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  • Four Takeaways from the NASCAR Truck Series race at Phoenix

    Four Takeaways from the NASCAR Truck Series race at Phoenix

    Phoenix Raceway was the site of the season finale race for the 2020 Truck Series Championship. Getting this far seemed almost impossible back in March when the world was shut down for a month and a half. However, the industry, series officials and the tracks rallied together and were able to get all 23 races in to complete the season.

    When the checkers flew last Friday night, the Truck Series championship went to Sheldon Creed who bested Zane Smith, Brett Moffitt and Grant Enfinger after taking four fresh tires following a caution with less than 10 laps to go in the race. Creed became the only driver to win the ARCA Menards and Truck Series Championships.

    As Creed won the Truck Series title for the first time in his career, it’s safe to say that Creed will once again be a challenge and a threat for the championship in 2021 since the Californian will be back for a second consecutive year to defend his title.

    With the season over at this point, we’ll take a look at things we might have missed in Friday’s Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix.

    1. Maury Gallagher Earns First Team Owner Title – The Team Owner Championship has been a long time coming for Maury Gallagher, the CEO of Allegiant Airlines. The title was Gallagher’s first of any kind since entering the sport in 2012 and competing in the ARCA Menards Series. Gallagher entered the Truck Series competition however back in 2013 with his son Spencer and their first Truck Series race was Kansas. Since the initial debut, Gallagher, as an owner, has achieved 37 career wins with Austin Dillon, Grant Enfinger, Ben Kennedy, Kyle Larson, Johnny Sauter, Chase Elliott, Kaz Grala, Justin Haley, Timothy Peters, Brett Moffitt, Zane Smith, Sam Mayer and, of course, Sheldon Creed. It’s been a long journey for the team who entered NASCAR eight years ago, but at the same time, fun being able to watch a team grow. As the team is becoming a powerhouse team, 2021 is looking bright for the organization as a whole and they are set to defend their title.
    2. Jeff Stankiewicz Gains First Truck Series Title – Staying on the topic of firsts, crew chief Jeff Stankiewicz also picked up his first championship Friday night. Creed and Stankiewicz have proved to be a great pairing as both won a total of four races with each other two years ago in ARCA competition and won the championship with Creed as well. By winning the championship Friday night, the North Carolina native was the 19th different crew chief to win a championship in the Truck Series. Stankiewicz’s best points finish prior to Friday night in the Truck Series was seventh with former series driver Joey Coulter in 2014.
    3. Kyle Busch Motorsports Place Three Trucks In Top Five – Even though Friday night was dominated by the GMS Racing team, Kyle Busch Motorsports was right up there in contention with Chandler Smith the highest finishing driver out of the stable as the Georgian finished third. Smith most likely could have finished runner-up had he not been passed by Zane Smith (no relation to Chandler) had Zane not pitted. The third-place finish was Smith’s best result since Talladega last month, where he also finished third. Christian Eckes finished fourth, which matched his Martinsville finish a week prior to Phoenix. Finally, after a rough Martinsville outing of 20th, Canadian Raphael Lessard rebounded to a fifth-place finish to earn his fourth top-five of the season.
    4. Niece Motorsports Ends The Season With A Disappointing Night – Friday night was most likely a forgettable night and end to the season for Niece Motorsports. Trevor Bayne was the highest out of the stable and finished 18th after receiving a speeding penalty following the stage break. Meanwhile, Ryan Truex placed 21st in the No. 40 machine. Carson Hocevar, who will go full-time for Niece ‘21, wrecked out of the event and was credited with 32nd place. 2020 has certainly been a struggle for the team as none of their drivers recorded any wins despite being close at Talladega with Bayne. It is a significant dropoff from last year, where Ross Chastain gave Niece three wins and a spot in the Championship 4. Here’s hoping 2021 will be better for the team.
  • Sheldon Creed wins 2020 Truck Series Championship after a wild restart

    Sheldon Creed wins 2020 Truck Series Championship after a wild restart

    After a quiet first two stages, a late-race caution gave Sheldon Creed the opportunity to drive from eighth place to the front and take the lead to win the Truck Series championship.

    “I can’t believe it, thank you so much,” the 23-year-old Californian, Creed, screamed into his team radio as he crossed the finish line. “The caution came out and we were like, ‘we’ve got nothing to lose’,” Creed said of the decision to pit for tires. “I pride myself on my restarts week in and week out and just nailed the restart right there. I was just driving as hard as I can, I wanted this thing so bad.”

