Sanchez, in his 24th career start, took charge at the beginning of overtime and gained a significant lead over the rest of the field, which proved crucial.
In the ensuing action, Rajah Caruth made contact with Jack Wood, leading to a collision involving Taylor Gray. Gray’s truck veered sharply sideways, then flipped onto two other trucks before landing back on its wheels, prompting NASCAR to quickly deploy the race’s 12th caution, effectively securing Sanchez’s first career victory.
Reflecting on his win, Sanchez remarked, “It feels surreal, especially considering how the race kicked off. I’m immensely grateful to my team for standing by me throughout last year. We had a tough run without a win, which was painful. We knew we had the potential, and we redeemed ourselves in the very first race.”
Corey Heim secured second place, followed by Caruth in third, Spencer Boyd in fourth, and Bret Holmes in fifth.
This victory marks Sanchez’s debut win in NASCAR competition, adding to his four wins in the ARCA Menards Series.
Stage 1 saw Johnny Sauter narrowly edge out Ty Majeski by 0.149 seconds in a one-lap dash to claim the win.
Stage 2 concluded with Tyler Ankrum declared as the winner after NASCAR called a caution due to light rain in the area.
The beginning of Stage 3 was led by Bret Holmes after a brief rain delay. However, a wreck involving Keith McGee brought out a caution shortly after. Grant Enfinger briefly took the lead before Sanchez reclaimed it on a restart.
Several incidents, including tire issues and multi-truck accidents, peppered the later stages of the race, with Sanchez maintaining his lead through the chaos.
In the end, Sanchez held onto his lead through overtime, securing the win ahead of Caruth, Taylor Gray, Jack Wood, and Corey LaJoie.
The final standings placed Sanchez in first, followed by Caruth in second, Corey Heim in third, Bret Holmes in fourth, and Spencer Boyd in fifth.