The Craftsman Truck Series begins round two of the playoffs at the biggest track on the NASCAR circuit – Talladega Superspeedway – with the Love’s RV Stop 225. Thirty-eight teams brought trucks to the high banked track for 36 starting spots including teenagers William Sawalich and Connor Zilisch. The race also kicks off another triple header weekend.
With no practice, the trucks takes to the track to qualify for the race that will be run in the heat of an Alabama afternoon.
The first truck on the track to make a qualifying run is Clay Greenfield with a time of 54.937 seconds around the 2.66 mile track.
The drivers will make two rounds of qualifying with the top 10 drivers moving on to round two to set the pole.
Layne Riggs failed to pass inspection in a timely manner and will not make a qualifying run. He will make the race but will start the race from the back of the field. His first lap on the track at Talladega will be when the green flag drops.
Matt Crafton has started every race at Talladega -18 – in the Truck Series and is making his 564th career start!
After issues with the window net, Daniel Dye will not make a qualifying run but will make the race and start from the back of the field.
Tanner Gray will not make a qualifying run after the crew made an unapproved adjustment to the truck. He will start the race from the back of the field.
Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Chase Purdy, Taylor Gray, Matt Mills, William Sawalich, Jake Garcia, Grant Enfinger, Tyler Ankrum, and Corey Heim will all be moving on to round two of qualifying. Half of the top 10 are non-playoff drivers.
First on the track in the top 10 is Tyler Ankrum who posted a time of 54.680 seconds.
There has been a qualifying run at 16 of the 18 Truck Series races at Talladega; all 16 of them have had a different driver sitting on the pole.
With his sixth race win last week at Kansas, Corey Heim now has eleven career wins and became the fastest driver to reach eleven wins.
With a time of 54.482 seconds William Sawalich will sit on the pole the day after he turned 18. He becomes the youngest pole winner at Talladega and the 17th different Truck Series driver to sit on the pole.
The starting lineup for the Love’s RV Stop 225:
William Sawalich
Ben Rhodes
Ty Majeski
Grant Enfinger
Taylor Gray
Chase Purdy
Tyler Ankrum
Matt Mills
Corey Heim
Jake Garcia
Nick Sanchez
Connor Zilisch
Rajah Caruth
Dean Thompson
Christian Eckes
Lawless Alan
Matt Crafton
Kaden Honeycutt
Bret Holmes
Spencer Boyd
Clay Greenfield
Ryan Reed
Stefan Parsons
Bryan Dauzat
Cory Roper
Stewart Friesen
Jason White
Danny Bohn
Mason Maggio
Dawson Sutton
Norm Benning
Bayley Currey
Layne Riggs
Tanner Gray
Daniel Dye
Johnny Sauter
Timmy Hill and Kieth McGee failed to qualify for the race.
Bayley Currey’s crew changed the engine after qualifying and Currey will have to start the race from the back of the field.
Keith McGee will start the race from the back of the field after a driver change.
Stages one and two are just 20 laps each with stage three lasting 45 laps for a total of 85 laps around the 2.66 mile track. Drivers can run 36 to 38 laps on a single load of fuel.
A playoff driver has never won a race at Talladega during the playoffs.
William Sawalich brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with Ben Rhodes alongside. Sawalich gets out in front for the lead. Drivers begin to spread out back in the field.
Grant Enfinger leads the outside lane and gets out in front for the lead.
Lap two, the top five are Grant Enfinger, Chase Purdy, William Sawalich, Matt Mills ,and Jake Garcia.
Lap three, Chase Purdy gets a push on the outside lane to take the lead.
Ben Rhodes jumped the restart and has to serve a passthrough penalty.
Lap four, Chase Purdy leads the race with Grant Enfinger in second and moving up on the outside lane to take the lead.
Matt Mills moves up on the outside to battle with Grant Enfinger for the lead.
Ben Rhodes was charged with a blend violation coming back on the track after serving his passthrough penalty. He has to serve a second passthrough penalty for the violation. He is now one lap down.
Lap six, Grant Enfinger and Matt Mills battle for the lead.
A spoiler brace has come loose on Johnny Sauter’s truck.