    Stages 45-45-60 laps made up the scheduled 150 lap race, but an overtime restart extended the race to 156 laps. No Trucks were sent to the rear and Championship 4 driver Grant Enfinger was on the pole based on the metric system. Brett Moffit, Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger and Sheldon Creed made up the Championship 4 contenders.

    Stage 1: Laps 1 – 45

    Early on in the stage, rookie Zane Smith had the lead over teammates Creed and Moffitt with no challenge from either driver until late in the stage. Surprisingly, no cautions fell in the stage and with a dominant truck, Zane Smith grabbed the stage victory with Creed in second, Moffitt third and Enfinger fourth.

    After the stage break, it was Creed who would win the race off pit road and maintain his top position.

    Stage 2: Laps 53 – 90

    Stage 2 was a carbon copy of the first stage with 8 green-flag laps of racing with no yellows in sight. However, multiple battles for the lead would pursue in the middle of this stage. Creed led from laps 50 – 74 for 25 total laps. His teammate Brett Moffitt came into the picture and made a pass on Lap 75 with just 19 laps to go in the stage. After making the pass for the lead, the Iowan native held on and took home the Stage 2 win. Zane Smith finished second, Creed was third and Enfinger managed fifth.

    Under the yellow, Niece Motorsports driver Trevor Bayne was penalized for being too fast on pit road and Moffitt held on to the lead.

    Stage 3: Laps 98 – 156

    With Enfinger battling a tight truck, GMS Racing made up the top three spots. However, their effort was slowed at Lap 104 when a caution flew for the No. 42 of Carson Hocevar who backed his Niece Motorsports Chevrolet into the Turn 2 wall. In the middle of the caution cycle, Enfinger came down to pit road and took four tires to help with the handling of the truck. Meanwhile, the No. 19 of Derek Kraus stalled, having no power in his Toyota Tundra.

    When the green flag flew again at Lap 119, Enfinger made the most of his pit stop by climbing to fifth in the running order. However, the four-tire call for Enfinger wouldn’t come into play until late in the race. The Alabaman started making moves with 19 to go, passing Smith for fourth and moving up as high as second with 12 to go.

    As the race started to wind down, race leader Moffitt held off Enfinger with a 4.340-second advantage. Getting closer to the checkered flag, the race looked as though it would go to the 2018 Truck Series Champion, Moffitt. Unfortunately for Moffitt, a late yellow flew for the No. 41 of Dawson Cram, setting up an overtime restart with seven laps to go.

    The caution would prove costly for Moffitt, as Champ 4 drivers Creed and Zane Smith came to pit road and took four fresh tires. Moffitt and Enfinger stayed out to assume the lead with hopes of holding off the field for a classic finish.

    The restart on Lap 154 with 2 laps to go would look like this for the championship drivers; Moffitt was in first, Enfinger was second, Creed restarted in eighth with Smith in ninth.

    Following the green flag, Enfinger, on the outside, spun his tires and both Creed and Smith made dive bomb moves to the bottom of the track in Turns 1 and 2. Moffitt ended up sliding up the track and falling back in the running order. As the checkered flag flew, the victory and championship went to Creed who won his fifth race of the 2020 season.

    Zane Smith finished second with Moffitt 10th and Enfinger rounding out the Championship 4 in 13th position.

    After leading the most laps (78) and winning Stage 2, Moffitt was understandably disappointed after finishing 10th.

    “It’s frustrating losing like that,” Moffitt said. “It would have been an honor to win with this paint scheme in honor of (seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion) Jimmie Johnson,” said Moffitt, adding, “I guess if broken legs isn’t enough of a handicap, race strategy is.”

    There were four cautions for 28 laps and seven lead changes among five different drivers.

    Items to note – Chevrolet won the Truck Series Manufacturers Championship, while GMS Racing’s Maury Gallagher won his first ever Truck Series Owners title. Champion Sheldon Creed ends the season with the most stage victories of 11, while he and Austin Hill end up in a tie with the most playoff points of 28 each.

    Final Championship 4 Standings

    1. Sheldon Creed
    2. Zane Smith
    3. Brett Moffitt
    4. Grant Enfinger

    Final Championship 4 Owner Standings

    1. GMS Racing No. 2
    2. GMS Racing No. 21
    3. GMS Racing No. 23
    4. ThorSport Racing No. 98

    Official Results following the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway.

