LUEBBERS STEALS IT LATE AT HOMESTEAD IN CLEAN, HARD-FOUGHT SHOWDOWN

Homestead-Miami Speedway delivered exactly what it always does—long green-flag runs, tire wear that never lets up, and a racing groove that rewards the bold. In a race without a single caution, the Flounder Pounder 120 turned into a test of patience and timing, and Sam Luebbers passed both with flying colors.

Luebbers didn’t dominate the stat sheet, but he didn’t need to. Starting near the front, he stayed within striking distance all race long, biding his time while others burned up their equipment. When the opportunity came on Lap 79, he made the move that mattered most, taking the lead and the win in one clean, decisive strike.

For most of the race, it looked like it would belong to Nicholas Warner. After starting on the pole, Warner controlled the tempo, leading 68 of 80 laps and keeping the field in check through the long green-flag runs. His car was especially strong on the high side, carrying momentum off the corners, but late-race traffic and a final-lap shuffle left him just short in second.

That late moment didn’t come quietly. As the laps wound down, Warner and Luebbers found themselves side by side, trading lines and pushing each other right to the edge of grip. A bit of contact on the final lap sealed the deal, and while both kept it pointed forward, only one came away with the trophy.

“We were racing hard, no doubt about it,” Warner said after the race. “The #29 car was great except I just couldn’t keep the rear tires under me there at the end. He timed it right, I’ll give him that.”

Behind the front two, Colby Hogan made one of the most impressive drives of the day, charging from deep in the field to finish third. It was a steady, calculated run—exactly what Homestead demands—and it paid off with a podium and a strong debut performance in the standings.

Sean McMillan also turned heads, not just for finishing fourth but for setting the fastest lap of the race on Lap 2 with a 33.427. His early speed translated into a clean race overall, logging zero incidents and staying in the mix throughout, even grabbing a brief stint out front during the cycle of lead changes.

Further back, Tyler Clifford and James Benge both had solid, if quieter, afternoons. Benge even spent some time leading laps, showing flashes of speed, while Clifford kept things tidy compared to the previous week and secured another top-five finish to maintain his upward trajectory in the standings.

Not everyone had that kind of day. Josh Smith and David McSorley both found trouble, each recording eight incidents over the course of the race. For McSorley, it was another frustrating outing. “The #7 car was actually pretty solid, except every time I got a run, I’d either get loose or get into something,” he said. “Just one of those days where it never quite came together.”

Isaac Morales also found himself caught up late, while Benjamin Myrick quietly logged another clean race with zero incidents, continuing to build a reputation as one of the steadiest drivers in the field even when the results don’t grab headlines.

The biggest shock of the day came from Morgan Anadell, who entered the race second in points but failed to complete a lap. That zero-point finish drops him to fourth in the standings and opens the door for others to close in.

With the win, Luebbers stretches his points lead and now sits firmly in control of the championship picture. Drivers like Myrick and McSorley move up behind him, while Warner’s strong run vaults him into the conversation after limited starts.

Next up, the series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for the Talladega 150, where everything Homestead teaches you about patience gets thrown out the window. If this race was about control, the next one will be about survival—and after a finish like this, expect plenty of drivers looking for payback.