Lap seven, Grant Enfinger leads the race with Chase Purdy in second.
Lap 10, Grant Enfinger leads the race with Chase Purdy battling for the lead on the outside lane. The duo swaps the lead back and forth.
Johnny Sauter goes one lap down after being black flagged for the spoiler brace. He had to come down pit road to make the repair.
Lap 13, Grant Enfinger leads the race with Matt Mills in second; William Sawalich, Ty Majeski, and Jake Garcia round out the top five.
After starting at the back of the field, Layne Riggs is in the top 15 in 13th.
Lap 15, Grant Enfinger holds on to the lead but is in a battle with Matt Mills to hold on to that lead.
Lap 17, Grant Enfinger holds on to the lead with William Sawalich and Matt Mills in a battle for second; Jake Garcia and Ty Majeski round out the top five.
Nick Sanchez short pits to flip the stage.
Matt Mills takes the lead.
Matt Mills wins stage one for his first stage win.
The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Matt Mills
Grant Enfinger
Jake Garcia
Connor Zilisch
William Sawalich
Dean Thompson
Ty Majeski
Lawless Alan
Taylor Gray
Tanner Gray
Ben Rhodes is the “lucky dog” and is back on the lead lap.
William Sawalich is slowed on the track with a reported battery issue.
Bayley Currey reportedly has a gear fluid issue and dropped some fluid on pit road. NASCAR is cleaning up the fluid and pit road is still closed.
Lap 24, pit road opens and drivers come down pit road for service with Grant Enfinger winning the race off of pit road. Many of the drivers took fuel only.
Matt Crafton made a second trip down pit road with an overheating issue.
William Sawalich remains on pit road with a power issue. It was not the battery as first thought; now they think it is the main power switch.
Taylor Gray makes an unscheduled trip down pit road with a possible flat tire.
After staying out on the track, Nick Sanchez brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two on lap 28 with Grant Enfinger alongside. Nick Sanchez gets out in front for the lead.
Lap 28, the top five are Nick Sanchez, Gran Enginer, Jake Garcia, Lawless Alan, and Ty Majeski.
Nick Sanchez and Grant Enfinger battle back and forth for the lead.
William Sawalich returns to the track six laps down.
Bayley Currey is off the track.
Ten laps remain in stage two, Grant Enfinger has the lead with Nick Sanchez in second.
Only three playoff drivers finished in the top 10 at the end of stage one; half of the top 10 are in the playoffs on lap 34.
Lap 35, Grant Enfinger and Nick Sanchez continue their battle for the lead.
Lap 36, Connor Zilisch has never been to Talladega, he is currently in fourth place.
Matt Mills makes contact with Stefan Parsons but saves the truck and the track stays green.
Nick Sanchez brings out the caution flag when he makes contact with Connor Zilisch. Chase Purdy and Ben Rhodes are stopped on the track after getting into the outside wall.
With stage two ending under caution, Grant Enfinger wins stage two.
The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Grant Enfinger
Jake Garcia
Christian Eckes
Lawless Alan
Rajah Caruth
Dean Thompson
Corey Heim
Tanner Gray
Tyler Ankrum
Stefan Parsons
When the race began Grant Enfinger was eleven points below the cut line. After earning nine points in stage one and winning stage two, he is now eight points above the cut line.
Taylor Gray is the “lucky dog”.
Ben Rhodes is out of the care center and out of the race.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Rajah Caruth winning the race off of pit road after taking only two tires. Tyler Ankrum barely avoids hitting Mason Maggio coming out of his pit box.
Nick Sanchez makes multiple trips down pit road to pull the frame out to avoid tire rub.
Johnny Sauter is out of the race, the “crash clock” ran out.
Rajah Caruth brings the field own for the green flag start of stage three with Daniel Dye alongside on lap 47. And Layne Riggs is in the top five. Daniel Dye gets out in front for the lead with Christian Eckes sliding down into a tight spot for second; Rajah Caruth, Layne Riggs, and Dean Thompson round out the top five.
Lap 50, Christian Eckes gets a push from Grant Enfinger to get out in front for the lead but Daniel Dye is not giving up and comes back to battle for the lead.
