Nemechek passes Haley in overtime, holds off Hemric to win Atlanta NACAR Xfinity race #Nemechek #passes #Haley #overtime #holds #Hemric #win #Atlanta #NACAR #Xfinity #race

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — John Hunter Nemechek passed Justin Haley at the start of overtime and held off Daniel Hemric to win the NASCAR’s Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday night for his third victory of the season.

Haley was in a position to lead a parade of Kaulig Racing in overtime but had no help on the restart at overtime while Nemechek made his move on the outside to take his first lead of the race.

“Early on in the race if you would have told me we would win the race, I definitely would have told you that wasn’t the case,” Nemechek said.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, right, talks to McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain after the qualifying session at the British Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, Saturday, July 8, 2023. The British Formula One Grand Prix will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Max Verstappen has held off a surprise challenge from McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to take pole position at the British Grand Prix.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton on paddock day ahead of the British Grand Prix 2023 at Silverstone, Towcester, Britain, Thursday, July 6, 2022. (David Davies//PA via AP)

Formula One has expanded the grid for an 11th team at the British Grand Prix but the Brad Pitt-driven entry won’t be racing for the win.

Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Grant Park 220 Sunday, July 2, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

NASCAR is heading back to its more traditional oval racing format this week in Georgia. The top two series made history last week on the streets of Chicago, NASCAR’s first street races in its 75th season.

Moments after NASCAR’s daring adventure was over — a soggy day in downtown Chicago rescued by a compelling Cup Series race — they were all thinking big.

Hemric was second and his Kaulig Racing teammate, Haley, was fourth. Yet another Kaulig racer, pole-sitter Chandler Smith, began the overtime in second but finished 20th, apparently running out of gas.

Austin Hill, looking for his fourth win of the season and his third consecutive win in Atlanta, was fourth when his hopes for a late surge ended with his spin with three laps to go. Hill wasn’t touched but lost control of his Chevrolet when trying to make a move on Daniel Hemric.

The resulting caution set up the overtime, and Haley was unable to hold the lead.

Hill started at the back following a transmission change.

Hill didn’t remain near last place very long. By the 38th lap of the first stage, Hill already had moved up to fifth. He finished second in stage 2.

Hill won the Atlanta Xfinity race in March and also last summer’s race at the track. He was second in Atlanta’s first 2022 race.

There were eight cautions. In Atlanta’s March race, 12 cars were knocked out by 11 cautions, a track record for an Xfinity race.

Riley Herbst passed Josh Berry with a late surge win win the first stage, his first career stage win.

Sheldon Creed won the second stage, just ahead of Hill, his Richard Childress Racing teammate.

Early in the third stage, Creed and Ryan Sieg, who led part of the second stage in his search for his first career win, were involved in a crash that knocked both cars out of the race. Herbst also had to go to his garage for the night following the wreck.