RACE RECAP – #PAG300 at Auto Club – Kaz Grala/No. 26 Fire Dept. Coffee GR Supra

Feb 27, 2023

KAZ GRALA

RACE REPORT

PRODUCTION ALLIANCE GROUP  300  AT AUTO CLUB  SPEEDWAY
NO. 26 FIRE DEPT. COFFEE GR SUPRA

EVENT INFORMATION

  • Date: February 26, 2023 (Postponed due to inclement weather)
  • Event: Production Alliance Group 300 (Round 2 of 33)
  • Location: Auto Club Speedway
  • Format: 150 Laps (Stages 35 / 70 / 150 laps)
  • Start/Finish: 29th / 13th (+16 positions)

KEY NOTES

  • Kaz Grala made his second of 33 starts of the 2023 season on Sunday evening in the Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway — piloting the No. 26 Fire Dept. Coffee GR Supra.
  • Grala collected a 13th-place finish in the final NXS event on the 2-mile track configuration.
  • Due to inclement weather on Saturday,  practice and qualifying were cancelled and  the field was set per the rulebook, requiring  the No. 26 Fire Dept. Coffee team to start from the 29th position.
  • The No. 26 Fire Dept. Coffee GR Supra was quick at the drop of the green flag and had moved up 10 positions by the Lap 15 competition caution.
  • Prior to the competition caution, Grala reported a fuel-pickup issue requiring him and the 26 team to pit during the caution period to diagnose the issue.
  • Throughout the duration of the 300-mile event, Grala reported that the handling of the No. 26 Fire Dept. Coffee GR Supra was extremely good. As the sun went down, he asked for minor handling adjustments to help free the handling up in the center of the corner “just the tiniest bit.” 
  • Grala captured a 12th-place stage finish in Stages 1 and 2.
  • At the conclusion of the PAG300 at Auto Club Speedway, Grala and the No. 26 Fire Dept. Coffee GR Supra crossed the finish line in the 13th position.

QUOTES

“I feel like our Fire Department Coffee No. 26 GR Supra was pretty good. I actually think we were a top-10 car. We had some fuel pickup issues that plagued us down the straightaways all night long, but even with the issue, we were a really solid top-15 car all night, and ran there all night. We ended up finishing 13th. I think if that last caution or two had not come out, we were probably going to be p11. All-in-all really solid night for our Sam Hunt Racing team – we salvaged the best finish that we could and got out of here with some good points and a pretty clean car for Vegas. I feel like we checked all of our boxes and we will clean up whatever that issue was and be good going into Vegas knowing that. I definitely think this was very promsing for me for the season as a whole. I feel like we can run with the guys that we need to be running with to make a run at this thing for the Playoffs. I’m really excited about tonight and excited to be coming out of here with a 13th-place finish with all things considered.”

— Kaz Grala, Driver of the No. 26 Fire Dept. Coffee GR Supra

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