Lap 52, Christian Eckes takes the lead with Grant Enfinger in second. Some of the drivers come down pit road for service, getting the fuel cell packed.
Lap 55, Christian Eckes leads the race with Grant Enfinger on his bumper; Daniel Dye, Rajah Caruth, and Stefans Parsons round out the top five.
Lap 57, the remainder of the pack comes down pit road for service. Rajah Caruth doesn’t get the truck slowed down to pit road speed fast enough and pops a tire.
Chase Purdy has a flat tire and has to make an unscheduled trip down pit road.
Jason White is the new leader with Dawson Sutton in second; Mason Maggio, Kaden Honeycutt and Nick Sanchez round out the top five.
Rajah Caruth has to serve a pass through penalty after speeding on pit road.
Lap 61, the first three drivers – Jason White, Dawson Sutton, Mason Maggio have yet to make a pit stop.
The caution flag comes out on lap 62 for “the big one” with several drivers ending up in the grass. Stefan Parsons and Jake Garcia make contact in turn one; sending Garcia into Layne Riggs. Tyler Ankrum, Taylor Gray, Dean Thompson, Matt Mills, Tanner Gray, and Connor Zilisch were also involved.
Coming into today’s race Tanner Gray had completed all but two laps this season; he has taken his truck to the garage.
Matt Mills is out of the care center and okay.
Kaden Honeycutt brings the field down for the green flag restart with just 17 laps remaining in the race. Stefan Parsons brings his truck down pit road. Nick Sanchez takes the lead briefly. Christian Eckes moves up to take the lead with Nick Sanchez in second.
With 16 laps to go, Nick Sanchez leads the race with Christian Eckes in second; Grant Enfinger, Kaden Honeycutt and Taylor Gray round out the top five.
Fifteen to go, the drivers are getting more aggressive with bigger blocks and harder pushes.
The caution flag comes out on lap 70 involving leader Nick Sanchez, Mason Maggio, Dawson Sutton, and Keith McGee. Sanchez spins out after a push from Christian Eckes. Daniel Dye slides through the grass untouched and keeps going. Grant Enfinger is the new leader.
Grant Enfinger brings the field down for the green flag restart with just nine laps to go with Taylor Gray alongside. Getting a push from behind, Grant Enfinger takes the lead with Christian Eckes right behind.
With eight laps to go, there are seven playoff drivers in the top 10. There have never been more than five at a Talladega race.
The top five are Grant Enfinger, Christian Eckes, Lawless Alan, Taylor Gray, and Ryan Reed.
Five to go, drivers are beginning to move out to build an outside lane to battle for the lead.
Four to go, Rajah Caruth and Corey Heim get loose but they save the trucks and the track stays green.
Just two laps remain, the leaders are single file.
Grant Enfinger takes the white flag.
Crash in the tri-oval! Ryan Reed’s truck was on fire but it extinguished itself. Daniel Dye pushes Tyler Ankrum and gets loose to start the wreck. Ryan Reed, Tyler Ankrum, Daniel Dye, Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Stewart Friesen, Corey Heim were all involved in the crash.
Grant Enfinger wins the race and becomes the first playoff driver to win at Talladega. He has secured himself a spot in the final four to race for the championship in Phoenix.
The unofficial results of the Love’s RV Stop 225 (crash may change finishing order):
Grant Enfinger
Taylor Gray
Daniel Dye
Rajah Caruth
Lawless Alan
Christian Eckes
Ryan Reed
Stefan Parsons
Bret Holmes
Spencer Boyd
Corey Heim
Ty Majeski
Stewart Friesen
Tyler Ankrum
Clay Greenfield
Cory Roper
Jason White
Mason Maggio
Danny Bohn
Kaden Honeycutt
Norm Benning
Nick Sanchez
Matt Crafton
Dawson Sutton
Chase Purdy
Keith McGee
William Sawalich
Layne Riggs
Jake Garcia
Tanner Gray
Matt Mills
Dean Thompson
Connor Zilisch
Johnny Sauter
Ben Rhodes
Bayley Currey