    1. Sheldon Creed, led twice for 27 laps
    2. Zane Smith
    3. Chandler Smith
    4. Christian Eckes
    5. Raphael Lessard
    6. Stewart Friesen
    7. Ben Rhodes
    8. Tyler Ankrum
    9. Todd Gilliland
    10. Brett Moffitt, won Stage 2, led 78 laps
    11. Johnny Sauter
    12. Austin Hill
    13. Grant Enfinger, led two laps
    14. Matt Crafton
    15. Tanner Gray
    16. Dylan Lupton
    17. Sam Mayer
    18. Trevor Bayne
    19. Tate Fogleman
    20. Austin Wayne Self
    21. Ryan Truex, 1 lap down
    22. Jordan Anderson, 2 laps down
    23. Spencer Davis, 2 laps down
    24. Derek Kraus, 3 laps down
    25. Tyler Hill, 3 laps down
    26. Danny Bohn, 3 laps down
    27. Spencer Boyd, 4 laps down
    28. Dawson Cram, 4 laps down
    29. Robby Lyons, 4 laps down
    30. Akinori Ogata, 6 laps down
    31. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 9 laps down
    32. Carson Hocevar, OUT, Accident
    33. Josh Reaume, OUT, Brakes

    Up Next: The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series will now enjoy their much deserved offseason and start focusing on the 2021 schedule. The 2021 Truck Series season begins Friday night, Feb. 12 at Daytona International Speedway with the annual NextEra Energy Resources 250.

  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Martinsville II

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Martinsville II

    With just one race left before the Championship 4 event at Phoenix International Raceway, Truck Series drivers and teams were vying for the final two spots in the Playoffs. Two of those spots were already claimed by GMS Racing drivers Sheldon Creed and 2018 Truck Series Champion Brett Moffitt.

    Positions third and fourth were up for grabs as six drivers were desperately trying to lock themselves in to fight for a championship spot with only two still available. At some points during the race it looked as though Austin Hill would race his way in, but due to engine woes, the Georgian would be out of the race early and his championship hopes were eliminated, as well. Despite six cautions making up the final stage, at the conclusion of the 200 laps, it was rookie Zane Smith and race winner Grant Enfinger who took the last two spots and earned a shot to win the championship.

    However, there were other drivers like Austin Hill who was once inside the cut line but now find themselves having to wait until next year to try again. We’ll take a look at this week’s Power Rankings following the Martinsville Truck Series race.

    1. Grant Enfinger – After years of trying, Grant Enfinger finally can make a bid for the Truck Series championship after being so close to advancing when the Championship 4 format was implemented. Enfinger was in a must-win situation heading into Martinsville, or in a worst-case scenario, needed a lot of help from other playoff drivers who experienced trouble throughout the night. Fortunately for Enfinger, he didn’t have any trouble at all in the race, aside from lining up behind the race leaders at one point during one of the late cautions. The Alabaman reclaimed the lead with just two laps to go, and never looked back, and ultimately advanced to the Championship 4 for the first time in his career. In addition, he led 49 laps and finished eighth and third, respectively, in Stage 1 and 2.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third
    2. Zane Smith – Smith led 20 laps before coming home with his sixth and most important top-five of the season. His finish was enough to get him locked into the Championship 4 at Phoenix. Smith was in a position to possibly win the race at some points. But his main objective was to fend off Matt Crafton to get the position, which he did, as Crafton finished behind Smith in the running order. Now, Smith will have to overcome his biggest challenge yet and that is to win the championship over his GMS Racing teammates at Phoenix.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
    3. Sheldon Creed – Despite bringing out the caution at Lap 176, Creed rebounded to an eighth-place finishing position for his 12th Top 10 of the year. Creed won the first stage and led 65 laps en route to his eighth-place position. He will also be racing for his first championship alongside his teammate Zane Smith.

      Previous Week Ranking – First
    4. Matt Crafton – While it was a disappointing finish in Crafton’s eyes, it could have certainly been worse, such as not finishing the race. The ThorSport driver had the lead at certain moments in the race, including at one point when he was one of the four hopefuls to fight for the championship. He led six laps and finished second in both stages before finishing fifth in the running order for his ninth top-five of the season. Unfortunately for Crafton, he finished behind Zane Smith and that was not good enough to move on to defend his 2019 Truck Series Championship.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    5. Ben Rhodes – Rhodes came home in the second position after starting seventh. He was one of the unlucky ones that did not advance to the Championship 4, missing the position by one spot. Despite not advancing, the Kentucky native collected his ninth top-five of the year.

