(HAMPTON, GA) The 2017 ASRS Xfinity Series kicked off Tuesday evening at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the action was hot.  43 drivers attempted to qualify for the 32 car starting grid.  Missing the race was: Mitch Brown, Brian Carbone, Bradley Cross, Mike Cunic, Christopher Edl, Austin Foutch, Jay Graves, Jr., Cody Leland, Gary Nichols, Kris Titus and Barry Zellmer.

Michael Atkins, Jr. led the field to the green flag in the #44 Liberty University Chevrolet and was joined by Sam Maxwell on the front row.  Atkins would take the lead, but quickly handed the lead to Maxwell, who is piloting the #98 Ford this year.  The first caution flew at the conclusion of lap one after Jordan Harnish made contact with Kevin Mingus, sending Mingus spinning into the turn 3 wall.  Maxwell continued to lead for the restart, before being passed by Jared Mogard’s #01 Chevrolet on lap 11.  Mogard’s lead was short lived as Danny Rodgers took the lead for the first time on lap 15.

The race featured another caution on lap 16 for a crash in the quad oval that eliminated Zac Bozanich and Tom Giannini from the race.  Both were pre-race favorites to challenge for the win.  Allan Young assumed the lead under the caution flag, and continued to lead once the race went back green on lap 20.  Young would lead 21 laps before Sam Maxwell fought his way to the lead on lap 40.

Caution flew on lap 44 for the #44 of Atkins, Jr. as the field was cycling through green flag pit stops.  Nearly half of the field was caught on pit road and thus trapped a lap down before taking the “wave around” under the caution.  Jake Douglas emerged as the race leader for the first time in the #49 Ford and brought the field to the restart.

Douglas would lead through a caution on lap 56 after Allan Young and Jamie Vaughn made contact, setting up a four lap dash tot he checkered flag with Douglas remaining the leader.  The green flag was short lived as Pete Baskins and Jared Mogard made contact in turn 1 on the restart, resulting in the race ending under caution.

Jake Douglas scored the win followed by Justin Brown in second, Danny Rodgers was third followed by Jared Mogard and Sam Maxwell in fourth and fifth respectively.

The Xfinity Series is back in action next week at Phoenix International Raceway.