now heading to the iconic Phoenix Raceway for the Call811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 on March 9, Smith is already focusing on the next challenge, “I think that’s going to be even better for us.”He said he looked forward to the 1-mile trioval next week. With his Vegas dreams deferred, Chandler Smith seems ready to rewrite his desert narrative and reignite his championship chase.

Chandler Smith Claims Back-to-Back Stage Sweeps as JGR Dominates the Xfinity Vegas Show