    Fell Out

    1. Austin Hill – Engines woes eliminated Austin Hill from championship contention and he was credited with a 35th place finish. Hill was above the cut line heading into the race and most likely would have been racing for the championship, had the engine not expired on his No. 16 Toyota. However, like many others, he will have to wait until next year to try again for the championship.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
  • Grant Enfinger scores Martinsville victory, locks into Championship 4

    Grant Enfinger scores Martinsville victory, locks into Championship 4

    Despite a bundle of late-race cautions in the final 20 laps on Friday night at Martinsville, Grant Enfinger, who was in a must-win situation, held off his ThorSport teammate Ben Rhodes to claim his spot in the Championship 4 by winning the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200.

    “It was tough; we knew we were going to have to take our gloves off and fight for this one,” Enfinger said after celebrating with his team. “It’s been an up and down season for us, but we tended to peak when we needed to. And now I feel really good about our chances at Phoenix.”

    No Trucks were sent to the rear following prerace inspection and Sheldon Creed was on the pole based on the metric system. Stages of 50-50-100 made up the 200-lap event.

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 50

    When the green flag flew, the battle for the lead was between GMS drivers Sheldon Creed and Zane Smith with Creed taking the lead on Lap 12 and leading through the early portions of the race. Three cautions would slow the first stage. The first yellow came on Lap 14 with a major stack up on the frontstretch. Tanner Gray was spun after contact from the No. 02 of Tate Fogleman. Others involved included Ray Ciccarelli, Danny Bohn, Trevor Bayne and Codie Rohrbaugh.

    During the pit stops, Bayne was penalized for removing equipment while Rohrbaugh was penalized for pitting too soon.

    Another yellow flew on Lap 49 when the No. 44 of Natalie Decker was bumped from behind by the No. 3 of Jordan Anderson. From there, a 19 lap green-flag run occurred before Clay Greenfield in the No. 68 spun in Turn 3, bringing out a late-stage yellow and ending the first stage under caution. Sheldon Creed took the stage victory with Crafton, Sauter, Zane Smith, Rhodes, Moffitt, Eckes, Enfinger, Lessard, and Friesen completing the Top 10 stage finishers.

    Stage 2: Lap 59 – Lap 100

    A lot of action was seen throughout Stage 2 including problems for Austin Hill in the No. 16. Hill, who recently announced his return to Hattori Racing in 2021, began experiencing engine-related issues as his truck began shutting off and on.

    Meanwhile, two drivers had tire issues. On Lap 72, Parker Kligerman in the No. 75, had a left-front tire go down after contact with Austin Hill, while the race leader, Sheldon Creed, experienced a left-rear flat.

    Fortunately for Kligerman and Creed, both drivers caught a break a few laps later when the No. 68 of Greenfield would once again bring the caution out in Turn 3. During the caution, problems continued to get worse for Hill as the team attempted to diagnose his engine problem. The issue was found during a Lap 90 caution, as it was reported that Hill had a dead cylinder.

    Unfortunately for the Georgia native, the truck quit running on Lap 117 and he was credited with a 35th place finish which ended any chance of making it to the Championship 4.

    The stage would restart with two to go on Lap 98 and featured exciting action as Stewart Friesen in the No. 52 picked up his first stage win of the 2020 season. Crafton, Enfinger, Lessard, Moffitt, Ankrum, Eckes, Sauter, Hocevar, and Rhodes were the Top 10.

    it was at this very moment, we would see Enfinger’s first glimpse at the lead, as the No. 98 team used a different pit strategy during the stage break, staying out to assume the lead for the Stage 3 restart.

    Stage 3: Lap 112 – Lap 200

    As in most cases, Stage 3 saw the most action and the most yellows with six yellows flown through the remaining 88 laps.

    It would seem as though once a restart took place, another yellow would ensue which created a couple of harrowing moments for Enfinger who was trying to race his way in for a Championship 4 spot. On a Lap 161 restart, his teammate Johnny Sauter spun his tires and fell back to 18th with Enfinger right on his back bumper. Enfinger wrestled the lead away but was once again involved in a caution with 25 to go when Sheldon Creed, who was battling with Enfinger, got spun in Turn 4 after contact by the No. 98 truck.

