Justin Haley takes dramatic NASCAR Truck win at Texas
Justin Haley snagged a final four spot and the race win in dramatic fashion at Texas Motor Speedway Friday.
Photo by: Russell LaBounty / NKP / Motorsport Images
Todd Gilliland was out front for the final stage of the 147-lap playoff race, but after being harassed for several laps, Stewart Friesen overtook him for the lead on Lap 109. However, a speeding penalty during his final pit stop allowed Gilliland to reclaim control with a 4+ second lead over Haley.
Gilliland appeared to have secured his maiden win until a dramatic turn of events on the white flag lap. The KBM driver ran out of fuel down the backstretch, allowing Haley to slip by and snag the victory for himself, launching him directly into the Championship 4 at Homestead.
Ben Rhodes finished second over eight seconds behind Haley, Brett Moffitt third and a frustrated Gilliland down in fourth. Austin Hill scored a career-best result of fifth, followed by Harrison Burton, Jesse Little, Friesen, Matt Crafton and Noah Gragson.
Stage 1
Johnny Sauter led the way from pole position, but was passed by Friesen on the second lap of the race. One lap later, the first caution flag of the night flew when Bo LaMastus backed his truck into the wall.
Racing resumed on Lap 7 and it quickly became a three-wide fight for the lead with Justin Haley prevailing over Gragson and Friesen.
Sauter then fell off the pace and was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop due to a cut tire.
David Gilliland worked his way up to second in the early going, only to pound the wall out of Turn 2 and force another yellow.
The next green-flag run didn't last long as Codie Rohrbaugh spun back in the pack.
With nine laps to go in the stage, Sheldon Creed was able to get around Haley for the race lead, but Haley snatched it back two laps later. With four laps to go in the stage, Rohrbaugh spun again and the stage ended behind the pace car.
Haley took the stage win ahead of Creed, Friesen, Crafton, Moffitt, Gragson, Grant Enfinger, Rhodes, Ross Chastain and Gilliland.
Stage 2
The second stage got underway with a new cast of characters up front with Myatt Snider leading the way after pitting prior to the stage break. Soon after, a multi-track wreck break out involving Sauter, Gragson, Tyler Young, Cody Roper and Joe Nemechek.
The race resumed on Lap 50 but would go yellow again when Creed wrecked and found the outside wall. He would then bring out the seventh caution of the race after another incident with his wounded truck.
Snider's strategy worked out and he hung on for the stage win ahead of Austin Hill, Haley, Enfinger, Crafton, Moffitt, Tyler Dippel, Brennan Poole, Gilliland and Nemechek.
Cla | # | Driver | 4506 | Laps | Time | Laps Led |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 24 | Justin Haley | Chevrolet | 147 | 33 | |
2 | 41 | Ben Rhodes | Ford | 147 | 8.133 | 2 |
3 | 16 | Brett Moffitt | Toyota | 147 | 12.135 | |
4 | 4 | Todd Gilliland | Toyota | 147 | 13.499 | 60 |
5 | 02 | Austin Hill | Chevrolet | 147 | 18.498 | |
6 | 51 | Harrison Burton | Toyota | 147 | 18.912 | |
7 | 97 | Jesse Little | Ford | 147 | 19.584 | |
8 | 52 | Stewart Friesen | Chevrolet | 147 | 19.910 | 12 |
9 | 88 | Matt Crafton | Ford | 147 | 19.911 | |
10 | 18 | Noah Gragson | Toyota | 147 | 20.017 | 2 |
11 | 21 | Johnny Sauter | Chevrolet | 147 | 20.602 | 1 |
12 | 98 | Grant Enfinger | Ford | 146 | 9.480 | |
13 | 13 | Myatt Snider | Ford | 146 | 1 lap | 35 |
14 | 25 | Tyler Dippel | Chevrolet | 146 | 1 lap | |
15 | 35 | Brennan Poole | Toyota | 146 | 1 lap | |
16 | 22 | Austin Wayne Self | Chevrolet | 145 | 2 laps | |
17 | 9 | Codie Rohrbaugh | Ford | 145 | 2 laps | |
18 | 8 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | 145 | 2 laps | |
19 | 45 | Justin Fontaine | Chevrolet | 145 | 2 laps | |
20 | 49 | Reed Sorenson | Chevrolet | 143 | 4 laps | |
21 | 20 | Tanner Thorson | Chevrolet | 143 | 4 laps | |
22 | 15 | Mike Harmon | Chevrolet | 138 | 9 laps | |
23 | 83 | Bayley Currey | Chevrolet | 134 | 13 laps | |
24 | 10 | Jennifer Jo Cobb | Chevrolet | 134 | 13 laps | |
25 | 2 | Sheldon Creed | Chevrolet | 133 | 14 laps | 2 |
26 | 38 | Ross Chastain | Chevrolet | 112 | 35 laps | |
27 | 12 | Tyler Young | Chevrolet | 40 | 107 laps | |
28 | 04 | Cory Roper | Ford | 40 | 107 laps | |
29 | 3 | Jordan Anderson | Chevrolet | 30 | 117 laps | |
30 | 17 | David Gilliland | Toyota | 14 | 133 laps | |
31 | 87 | Timmy Hill | Chevrolet | 5 | 142 laps | |
32 | 54 | Bo Lemastus | Toyota | 2 | 145 laps |
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