United Rentals Driven to Serve 250

Austin Hill turned the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series' first race at Naval Base Coronado into a late-race Richard Childress Racing release valve, passing Taylor Gray on the final lap to win the United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 by 1.127 seconds.

The finish came after Gray had wrestled the lead away from Carson Kvapil with three laps remaining. Kvapil had controlled the longest late run before contact from Gray in Turn 12 opened the door for the No. 54 Toyota. Hill stayed close enough to make the next mistake matter, then drove by Gray entering Turn 2 on the final lap and finished off his first career road-course win.

The race had been messy long before the final sequence. Brent Crews started from the pole and led the opening 11 laps before an engine issue left him 31st. Corey Day lost four laps after hitting a manhole cover, then recovered to finish 10th. A 25-car Turn 2 crash and multiple track-repair delays turned the 60-lap race into a three-and-a-half-hour street-course test.

Hill won Stage 1, Gray won Stage 2 and led a race-high 16 laps, and the final top five of Hill, Gray, Sheldon Creed, Kvapil and Sammy Smith reflected both speed and survival. Jesse Love's run from 37th to sixth was the biggest place-differential result in the front half of the field, while Parker Retzlaff converted a front-row start into seventh with stage points in both segments.