Mixed Results for Kaulig Racing in Portland’s Pacific Office Automation 147
“This was definitely one of our better road-course races. Our No. 10 Race to Stop Suicide Chevy had top-15 speed all day. I made a mistake and had to do a pass-thru, which set us back a bit. I think we maybe could have gotten a top 10 otherwise, but overall not a bad result.” – Daniel Dye
PORTLAND, Ore. — Kaulig Racing left Portland International Raceway with a mix of highs and setbacks in Saturday’s Pacific Office Automation 147, as Christian Eckes led the team with a fourth-place finish while Daniel Dye rallied to 11th and Will Brown saw his day end early with mechanical trouble.
Eckes Powers to Fourth in Action Industries Chevrolet
Starting 15th, Christian Eckes methodically worked his way forward in the No. 16 Action Industries Chevrolet. He cracked the top 10 by lap 36, reporting that while the car fired off tight, it grew freer on longer runs. That balance allowed him to consistently post top-three lap times through the afternoon.
A late caution with four laps to go put Eckes in sixth, but he capitalized on an overtime restart to secure a fourth-place finish—his fourth top-five result of the season.
“I’m proud of Kaulig Racing for fighting hard today,” Eckes said. “We were easily a top-five car once we got going. We tried a couple things differently this race, and we feel like we made some gains, so we’ll take those into the ROVAL and move on to Gateway next week with one more shot at the playoffs.”
Dye Fights Back for 11th After Penalty
Daniel Dye had one of his most complete road-course outings of the year, finishing 11th in the No. 10 Race to Stop Suicide Chevrolet. He advanced steadily in the early laps, climbing from 26th to 14th by the midpoint of Stage 2.
However, Dye was assessed a pass-thru penalty for shortcutting the course, dropping him to 25th at the end of the stage. Undeterred, Dye regrouped in the final segment, working his way back into contention. Chaos on a late restart lifted him into 12th, and he ultimately came home 11th after overtime.
“This was definitely one of our better road-course races,” Dye said. “Our car had top-15 speed all day. I made a mistake and had to do a pass-thru, which set us back, but I think we maybe could have gotten a top 10 otherwise. Overall, not a bad result.”
Brown’s Day Ends Early
Making his first Xfinity start at Portland, Will Brown’s outing was cut short in the No. 11 MobileX Chevrolet. After starting at the rear for a transmission change, Brown gained positions quickly, climbing into the top 20 early in Stage 2.
But as the stage wound down, he radioed that something had broken in the rear end. The team diagnosed a failed right-side track bar mount, forcing him to retire from the race. He was scored 35th.
“Not how we wanted today to end,” Brown said. “It felt like something broke in the rear end, and there wasn’t much we could do. I hate it for the Kaulig crew because I know they really wanted a good run this weekend. I’m thankful to everyone for bringing me back and giving me another opportunity.”
Looking Ahead
Kaulig Racing leaves Portland with momentum from Eckes’ top-five effort and Dye’s near-top-10 run, while Brown looks to rebound after a tough mechanical setback. The Xfinity Series continues its regular season stretch next week at Gateway as the Playoff battle intensifies.
