By Cameron Bebeau, Staff Writer
While Denny Hamlin, Justin Allgaier and Giovanni Ruggiero celebrated victories at the Tricky Triangle this past weekend, several drivers put together runs that deserved a little more attention.
Cup Series: Ross Chastain & Trackhouse Racing
Ross Chastain earns the Cup Series under-the-radar performance of the week after giving Trackhouse Racing a much-needed top-10 finish at Pocono Raceway.
Chastain started 24th in Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA and worked his way to an eighth-place finish, earning just his third top 10 of the season. The run also gave Trackhouse its seventh top 10 of the year across its three full-time entries.
While Shane van Gisbergen has carried much of the organization’s success with his road course prowess, Chastain’s run at Pocono showed that the No. 1 team can still put together a complete afternoon. He made 101 green-flag passes during the race (seventh most of the field) and posted an average running position of 13.58, roughly four spots better than his season-long average of 17.817.
With van Gisbergen caught up in the Stage 2 accident and Connor Zilisch working to rebound from a difficult stretch, Chastain gave Trackhouse its strongest result of the afternoon.
For a driver sitting outside the Chase picture, the result was a needed step in the right direction. Chastain remains 23rd in the standings, but Pocono gave Trackhouse a reminder that its oval program still has competitive potential.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Anthony Alfredo & Viking Motorsports
In a race where several of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ usual frontrunners and powerhouse organizations ran near the front, Anthony Alfredo quietly gave Viking Motorsports one of its strongest afternoons of the season at Pocono Raceway.
Alfredo started 12th in Saturday’s MillerTech Battery 250 presented by KOA and brought the No. 96 Chevrolet home sixth, earning the best finish yet for Viking’s new second entry. The result also gave the organization one of it’s strongest non-superspeedway runs, continuing a solid first season for its expanded program.
The finish was not just a product of surviving chaos, either. Alfredo spent 92 of the race’s 100 laps inside the top 15 and posted an average running position of 8.19, the fifth-best in the field. His 99.4 driver rating also ranked sixth among all drivers, matching where he finished.
For a team still building its expanded program, that consistency matters. Alfredo didn’t rely on a late pileup or a fuel gamble to move into position – he ran near the front for most of the afternoon and converted that pace into a good finish.
While Justin Allgaier’s victory, Brent Crews’ runner-up finish and the late-race chaos took the limelight, Alfredo’s Pocono run gave Viking Motorsports an afternoon worth recognizing.
ARCA Menards Series: Jason Kitzmiller & CR7 Motorsports
Jason Kitzmiller earns the ARCA Menards Series under-the-radar performance of the week after adding another top-10 finish to his resume at Pocono Raceway.
Kitzmiller finished ninth in Friday’s Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150, staying on the lead lap in a race dominated by Gio Ruggiero and several of ARCA’s top prospects.
The result marked Kitzmiller’s fourth top-10 finish in eight starts this season and continued one of the more unique stories to come out of the ARCA garage. Unlike many drivers in the field, Kitzmiller did not take the traditional development path. The 52-year-old did not begin racing in the ARCA Menards Series East until 2020.
Through roughly 55 ARCA Menards Series starts, Kitzmiller has recorded 26 top-10 finishes, including a career-best finish of third in the 2025 season opener.
The performance also gave CR7 Motorsports another solid result. The organization, which was founded in 2018 and also fields Grant Enfinger’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry, has continued to build its presence across both series.
While Kitzmiller’s ninth-place finish may not have been flashy, it was another reminder that his late start in racing has not stopped him from becoming a reliable presence in ARCA.