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Meg Oliphant\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\nAn off-weekend for NASCAR\u2019s Cup Series allowed more healing time for two drivers injured in the off-season, while the stand-alone O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts and Craftsman Truck series event at Rockingham Speedway provided an opportunity for an injured crew chief to return to the track.<\/p>\n
Scott Zipadelli, crew chief for Kaden Honeycutt, suffered severe leg injuries five days before the season opener at Daytona in a dirt bike crash and has been focused on his duties from TRICON Garage in Mooresville, North Carolina. In the accident, Zipadelli shattered the top of his left tibia, breaking it down toward his ankle. He dislocated his knee which created internal damage and suffered multiple bone chips on his femur. <\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s just really exhausting being on crutches all day, and my body\u2019s trying to heal and I\u2019m trying to work and do too much. By the end of the day, I\u2019m just completely exhausted,\u201d Zipadelli told NASCAR.com.<\/p>\n
Zipadelli returned to the track for Rockingham\u2019s Black\u2019s Tire 200 which was won by Corey Heim. The Truck Series defending champion edged Honeycutt at the checkered flag by 0.090 second for the victory and a $100,000 bonus in the Craftsman Truck Series Triple Truck Challenge. Heim won $50,000 at Darlington, the first event in the three-race series. If Heim wins the April 10 Tennessee Army National Guard 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Heim will receive a $500,000 bonus for winning all three races comprising the Triple Truck Challenge. <\/p>\n
For NASCAR Cup drivers Brad Keselowski, who broke his leg in December, and Denny Hamlin, who reinjured his right shoulder in the off-season, the break in the schedule after seven races gave them a weekend to focus on recovery.<\/p>\n
Keselowski still walks with a cane, but not continuously. However, he said when he doesn\u2019t use his cane it causes \u201climping and other problems that are just not good for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I\u2019m walking short distances, I don\u2019t use it at the race track,\u201d Keselowski said. \u201cThere\u2019s the crowds and things that are around me. It would make it really hard for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt home, I walk without a cane, but at the race track, I really need to make sure I\u2019m in the best shape possible when it\u2019s time to get in the race car.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Hamlin reinjured his right shoulder prior to the season when he fell while going through the rubble where his parents\u2019 home once stood. Hamlin had surgery on the shoulder at the end of the 2023 season. He must now go through the 2026 season with his shoulder in the same situation it was in prior to the surgery. <\/p>\n
Hamlin said he\u2019s gaining weight because he can\u2019t play the sports he enjoys, such as golf and basketball. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve been that wore down after a race.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s holding up well,\u201d Hamlin said about his shoulder. \u201cA lot of it, too, is that I\u2019m really being cautious with all of the other things to not aggravate (it) so when I come here (race track) on the weekend, I know that it\u2019s\u2026 as good as it\u2019s going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamlin said the Darlington race weekend \u201cwore me down pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve been that wore down after a race, and I certainly felt it in the shoulder,\u201d Hamlin said. \u201cBut I feel like if it stays on this pace, I\u2019ll be fine for the end of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tire Test Set for Chicagoland<\/p>\n
Goodyear has scheduled an April 21 tire test for Chicagoland Speedway involving six drivers, three from the Cup and three from the O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts series.<\/p>\n
The test marks the first time drivers have been on the 1.5-mile track in Joliet, Illinois, since 2019. Drivers participating in the test are Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones, and Nick Sanchez. <\/p>\n
The NASCAR and ARCA races are scheduled for July 3-5. Fans may attend the tire test from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Grandstand Sections 107-108. The test is also open to the media. <\/p>\n
Sawalich Makes History with Rockingham Victory<\/p>\n
William Sawalich wrote his name in NASCAR\u2019s history books at Rockingham Speedway by becoming the first Minnesota native to win a race in any of NASCAR\u2019s national touring series. <\/p>\n
In claiming his first career victory in NASCAR\u2019s O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series, Sawalich defeated Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Brandon Jones by 0.863 second. Sawalich is one of five drivers who have acquired their first series victory at the track. The others are David Pearson, Ernie Irvin, Ward Burton and Matt Kenseth. <\/p>\n
Meg Oliphant\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
William Sawalich.<\/p>\n
Sawalich, who led twice for 80 laps in the 250-lap race, said the track required discipline to \u201ccreate passes and generate runs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy to overrun your corner and screw your whole lap up,\u201d said Sawalich, who told Pope Leo XIV he was a NASCAR driver and received a blessing during the off-season. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s insanely fast (because of the repave) and momentum is really important. I think it suits me with two different ends. (Turns) one and two, just really keeping it low was my strong suit all day, and then (turns) three and four, getting in easy and then getting on throttle before everybody else, I think, made the difference for our team.\u201d<\/p>\n
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With the victory Sawalich moved from 14th to 11th in the driver standings, making him eligible for The Chase in post-season. At the end of the regular season, the top 12 drivers in the point standings will contend for the championship. <\/p>\n
WNC Residents Honor Biffle<\/p>\n
Greg Biffle aided many Western North Carolina mountain communities after Hurricane Helene devastated the area, leaving 107 dead, and on Easter weekend the town of Black Mountain honored the NASCAR champion. <\/p>\n
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Last year in April 2025, Biffle flew in the Easter Bunny for an egg drop to help lift the spirits of Black Mountain, North Carolina, residents who were Helene victims. <\/p>\n
This year, Hopping for Hope honored Biffle and his family who died in a Dec. 18, 2025, plane crash by executing an egg drop. The egg drop was held for four different age groups with more than 17,000 eggs filled with candy or money. Local vendors, food and music were also at the event.
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