North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway
- The 2025 North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway concluded with a victory for Sammy Smith of JR Motorsports following a post-race disqualification of the initial winner.
- The event, held on April 19, 2025, served as the 10th race of the 33-event NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
- Jesse Love initially crossed the finish line first after outdueling Sammy Smith in an overtime finish.
The 2025 North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway concluded with a victory for Sammy Smith of JR Motorsports following a post-race disqualification of the initial winner.
The event, held on April 19, 2025, served as the 10th race of the 33-event NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The race took place at the 0.94-mile permanent oval track in Rockingham, North Carolina.
Post-Race Inspection and Results Change
Jesse Love initially crossed the finish line first after outdueling Sammy Smith in an overtime finish. However, Love was disqualified during the post-race inspection due to a rear suspension violation.
As a result of the disqualification, Love was credited with a 37th-place finish. The victory was officially awarded to Sammy Smith, marking his first win of the 2025 season and his third career win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The disqualification also shifted the remaining top positions. Parker Retzlaff, driving for Alpha Prime Racing, earned a career-best second-place finish, while Harrison Burton of AM Racing completed the podium in third place.
Race Progression and Statistics
The race was characterized by high volatility, featuring 14 cautions. While the event was originally scheduled for 250 laps, it was extended to 256 laps to accommodate an overtime restart.
The average speed for the event was 80.377 mph. Connor Zilisch of JR Motorsports secured the pole position with a qualifying time of 22.630 seconds.
Ryan Sieg of RSS Racing led the most laps of the race, recording a career-high 77 laps led. Despite his early dominance, Sieg was involved in a late-race incident that resulted in an 18th-place finish.
Full Finishing Order
The final standings for the top 20 finishers were as follows:
- 1. Sammy Smith
- 2. Parker Retzlaff
- 3. Harrison Burton
- 4. Brennan Poole
- 5. Taylor Gray
- 6. Austin Hill
- 7. Josh Williams
- 8. Jeb Burton
- 9. Daniel Dye
- 10. Jeremy Clements
- 11. Dean Thompson
- 12. Brandon Jones
- 13. Connor Zilisch
- 14. Kasey Kahne
- 15. Anthony Alfredo
- 16. Carson Kvapil
- 17. Josh Bilicki
- 18. Ryan Sieg
- 19. Patrick Emerling
- 20. Kyle Sieg
Further down the field, Justin Allgaier finished 22nd and Garrett Smithley finished 23rd. William Sawalich finished the race in 26th position.
Incidents and Attrition
The race saw significant attrition, with several drivers failing to complete the full distance. Sam Mayer, Matt DiBenedetto, and Kris Wright all exited the race at lap 247.
Other drivers who failed to finish included Thomas Annunziata at lap 246, Austin Green at lap 241, and Nick Sanchez at lap 240. Blaine Perkins, Ryan Ellis, and Greg Van Alst also exited before the conclusion of the event.
The final driver to exit the race was Katherine Legge, who was ineligible to score NASCAR Xfinity Series points and finished 38th after completing 50 laps.
The event was broadcast in the United States on The CW, with commentary provided by Adam Alexander, Jamie McMurray, and Parker Kligerman, and radio coverage delivered via MRN.