    Things weren’t looking so great for Enfinger with the restart that came with 10 to go, as he restarted in the fourth position with some stronger trucks in front of him, including Raphael Lessard and Brett Moffitt. But the Alabaman caught a lucky break just one lap later when the No. 4 of Lessard wrecked in Turn 2 with contact from the No. 99 of Rhodes after Rhodes was caught from behind by the No. 23 of Moffitt.

    Following the yellow, the restart came with two laps to go with Enfinger and Rhodes making up the front row and both needing a victory to advance to the Championship 4. As fate would have it, Enfinger fended off Rhodes and got his fourth win of the year.

    Rhodes, unfortunately, finished second and would miss out on making the Championship 4 by just one position.

    “We had a shot, but first off, congrats to Grant they worked their butts off all year,” Rhodes said of his teammate. “They have three wins, this is their fourth, they deserve it. We were racing as hard as we can. Didn’t have the speed we needed but we hung around and my team had good strategy all day long. It’s just unfortunate.”

    There were 11 cautions for 82 laps and 16 lead changes among nine different leaders.

    Those racing for the championship include Sheldon Creed, Brett Moffitt, Grant Enfinger and Zane Smith. The driver who has the has the best finish of these four contenders next week at Phoenix International Raceway will win the Truck Series championship.

    Official Results following the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

    1. Grant Enfinger, led 49 laps
    2. Ben Rhodes, led one lap
    3. Zane Smith, led 20 laps
    4. Christian Eckes
    5. Matt Crafton, led six laps
    6. Stewart Friesen, won Stage 2, led five laps
    7. Danny Bohn
    8. Sheldon Creed, won Stage 1, led 65 laps
    9. Austin Wayne Self
    10. Derek Kraus
    11. Trevor Bayne
    12. Tyler Ankrum
    13. Carson Hocevar, led five laps
    14. Timmy Hill
    15. Spencer Boyd
    16. Dawson Cram
    17. Brandon Jones
    18. Sam Mayer, OUT, Crash
    19. Jordan Anderson, 1 lap down
    20. Raphael Lessard, 1 lap down
    21. Clay Greenfield, 2 laps down
    22. B.J. McLeod, 2 laps down
    23. Johnny Sauter, 3 laps down
    24. Parker Kligerman, 4 laps down
    25. Ray Ciccarelli, 4 laps down
    26. Norm Benning, 4 laps down
    27. Natalie Decker, 5 laps down
    28. Brett Moffitt, OUT, Crash
    29. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 26 laps down
    30. Ryan Truex, 31 laps down
    31. Tanner Gray, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    32. Todd Gilliland, OUT, Overheating
    33. Spencer Davis, OUT, Brakes
    34. Codie Rohrbaugh, OUT, Overheating
    35. Austin Hill, OUT, Engine
    36. Tate Fogleman, OUT, Crash
    37. Josh Reaume, OUT, Transmission

    Up Next: The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series will head to their final race of the season to decide a champion at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday, Nov. 6 live on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Sheldon Creed locks into Championship 4 with Texas Victory

    Sheldon Creed locks into Championship 4 with Texas Victory

    With just three races left in the 2020 Truck Series season, Texas Motor Speedway was the site for race No. 2 in the Round of 8 Playoffs.

    Sheldon Creed won in an overtime restart after fending off a hard-charging Austin Hill late in the going. Creed had one of the dominate trucks throughout the race, winning Stage 1, before taking the lead once again inside 15 to go and claiming the third victory of his career.

    “Two trucks locked in for the organization, that’s awesome and hopefully we can get the other two (Zane Smith and Tyler Ankrum) or at least one more next weekend,” Creed said. “Hard racing today. Man, it’s crazy. We’ve just been working for this all year, and I feel like I’ve improved so much and put so much work into this. Man, going to Martinsville stress-free is so nice.”

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 35

    The first stage was relatively calm until two laps to go. The No. 49 of Timothy Viens brought out the first accident of the day when Viens hit the Turn 4 wall. With the caution coming out so late in the stage, NASCAR officials decided to end the stage under yellow, which gave Creed the stage victory. Austin Hill, Moffitt, Rhodes, Crafton, Chandler Smith, Eckes, Zane Smith, Enfinger, and Gilliland completed the Top 10.

