Wild Ride to Overtime Finish in CTS at Darlington

On this Mother’s Day weekend, NASCAR travels to Darlington, South Carolina to take on the “Lady in Black”.  It’s a triple header weekend with all three racing series trying to avoid some nasty weather to try and tame the “Lady”.

Darlington is a track where the number of “Darlington stripes” are counted as much as the laps.

The Craftsman Truck Series gets the weekend started with the Buckle Up South Carolina 200 under the lights.

Thirty-two teams brought trucks to Darlington including Cup Series drivers Ross Chastain and Kyle Busch making his final Truck Series start for the season.

This is also a throwback weekend with several of the drivers sporting paint schemes from previous years.

Teams get a 20 minutes practice session before making a qualifying run.

Christian Eckes tops the board with the fastest lap during practice with Ross Chastain leading after 15 laps.

Conner Jones is the first driver on the track to make a qualifying run and posted a time of 30.198 seconds around the mile and a third track.

Kyle Busch is the first driver to break the 30 second mark with a time of 29.488 seconds,

Rajah Caruth got his “Darlington Stripe” during qualifying.  The truck will need a little work before the race starts later tonight.

With half of the field under the 30 second mark, Nick Sanchez puts his number two truck on the pole with a time of 29.288 seconds for his second pole of the season.  Crey Heim will start alongside Sanchez on the front row.

The unofficial starting lineup for the Buckle Up South Carolina 200:
Nick Sanchez
Corey Heim
Taylor Gray
Kyle Busch
Tanner Gray
Ross Chastain
Christian Eckes
Layne Riggs
Grant Enfinger
Daniel Dye
Stewart Friesen
Ben Rhodes
Dean Thompson
Jake Garcia
Ty Dillon
Ty Majeski
Bayley Currey
Colby Howard
Chase Purdy
Matt Crafton
Conner Jones
Lawless Alan
Jack Wood
Tyler Ankrum
Matt Mills
Rajah Caruth
Timmy Hill
Bret Holmes
Mason Massey
Spencer Boyd
Mason Maggio
Thad Moffitt

Eight drivers in the field tonight have never raced at Darlington…including Kyle Busch!

Pole sitter Nick Sanchez will have to start the race from the back of the field after the crew discovered a leak in right rear wheel hub.

Rajah Caruth will also have to start the race from the back of the field after the crew made some unapproved adjustments to the truck after some trouble during qualifying.

After a delay for weather that included lightening, rain, and hail!

Stages one and two of the race are 45 laps each with stage three lasting 57 laps for a total of 147 laps around the 1.366 mile track.  The drivers can run 55 to 60 laps on a single load of fuel but Darlington is rough on tires and the drivers will need fresh tires much sooner.

After a delay of over two hours, the drivers finally get the command they have all been waiting for…to crank the engines!

Kicking off the second half of the regular season Corey Heim brings the field down for the green flag start of the race.  Heim edges out in front as the drivers spread out three wide across the track.  Kyle Busch and Corey Heim battle for the lead but the caution flag comes out when Busch gets loose, spins out, and hits the inside wall.

On pit road, Kyle Busch said, “it’s done!”  The crew is checking over the truck.

Corey Heim brings the field down for the green flag restart on laps six with Ross Chastain alongside.  Heim gets out in front.  Drivers spread out across the track.

Lap seven, Corey Heim has a quarter of a second lead on Taylor Gray; Christian Eckes, Ross Chastain, and Layne Riggs round out the top five.

Ross Chastain and Layne Riggs battle for fourth.

Lap 10, Corey Heim has led every lap so far; Taylor Gray, Christian Eckes, Ross Chastain, and Layne Riggs round out the top five.

Kyle Busch is back out on the track four laps down but he brings out the caution flag for a second time when he scrapes the wall again, throwing shrapnel everywhere due to a flat tire.

Corey Heim brings the filed down for the green flag restart on lap 17 with Christian Eckes alongside.  Heim gets out in front to hold on to the lead with Christian Eckes in second.

Lap 18, the top five are Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Taylor Gray, Layne Riggs, and Ross Chastain.

Lap 21, Nick Sanchez has entered the top 20; Rajah Caruth is in 23^rd.

