It was “GAME OVER” for the competition in the closing laps of stage one at Richmond Raceway, as an excellent pit call by Kevin “Bono” Manion and a strong piece of driving by GMS Racing’s Zane Smith helped the 21-year-old notch his fifth stage victory of the season.
Smith made the pass for the lead with nine laps to go, driving by the older tires of Austin Hill to claim the stage victory.
Grant Enfinger finished second, with Austin Hill, Stewart Friesen and Ben Rhodes round out the top-five finishers in stage one.
Derek Kraus finished sixth, earning five valueable stage points and helping the rookie to gain points on playoff bubble competitors Tyler Ankrum and Todd Gilliland.
Stage and Playoff Points Awarded in Stage 1:
| Finish | Driver | Stage Points | Playoff Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zane Smith | 10 | 1 |
| 2 | Grant Enfinger | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | Austin Hill | 8 | 0 |
| 4 | Stewart Friesen | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | Ben Rhodes | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Derek Kraus | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | Sam Mayer | 4 | 0 |
| 8 | Brett Moffitt | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | Tate Fogleman | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Christian Eckes | 1 | 0 |