    Stage 2: Lap 40 – Lap 71

    After the restart for Stage 2, the No. 40 Niece Motorsports truck of Ryan Truex was penalized for a restart violation. Truex would later be out of the race due to a broken trackbar.

    A few moments later on Lap 42, the No. 68 of Clay Greenfield had hard contact with the Turn 2 wall following an incident with the No. 56 of Tyler Hill. One more caution would fly on Lap 53 when the No. 02 of Tate Fogleman crashed off the exit of Turn 4.

    The restart came on Lap 57 with playoff driver Matt Crafton passing Creed for the lead on Lap 65. Crafton hung onto the top spot and won the second stage over Creed. Rhodes, Zane Smith, Kraus, Chandler Smith, Eckes, Austin Hill, Enfinger, and Moffitt wrapped up the Top 10.

    Stage 3: Lap 77 – Lap 152

    The third and final stage had the most incidents of the afternoon with six cautions during the last stage.

    The first of those yellows occurred at Lap 93 as the No. 98 of Grant Enfinger was in a must-win situation going into Martinsville. The No. 98 ended up blowing up with smoke down the backstretch creating the fifth yellow of the day.

    As the race wore down, tempers started to heat up between drivers, especially Ben Rhodes and Chandler Smith who were involved in incidents. First, on Lap 107, Rhodes blocked Gilliland’s strong run going into Turns 1 and 2 causing Gilliland to crash hard in the Turn 2 wall. Then later in the race on Lap 146, the Kentucky native intentionally turned the No. 18 of Christian Eckes on the frontstretch creating the second to last yellow of the race.

    Meanwhile, Chandler Smith was involved in an accident with the No. 15 of Tanner Gray at Lap 118. Smith’s day went from bad to worse when the left-rear tire fell off the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra machine following a pit stop for repairs.

    When the yellow flew for the Rhodes and Eckes accident, it brought out the 11th overtime restart in Texas Motor Speedway Truck Series history.

    The late-race yellow would necessitate a restart on Lap 151, past the scheduled distance of 147 laps.

    Nonetheless, Sheldon Creed was able to punch his Championship 4 ticket by holding off Austin Hill for the victory and joining his GMS Racing teammate Brett Moffitt at Phoenix.

    There were 10 cautions for 49 laps and 14 lead changes among six different drivers.

    Creed led eight times for 131 laps en route to victory and picked up six playoff points.

    Official Results following the SpeedyCash.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.

    1. Sheldon Creed, won Stage 1, led 131 laps, Advanced Championship 4
    2. Austin Hill (Playoff driver), led one lap
    3. Zane Smith (Playoff driver)
    4. Raphael Lessard
    5. Brett Moffitt (Playoff driver), Already advanced to Championship 4
    6. Matt Crafton (Playoff driver), won Stage 2, led 13 laps
    7. Austin Wayne Self
    8. Dylan Lupton
    9. Derek Kraus, led two laps
    10. Tanner Gray
    11. Tyler Hill
    12. Chase Purdy
    13. Jordan Anderson
    14. Spencer Boyd
    15. James Buescher
    16. Tyler Ankrum (Playoff driver)
    17. Danny Bohn
    18. Dawson Cram
    19. Josh Bilicki, OUT, Crash
    20. Ben Rhodes, led one lap, 1 lap down
    21. Chandler Smith, 1 lap down
    22. Ray Ciccarelli, 1 lap down
    23. Johnny Sauter, 2 laps down
    24. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 3 laps down
    25. Christian Eckes, OUT, Crash
    26. Norm Benning, 9 laps down
    27. Josh Reaume, OUT, Brakes
    28. Stewart Friesen, OUT, Crash
    29. Trevor Bayne, OUT, Engine
    30. Natalie Decker, OUT, Vibration
    31. Todd Gilliland, OUT, Crash
    32. Grant Enfinger, OUT, Engine
    33. Tate Fogleman, OUT, Crash
    34. Ryan Truex, OUT, Suspension
    35. Clay Greenfield, OUT, Crash
    36. Trey Hutchens, OUT, Ignition
    37. Tim Viens, OUT, Crash

    Up Next: The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series will continue their playoff schedule with the last race in the Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway Friday night, Oct. 30th, live on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • GMS Racing Gander Trucks Las Vegas Preview

    GMS Racing Gander Trucks Las Vegas Preview

    Sheldon Creed, No. 2 Trench Shoring / Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Silverado

    Las Vegas Gander Trucks Stats
    – Starts: 2, Best start: 9, Laps led: 4

    2020 Gander Trucks Stats
    – Starts:1, Best start: 12, Best finish: 9, Laps led: 2

    Notes:

    – Sheldon Creed qualified and finished inside the top 10 for both races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2019.
    – Creed and the No. 2 team will utilize chassis No. 324 this week in Las Vegas. This is a brand new chassis in the GMS stable.
    – Creed enters the weekend ninth in the championship standings.

