NASCAR changes two stages for upcoming race

NASCAR has adjusted the lengths of two of the three stages in next month’s Truck Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

There are four races remaining on the 16-race 2023 NASCAR Truck Series regular season schedule, the second of which is the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio on Saturday, July 8.

This 67-lap race around the 13-turn, 2.258-mile (3.634-kilometer) Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course road course in Lexington, Ohio is the antepenultimate race of the regular season.

It is the second of only two road course races on the calendar. The first took place at Circuit of the Americas in late March. Reigning series champion Zane Smith won that race behind the wheel of his No. 38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports.

The plan was for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio to have its first stage end after lap 15 and its second stage to end after lap 35, thus setting up a 32-lap final stage.

However, NASCAR changed that plan.

The first stage of the race now isn’t set to end until the end of lap 20, but the second stage is still set to be a 20-lap stage, meaning that it is set to end after lap 40. That sets up a 27-lap final stage, which makes it shorter than it was supposed to be but still the longest of the race’s three stages.

Among the 11 races remaining on this year’s schedule, the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio is the only race for which the stages have been altered.

Parker Kligerman, who won this race last year, is set to compete in it again for Henderson Motorsports behind the wheel of the No. 75 Chevrolet.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 8. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don’t miss it!