An exciting superspeedway race concluded with the closest finish, with the top 4 separated by just 0.041 seconds.
At times, it was pure slipstream racing on the superspeedway. Max Lange held his ground in the leading group but was briefly set back in his pursuit of the leader due to a minor crash. In the end, a bit of bad luck saw him overtaken by a rival, finishing in 3rd place. A fantastic performance was also delivered by the two Heileks on Atlanta’s asphalt. Max Heilek even managed to lead some laps and remained in the top 15 throughout the race until he got caught in a spin shortly before the end. Still, a top performance! Michael Heilek also made significant strides forward during the race. Consistently within the top 15, he kept up with the pace well. Unfortunately, a late spin also ruined his chances for a top-10 finish.
Results for the NASCAR-FAN Store Threewide Racing Team:
3st place: Max Lange
16th place: Max Heilek
18th place: Michael Heilek
Race Report Max Lange #66:
The 4th race of the PWA Oval Series took place at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which was converted into a superspeedway in 2022.
I started the 130-lap race from 3rd position. By the scheduled stage caution on lap 45, two cautions had already been triggered by accidents. Due to varying pit strategies, I found myself in P8 after the stage break.
With 81 laps still to go, it was clear that at least one more pit stop for refueling would be necessary. The fuel window opened on lap 70, and shortly after, another caution occurred two laps later. A large portion of the field pitted during this caution to refuel. At the restart on lap 76, I was back in P8.
As the race neared its conclusion, you could feel the intensity rising, with drivers becoming increasingly aggressive. This led to four more cautions.
The final restart came with just 10 laps remaining, and I was in P2. With two laps to go, the running order was:
#23, #66 (me), #20, and #42.
Heading into the backstretch, #20 and #42 moved to the high line. However, just before the finish line, #20 managed to squeeze ahead of me. The race ended with a spectacular photo finish, where the top 4 cars (#23, #20, #66, #42) crossed the line within just 0.041 seconds of each other.
In the end, I’m happy with my 3rd-place finish. Unfortunately, my teammates Max and Michael had tough luck in the race, especially Michael (#75), who was taken out on the final lap while running 7th and ended up finishing 18th.
Race Report Max Heilek #12:
Yes, Atlanta was on the schedule, and after its redesign a few years ago, the track has gone from being a drivers’ favorite to a lottery-style track.
After the surprising disqualification at Martinsville, it was all about rebounding today for me and the #12 NASCAR-Fan Store Threewide Racing Team following a rough start to the season. With some luck, we also aimed to get the second team car into the playoffs.
Given the track’s narrow width, track position was key. Despite running a different strategy from most of the field, I was nearly able to fight my way into the points after a pit stop under caution just before the stage ended. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out.
Even so, we managed to take the lead for a few laps after the stage caution, stayed competitive at the front, kept the car free of damage, and avoided a few tricky situations.
However, working through the field was a slow process due to the lack of space on the track. It was crucial to stay in the lane with momentum, which often required aggressive lane changes.
Near the end, I tried to slot into a gap on the inside line, but it either closed too quickly, or the car behind me had such a strong run that I got spun. Although I was able to continue, my car suffered significant damage.
In the end, I finished 16th, still in the better half of the field, but once again falling short of expectations and the potential speed of the #12 NASCAR-Fan Store Threewide Ford Mustang.
Nevertheless, I’m optimistic about making the playoffs in a few months. After three lottery-style tracks and a strategy misstep in Las Vegas, I’m ready to deliver strong results at Dover—assuming we can all steer clear of Miles the Monster.
See you in two weeks!
Race Report Michael Heilek #75:
After the chaos in Martinsville, my expectations for a clean race weren’t particularly high.
In qualifying, I made a few small mistakes, leaving me dissatisfied with my mid-pack starting position. So, it was back to waiting, seeing what others would do, and keeping my car out of trouble. However, I quickly realized that pack racing in Atlanta isn’t so easy and ended up making multiple acquaintances with the wall. Fortunately, my car sustained no significant damage, but I lost a lot of positions.
Throughout the race, I had some serious luck as cars ahead and beside me lost control and spun out. Thankfully, I avoided damage in those incidents and managed to gain back several spots during my pit stops.
While running in P2 with Max L. directly behind me, the tension got to me, and I once again drifted off the racing line and clipped the wall. But, once again, no damage to the car.
In the final phase of the race, a pack of 11 drivers separated themselves from the rest of the field. Max L. was in 2nd place, and I was in 9th as we headed into the last lap. At that point, it was every driver for themselves, with everyone taking big risks to gain positions.
That included #34, who tried to force their way through with car contact—first on the inside line and then by hitting the rear of my car. With no chance of saving it, I ended up with engine damage and had to tow the car back to the pits.
My conclusion:
A strong race with a bad ending.