Kyle Busch is the first driver out of the race.  This is the first time that Busch has finished last in a Truck Series race.

Lap 23, Corey Heim has pulled out to a lead of over a second on Christian Eckes; Taylor Gray, Layne Riggs, and Ross Chastain round out the top five.

Lap 28, Corey Heim continues to lead the race by over a second with Christian Eckes in second; Taylor gray, Layne Riggs, and Ross Chastain round out the top five.  Nick Sanchez is just outside the top 15 in 16^th.

Lap 34, Corey Heim continues to increase his lead and is now nearly a second and a half in front of Christian Eckes; Taylor Gray, Layne Riggs, and Ross Chastain round out the top five.

Grant Enfinger gets loose but saves the truck.

Daniel Dye has a flat tires after some contact with Ben Rhodes and Grant Enfinger.  He makes it to pit road and the track stays green.  Coming out of his pit stall, Daniel Dye hits a tire that had fallen over and it lands in the next pit stall.

Lap 40, Ty Majeski moves up in forth place; passing Layne Riggs and Ross Chastain.

Daniel Dye has some smoke coming from his right front tire.

Lap 42, Corey Heim has led every lap so far with Christian Eckes just half a second back; third place driver Taylor Gray is two and a half seconds back with Ty Majeski and Layne Riggs rounding out the top five.

Lap 44 Nick Sanchez has entered the top 15 with Rajah Caruth in the top 20.

Corey Heim wins stage one.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Corey Heim
Christian Eckes
Taylor Gray
Ty Majeski
Layne Riggs
Ross Chastain
Dean Thompson
Ben Rhodes
Stewart Friesen
Gran Enfinger

Drivers come down pit road for service with Conner Jones getting out first after missing his pit stall.  Corey Heim reported a very tight condition during stage one.

Kyle Busch noted that the truck instantly lost grip; adding he didn’t know why.

Taylor Gray brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two with Corey Heim alongside on lap 54.  The drivers start the race side by side with Taylor Gray edging out for the lead.

Lap 56, the top five are Taylor Gray, Corey Heim, Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes, and Grant Enfinger.

Lap 58, Taylor Gray leads the race but is getting a challenge from Corey Heim for the lead.

Daniel Dye is the only driver on the track not on the lead lap; four laps down.

Lap 62, Taylor Gray holds on to the lead by nearly half a second on Corey Heim; Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, and Grant Enfinger round out the top five.  There are battles for position all through the field.

The caution flag comes out on lap 66 whenSpencer Boyd spins out.

Some of the drivers take advantage of the caution to come down pit road for some fresh tires including leader Taylor Gray.

Corey Heim brings the field down for the green flag restart with Christian Eckes alongside on lap 71.  Heim jumps out in front for the lead with Christian Eckes in second.  Drivers were beating and banging in the field but they all saved the trucks.

Lap 72, the top five ae Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Layne Riggs.

The drivers who came down pit road are quickly moving through the field on fresher tires.

Taylor Gray gets loose but saves the truck.  Tyler Ankrum was also involved and has to make an unscheduled trip down pit road with a flat tire (or two).

Lap 78, Corey Heim has pulled out to a lead of over a second on Christian Eckes; Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Layne Riggs round out the top five.

Lap 84, Corey Heim has increased his lead to over two seconds on Christian Eckes; Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Layne Riggs round out the top five.

After making a pit stop during the last caution flag is just outside the top five in sixth.

Rajah Caruth passes Layne Riggs for fifth.

Grant Enfinger and Ty Majeski battle for third.  Rajah Caruth moves up to make it a three wide battle.  Rajah Caruth takes third.

Lap 89, Corey Heim has led 71 laps so far.

Lap 90, Rajah Caruth passes Christian Eckes for second.

Corey Heim wins stage two for the stage sweep.

The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Corey Heim
Rajah Caruth
Christian Eckes
Ty Majeski
Grant Enfinger
Matt Crafton
Layne Riggs
Ross Chastain
Taylor Gray
Jake Garcia

Drivers come down pit road for service with Grant Enfinger winning the race off of pit road and Ty Majeski coming off second.  Corey Heim comes off of pit road third.  Rajah Caruth had a slow stop after stopping too close to the wall and comes off of pit road in sixth.

