Max Lange fell victim to a competitor and was taken out of the race.
The final race before the playoffs in Richmond started off quite well for our team. Max L. secured his position in the leading group, while our other two drivers performed solidly in the midfield. After his pit stop, Max L. rejoined the race in the midfield and steadily closed the gap to the leaders. However, on lap 197, he was taken out by a competitor.
Michael and Max H. managed to capitalize on the numerous incidents, finishing in 8th and 9th places respectively. As a result, all three drivers have made it to the Round of 16.
Results for the NASCAR-FAN Store Threewide Racing Team:
24st place: Max Lange
8th place: Michael Heilek
9th place: Max Heilek
Race Report Max Lange #66:
The final race of the regular season saw me starting from P9.
Unfortunately, this race wasn’t destined to go well for me. On just the third lap of the 200-lap race, my car was damaged in a racing incident. I spent the next five caution periods repairing the damage. Once my car was fully repaired, I restarted my pursuit from P20 on lap 59. By the stage caution on lap 70, I had worked my way up to P13.
With fresh tires on the car, the race resumed on lap 75. After four more caution periods, I had climbed to P4 by lap 107. Following another pit stop, I managed to take the lead on lap 151. While navigating through lapped traffic, the gap between the second-place driver (#1) and me fluctuated within a second.
However, when we caught up to #1’s teammate on lap 190, things took a turn for the worse. His teammate hindered me by leaving the racing line, causing me to lose momentum. This allowed #1 to close the gap and move within striking distance. Over the next few laps, a battle for the lead ensued, culminating in an incident on lap 197 that ended my race.
Here’s what happened:
#1 was driving on the middle line, while I was on the lower line. In Turn 4, #1 moved down onto my line despite not being clear, causing contact. This sent me into the wall, and my race ended with a totaled car. I finished the race in P24.
Due to my absence in the previous race and this crash, I could only secure 5th place in the overall regular season standings.
Congratulations to my teammates Michael and Max, who represented the team well with strong 8th and 9th place finishes, respectively, and also qualified for the playoffs.
Race Report Max Heilek #12:
For the final race of the regular season, we headed to the capital of Virginia, the Richmond Raceway.
For me, the stakes were relatively low—I essentially just needed to start the race to secure my spot in the playoffs.
The situation was different for my teammates in the #66 and #75. My dad, Michael, entered the race sitting 17th in the standings, just a few points shy of breaking into the Top 16 and earning a spot in the postseason. For Max in the #66, who returned after a break due to injury, it was all about the regular-season title and 15 playoff points. Despite missing a race, he was only 6 points behind the leader, keeping everything within reach.
My approach was to keep things calm and avoid penalty points at all costs. At the same time, I wanted to contribute to the team with a solid performance. This worked out perfectly when I pitted for fresh tires during a caution shortly before the stage ended. Not only did I grab the last available stage point, but I also managed to push Steven and Wenzel—key competitors chasing Max and Michael—out of the Top 10.
Afterward, I let my #12 NASCAR Fan Store Threewide Mustang enjoy some fresh air at the front of the pack, leading for a few restarts.
Unfortunately, the race itself never really found its rhythm. The action was repeatedly interrupted by caution periods after just a few laps, preventing the race from settling into a flow. Thankfully, my car wasn’t heavily involved in these incidents.
At one point, I took a slight hit when another car overshot its braking point and tried to rejoin the racing line where I was already firmly positioned.
A disappointing moment came when I made a minor mistake, briefly locking up and making harmless contact with another car. Despite immediately apologizing, the driver responded by brake-checking me a few laps later, nearly causing an accident. Sadly, this wasn’t the first time I’ve had issues with this car, including an unpenalized double attempt to spin me out in Martinsville earlier this season.
Toward the end of the race, I was involved in another incident, but the damage was minor and didn’t significantly affect my car’s performance.
After Max was unfortunately taken out of the race, the regular-season title slipped out of reach for the NASCAR Fan Store Threewide Racing Team. However, during the final restart, I was able to play a bit of a “bodyguard” role behind Michael, keeping his position safe and securing a double Top 10 finish for our team.
Thanks to my performance and that one crucial stage point, I finished in 10th place and earned one playoff point. Whether the #75 has done enough to make the playoffs remains to be seen—it could come down to a tiebreaker for the final playoff spot.
I’m hopeful that all three of us will continue to fight for the championship together. My form has been trending upward, and I have a good feeling about the Nashville Superspeedway. However, I’ll likely need to build a buffer there to ensure I make it into the Round of 8, as the race in Pocono could be a challenge.
Race Report Michael Heilek #75:
My last chance to qualify for the Round of 16. Richmond is notorious for its numerous cautions, so the conditions were far from ideal.
Starting from P16, it didn’t take long for the first caution to occur. Lock-ups and premature acceleration led to several crashes and interruptions throughout the race. Unfortunately, I contributed to the chaos at one point, but I managed to keep my FORD MUSTANG on the track without sustaining significant damage.
The frequent cautions actually worked in my favor, allowing me to steadily climb up the field. By the time the race entered overtime, I had made it into the Top 10 and ultimately crossed the finish line in 8th place, securing my best result to date.
Max Lange, however, wasn’t as fortunate. Toward the end of the race, he was forced off the track and had to retire his car in the pits.
Whether I made it into the Top 16 will now be determined by the race officials.
