MC MOTORSPORTS: NEWS

Cmejla gets as close as he's ever been to winning NR; another 2nd place finish
October 11th, 2023 | 8:34 AM CT

A disappointed Marty Cmejla saw the NR Night in America schedule for October 10th, 2023. 4 races, each track where he has finished Top 5 before. The problem was the start time was moved up from 8 PM ET to 7 PM ET, ultimately disallowing him the opportunity to race in Round 1 - Next Gens at Iowa. So, the focus was now on Race 2. This race would be the Xfinity cars at Daytona.

Cmejla qualified 14th out of 50 cars for this race, easily enough to make the show. Cmejla ran Top 10 for every lap of the race except maybe 3 out of the 60 laps. He was able to survive the wrecks, and with a late-race caution, he would line up behind Spencer Burns’ #39 Ford. He was sitting in 4th. His plan was to just push Spencer and see what happens. But, with 2 laps to go, Spencer and Cmejla cleared the bottom and Cmejla had a decision. He followed Spencer but accidentally right-reared him into the outside wall. Knowing Spencer Burns, Cmejla thought he was going to get wrecked right after.

But, Spencer saved it and they wrecked behind, bringing out a caution leading into overtime. Cmejla would restart 2nd, to the outside of 4-time race winner: The #27 of Josh Kenyon. Marty Cmejla pushed Josh Kenyon in April to his first win during a 1987 car race at Talladega where Cmejla finished 3rd. Cmejla had NR Night Hall of Famer Daniel Mosteller behind him. “Dmos” told Cmejla he would fully stay committed to pushing him - only if he “got the restart of his life."

Cmejla didn’t get a good restart. Kenyon was quick to go, but John Connor’s #94 did not push him. Dmos and Cmejla were locked on. Dmos pushed Cmejla hard. Cmejla led the field to the white flag. Cmejla knew if Dmos would just keep pushing him he would win. But, in Turns 3 and 4, Kenyon and Cmejla were dead even, side-by-side. This is when in Turn 4 Aiden Walker shoved John Connor too hard, turning John Connor around. Cmejla had to go high to avoid, and Dmos got wrecked in the crash.

John Connor spins on the last lap in Turn 4 at Daytona.

Cmejla had no help, but Kenyon didn’t have any either. Cmejla then tried to get to the outside of Kenyon, but when he did, Kenyon blocked and Cmejla tapped his rear end giving him just the push needed to pull away. Cmejla then tried to right-rear hook Kenyon, but he just was barely too far behind. Cmejla would get his 5th 2nd-place finish, and after 223 starts, would be winless.

“It was hard to see the congratulatory messages to Kenyon after the race,” Cmejla said, “knowing that could have been me getting those messages. I pushed Kenyon to his first and I wish he just could have owed me one.”

This isn’t the first time there has been bad luck in these situations. Cmejla has 16 podium finishes, 5 now being 2nd place and the other 11 being 3rd place. Considering he shoved Kenyon to his first, Cmejla thought Kenyon would owe him one, but this wouldn’t be the case. Cmejla was dejected after the race, and went on to Race 3 - Trucks at Michigan and crashed on Lap 2, ultimately leading to 17 minutes of repairs and a 23rd-place finish out of 39 trucks.

“Biggest iRacing Regret: Pushing Josh Kenyon to his first NR Night in America win,” Cmejla stated after the Daytona race in the #blue-carpet channel in the Idk Player Discord.

Cmejla’s first 2nd place was in August of 2022, ARCA cars at Talladega. Cmejla was 21st on the last lap when everyone but 3 cars wrecked on the backstretch. David Johnson followed Cmejla through and made a pass as the seas parted allowing them to avoid the crash. The 3 survivors were slowed due to the crash, so Cmejla and Johnson easily caught them in the tri-oval. Johnson though was up front and since Cmejla had some damage from the previous crash, he ended up 2nd.

Cmejla’s second 2nd place finish was also in October, but in 2022. Cmejla was new to NASCAR racing on Intermediate tracks, especially with the Gen-6 car. Cmejla avoided wrecks all race and was sitting in 2nd place for overtime at Kansas Speedway. Cmejla had to defend off greats like Kevin Champagne and William Schmitt. He was side by side with Kevin Champagne coming to the white flag. Cmejla, in turns 1 and 2, committed to the high lane. Due to his lack of experience in clean air, he got loose and ultimately wasn’t able to get Kevin Champagne back. Champagne would win, and Cmejla would get 2nd.

Cmejla’s third 2nd place finish was in January of 2023. It was the PickUp Cup lineup for Race 5, the 2008 Trucks at 2008 Daytona. Cmejla has over 200 races of experience with this car-track-combo and he’s a PickUp Cup Trucks Daytona Champion, so he knew he would have a chance. Early on, Rev Racing Drive for Diversity Program driver Nathan Lyons wrecked a majority of the cars, leading to only 13 clean cars left. Cmejla would race Daniel Mosteller, Jason Beckman, and River Page to try and get the win. It was the white flag and Cmejla was behind Mosteller, but the outside was filled. Cmejla had been in this position before in PickUp Cup. In turns 3 and 4, the outside lane wrecked. Cmejla needed a push from River Page or Jason Beckman so he could get to Dmos. Unfortunately, the push never came and he tried to turn Dmos, but again ended up barely missing, shoving him instead. Cmejla would finish 2nd.

Cmejla’s fourth 2nd place finish came recently in July of 2023. It would be Late Model Stocks at Langley Speedway. Cmejla was making decent speed and was surviving the wrecks. He would battle Daniel Mosteller and James Thurston to try and get his first win. It would be overtime and Cmejla started 3rd. He would be able to get by the 2nd place car of James Thurston and it was down to him and Dmos. But, as Thurston battled Cmejla, Dmos was able to pull away. Cmejla then had to send it into Turns 3 and 4 on the last lap, but Dmos was too far ahead. Cmejla would finish 2nd to Daniel Mosteller once again.

Cmejla’s fifth 2nd place finish obviously came last night. And that leads us to where we are now. Cmejla then claimed he has “2nd place syndrome” and made a meme stating “2nd Place Wizards Tonight:” and showed the “I Got One More In Me” NBA meme.

Will Cmejla ever get a win? Cmejla is hinting at retirement from NR Night in America soon, so this win would have been in a timely manner. Cmejla says “a win in that race would have changed my life.”