Taylor Gray had a long pit stop after the crew spent time working on the right rear after damage from contact with Tyler Ankrum.

Grant Enfinger brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three with Ty Majeski alongside on lap 98.  Ty Majeski jumps out in front with Christian Eckes in second after Grant Enfinger had a bad start and caused a log jam.

The caution flag comes out for a big crash on lap 98.  Rajah Caruth, Corey Heim, Layne Riggs, Matt Crafton, Dean Thompson, and Jack Wood were all involved.

Ty Majeski brings the field down for the green flag restart with Christian Eckes alongside on lap 105.  Eckes gets out in front for the lead for his first lead of the night with Ty Majeski in second.

With 41 laps to go the top five are Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger, Ross Chastain, and Jake Garcia.

Dean Thompson credited the crash to “hard racing”.

With 38 laps to go Ben Rhodes and Colby Howard battle for position.

With 35 laps to go, Christian Eckes has a third of a second lead on Ty Majeski; Grant Enfinger, Ross Chastain, and Jake Garcia round out the top five.

Just 30 laps remain in the race; Ty Majeski has closed the gap on leader Christian Eckes to under a quarter of a second.  Grant Enfinger is on their bumper.

Ty Majeski passes Christian Eckes for the lead.

Grant Enfinger passes Christina Eckes for second.

Just 26 laps to go; the top five are Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger, Christian Eckes, Ross Chastain, and Jake Garcia.

Ross Chastain passes Christian Eckes for third.

The camera lens is broken on Bren Rhodes truck; offering some interesting shots.

With 23 to go, Ross Chastan passes Grant Enfinger for second.  There is a big piece of edebris on the grille of Grant Enfinger’s truck.

Ty Majeski has pulled out to a lead of over two seconds.

Grant Enfinger is going to have to make an unscheduled trip down pit road with a blocked grille and steam coming out of the truck.

Twenty to go, Ty Majeski leads the race with Ross Chastain in second; Christian Eckes, Jake Garcia, and Ty Dillon round out the top five.

Just 13 to go, Ty Majeski has pulled out to a lead of nearly four seconds on Ross Chastain; Christian Eckes, Jake Garcia, and Ty Dillon round out the top five.

If Ty Majeski can hold on to the lead, he will be the first Ford driver to win a race this season.  Ford has not won a race in any of the series this season.

Jake Garcia passes Christian Eckes for third.

Ten to go, Ty Majeski is “driving it like he stole it” with a lead of over five and a half seconds.

Ty Dillon has some debris on his truck and is pushing water.  Some of the debris is off the truck, but not completely.

Ty Majeski has encountered slower traffic.

Ty Dillon, Ben Rodes, and Colby Howard battle for fifth.

Jack Wood brings out the caution flag with just six laps to go after getting into the wall and has a flat tire.

There are 15 trucks on the lead lap.

Drivers come down pit road for fresh tires.  Ty Majeski edged out Ross Chastain on pit road from pit stall number one.

The race goes into overtime!

Ty Majeski brings the field down for the overtime shootout with Ross Chastain alongside.  Ross Chastain edges out for the lead with Nick Sanchez in second; Ben Rhodes, Christian Eckes, and Ty Majeski round out the top five.

Ross Chastain takes the white flag.

Melon Man wins the race!  Get ready to smash one!

The melon Ross Chastain smashed came from the family’s very own farm in Florida.

The unofficial results of the Buckle Up South Carolina 200:
Ross Chastain
Nick Sanchez
Ben Rhodes
Christian Eckes
Ty Majeski
Chase Purdy
Colby Howard
Taylor Gray
Ty Dillon
Tanner Gray
Matt Mills
Lawless Alan
Timmy Hill
Stewart Friesen
Mason Massey
Grant Enfinger
Bret Holmes
Thad Moffitt
Spencer Boyd
Jake Garcia
Layne Riggs
Bayley Currey
Daniel Dye
Conner Jones
Jack Wood
Tyler Ankrum
Mason Maggio
Corey Heim
Dean Thompson
Rajah Caruth
Matt Crafton
Kyle Busch