NC Education Lottery 250

RACE RECAP

In a remarkable display of race craft, Sammy Smith charged from 13th on the starting grid to win the NC Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway — a gain of 12 positions that showcased both driver talent and team strategy. The No. 8 led 9 laps on the day and scored 55.9 fantasy points. The margin of victory was 0.691.

Parker Retzlaff (No. 4) finished second, while Harrison Burton (No. 25) completed the podium in third. The stage battles added another layer of intrigue: Nicholas Sanchez captured Stage 1 and Dean Thompson won Stage 2. The race featured 17 lead changes among 8 drivers — Ryan Sieg led a race-high 77 laps but couldn't convert track dominance into the victory. Bumpers were tools, not decoration, on this demanding short track where every inch of real estate was contested.

The biggest mover of the race was Harrison Burton (No. 25), who charged from 29th to 3rd — a gain of 26 positions that made the No. 25 one of the top fantasy value plays. Brennan Poole also impressed, climbing from 28th to 4th.

The race wasn't without drama — 8 drivers failed to finish. Sam Mayer (started 11th) was collected in an accident after completing 247 laps, and Matt DiBenedetto (started 14th) was collected in an accident after completing 247 laps. From a fantasy perspective, Sammy Smith led all scorers with 55.9 points, followed by Parker Retzlaff (44) and Jeb Burton (44).

BY THE NUMBERS

Lead Changes

Leaders

14/83

Cautions / Laps

DNFs

1,343

Green Flag Passes

0.691

Margin of Victory

80.377

Avg MPH

2:59:38

Race Time

33.2%

Under Caution

11.1

Avg Green Run (Laps)

Stage Winners

S1Nicholas Sanchez

S2Dean Thompson

Lap Leaders

#39Sieg77laps

#2Love53laps

#48Sanchez52laps

#1Kvapil47laps

#26Thompson11laps

#8Smith9laps

#20Jones6laps

#88Zilisch1laps

#16Eckes1laps

Caution Breakdown

1L14–174L#45 Incident Backstretch

2L53–586L#18, 33, 53 Incident Turn 1LD #14

3L62–709LStage 1 ConclusionLD #35

4L110–1178L#00, 19 Incident Turn 4LD #14

5L122–1287LStage 2 ConclusionLD #39

6L130–1345L#11, 18 Incident Turn 4LD #33

7L139–1435L#35 Spin Turn 2LD #88

8L149–1535L#07 Incident BackstretchLD #88

9L159–1646L#19 Incident BackstretchLD #07

10L182–1887L#28, 51, 71 Incident BackstretchLD #14

11L228–2325L#31 Incident Turn 4LD #07

12L236–2405L#10, 33, 91 Incident Turn 3LD #28

13L242–2465L#1, 7, 16, 20, 39, 48 Incident Turn 1 [Red Flag: 2:59]LD #28

14L249–2546L#27, 88 Incident Turn 2 [Red Flag: 5:38]LD #39

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Sammy Smith won the NC Education Lottery 250 from 13th, leading 9 laps and scoring 55.9 fantasy points — the highest of the field.

02Nicholas Sanchez won Stage 1 and Dean Thompson captured Stage 2, each pocketing 10 bonus fantasy points.

03Harrison Burton was the top mover, climbing 26 positions from 29th to 3rd — the kind of place differential that wins fantasy weeks.

04Ryan Sieg led a race-high 77 laps but could only manage a 18th-place finish — a reminder that leading laps doesn't always translate to wins.

058 drivers failed to finish, including Sam Mayer (started 11th, out with accident) and Matt DiBenedetto (started 14th, out with accident). These DNFs turned promising fantasy starts into busts.

06The race saw 14 cautions for 83 laps and 17 lead changes among 8 drivers at an average speed of 80.377 mph.

PERFECT LINEUP

Optimal 5-driver roster for this race

Salary

$0/50

Avg Finish

P6.4

Total Points

338.18

Group	Driver	Salary	Finish	Led	Bonus	Pts
A	Sammy Smith	$0	1	9	0	111.80 2 × 55.90
B	Parker Retzlaff	$0	2	0	+9 S1:9	77.00 1.75 × 44.00
C	Jeb Burton	$0	8	0	+15 S1:6 S2:9	66.00 1.5 × 44.00
D	Dean Thompson	$0	11	11	+10 S2:10	46.38 1.25 × 37.10
E	Jeremy Clements	$0	10	0	+10 S1:2 S2:8	37.00 1 × 37.00