Three weeks ago, things were not bright for a JR Motorsports driver. The Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway climaxed with Sammy Smith setting off a wreck fest and robbing Taylor Gray of a potential victory. The No. 8 driver landed a $25,000 penalty and a pile of controversy over his actions. However, the time for redemption came for Dale Earnhardt Jr’s driver at Rockingham Speedway.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returned to the 0.94-mile D-shaped track after two decades. With its tight corners and narrow racing surface coming out of turn 2, ‘The Rock’ threw exciting challenges to the drivers. But it also threw some much-needed luck at Sammy Smith, who made the best out of it.

Sammy Smith rescues himself from his mess

From the sport’s veterans calling out his aggression to Dale Earnhardt Jr himself calling the race shameful, Sammy Smith was in a big mess after Martinsville. NASCAR made Smith and other drivers wake up at 4 AM at Darlington, issuing warnings at a driver’s meeting. All these lessons hit Smith hard, and he repented for his actions in the perfect way possible. Qualifying 13th for the North Carolina Education Lottery 250, Smith was already in a tight battle. His 4th finish in Darlington fixed him a slot in the final Dash 4 Cash race. Smith was lined up against his teammates – Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones, and Carson Kvapil. But the turn of events allowed Smith to prove that he was better than them this weekend.

While race-winner Jesse Love ran up front for 77 laps, he got a solid fight from Sammy Smith. The No. 8 driver climbed into the top ten and made his way into the top five towards the end. With 10 laps to go, two cautions involving Christian Eckes were most opportune. The multi-car wreck that ensued happened to collect two Dash 4 Cash aspirants – Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones. That was when Smith knew that he had cashed in big. The other aspirant, Carson Kvapil, was embedded way back in the field, finishing 17th. Allgaier and Jones finished 22nd and 13th, while their teammate was sitting pretty with a runner-up finish. Smith was visibly relieved in a post-race interview after landing the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash prize. “Yeah, I guess I can pay my fine back. So that’s a little bit exciting.”

On the overtime restart, Sammy Smith got a jump on Jesse Love as the No. 2 sputtered and ran out of gas on Turn 2. However, Sam Mayer ran out of fuel as well and stacked up the field, leading to another caution. Although this deprived Smith of a possible victory, he was content nonetheless. He continued, “It was good, hard racing. I ran him hard that first restart when I got the lead. So congrats to Jesse. I’m really proud of our car today, thanks to the team…group Chevy. Our car was as fast as Xfinity. We did a good job saving fuel from that long green flag run to get us a position and be there in the end. We had a good car all day, just thanks to everybody. And all you can ask for is a spot like that to be in for a shot again.”

This spectacular finish landed Smith a chance to redeem his lost reputation. What is more, he prepared well for it at the resurrected track.

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Stumbling on his way to a good finish

Well, NASCAR held a doubleheader this weekend. Sammy Smith maximized his profits from it. The Craftsman Truck Series event held the Black Tire’s 200 at ‘The Rock’, where Smith started 11th. Driving the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Smith navigated through the race, staying in the top ten. It was only a pit speeding penalty that deprived him of a better finish as Smith landed up in 16th place, one lap down. In a post-race interview, Smith reflected on his bad luck: “Overall, it was a tough day. I felt like we had a lot of speed, but track position was so important, and I made a mistake when we had to pit for fuel at the end. I ran my lights a little too much and sped. I’m disappointed about that.”

However, that poor finish lent Sammy Smith all the knowledge he needed to perform well in his second chance. Dale Earnhardt Jr‘s driver thundered back to Rockingham on Saturday with renewed purpose.  What is more, Smith had also participated in the organizational test at Rockingham Speedway back in January. All of this preparation allowed Smith to go through the Xfinity Series race without a problem.

Sammy Smith had confessed his reason for a doubleheader weekend ahead of the Saturday race: “I’m excited to go to Rockingham and try out a new track where it’s a level playing field. The weather was much different when we tested earlier this year than it will be this weekend. Some of what we learned during the test will translate, but a lot of it will come from knowledge and experience from running similar 1-mile tracks. Racing the Truck Friday will help me get more comfortable with more laps, and I’ll be able to take some of that into Saturday, where we’ll race for $100,000 and a win for Pilot.”

Indeed, Smith succeeded in his quest, handing his team a big, fat Dash 4 Cash check. Now, the No. 8 JRM team can look forward to the next race with an uplifted mood.