    Quote:

    “I’m ready to get to Vegas. I had a strong run both times we were out here last year and I think we’ll run well this week. We’re bringing a brand new truck this week so it’s exciting to see how that will perform. I know all the guys at the shop have been working hard to get ready for these first few races and now it’s time to go out there and show what we got.”

    Zane Smith, No. 21 The Cosmopolitan at Las Vegas Chevrolet Silverado

    Las Vegas Gander Trucks Stats
    – Making his first Gander Trucks start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    2020 Gander Trucks Stats
    – Starts: 1, Best start: 6, Best finish: 11

    Notes:

    – Although this is Zane Smith’s first Gander Trucks start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the rookie did make one Xfinity Series start at the track in 2019 where he qualified sixth.
    – Smith and the No. 21 team will compete with chassis No. 301 this week in Las Vegas. This chassis was used five times in the 2019 season and notably finished second at Texas in March of 2019.
    – Smith enters the Las Vegas weekend 12th in the Gander Trucks points standings.
    – The Cosmopolitan at Las Vegas will partner with Smith for this weekend’s event. The Cosmopolitan is a unique luxury resort hotel and casino in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.

    Quote:

    “I’m excited to get out to the West Coast. I’ve raced at Las Vegas in an Xfinity car so I’m familiar with the track, but it will be interesting to be there in a truck for the first time. It’s really exciting to be able to represent The Cosmopolitan at their home track.”

    Brett Moffitt, No. 23 Allegiant Chevrolet Silverado

    Las Vegas Gander Trucks Stats
    – Starts: 4, Best start: 2, Best finish: 2, Laps led: 57

    2020 Gander Trucks Stats
    – Starts: 1, Best start: 2, Best finish: 13

    Notes:

    – Brett Moffitt has qualified inside the top 10 in every Gander Trucks event at Las Vegas that he has entered. Moffitt has scored a top-10 finish in every Las Vegas Gander Trucks start with the exception of September 2018, where he finished 11th.
    – Moffitt and the No. 23 team will utilize chassis No. 321. Moffitt competed with this chassis at Las Vegas in September 2019, where he qualified fourth, finished seventh and led 12 laps.
    – Moffitt will be pulling double duty this weekend, racing in Friday night’s Gander Trucks race as well as Saturday’s Xfinity race for Our Motorsports.

    Quote:

    “I’m ready to get to Las Vegas and really show what we’ve worked on in the off season. I had strong runs in both Vegas races last year and I’m looking forward to building on that this weekend. Las Vegas is the home of the Gallagher family, and to go out there and get a win for Mr. Gallagher with Allegiant on our Silverado would be really cool.”

    Tyler Ankrum, No. 26 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado

    Las Vegas Gander Trucks Stats
    – Starts: 1, Best finish: 11

    2020 Gander Trucks Stats
    – Starts: 1, Best start: 7, Laps led: 1

    Notes:

    – Tyler Ankrum is set to make only his second start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.
    – Ankrum and the No. 26 will compete with chassis No. 322. This chassis went to victory lane at Phoenix in November 2019.
    – Ankrum enters the Las Vegas event 11th in the points standings.

    Quote:

    “I’m ready to take on Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Daytona didn’t end how we wanted to and I’m looking to bounce back this week. I’m confident in what my guys are bringing to the track and everybody at GMS has been working hard to get us prepared for these first few races. It’ll be nice to be out on the West Coast. I’ve got some friends and family coming in from California and I’m looking forward to going out and competing for a win.”

    ABOUT GMS RACING

    GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series with drivers Brett Moffitt, Sheldon Creed, Tyler Ankrum and Zane Smith as well as part-time with David Gravel. The team also competes in the ARCA Racing Series with Sam Mayer. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 Gander Trucks Championship, the 2019 ARCA East championship and has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net/.

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  • Moffitt and Creed back at GMS for 2020

    Moffitt and Creed back at GMS for 2020

    GMS Racing officials announced Friday afternoon that 2018 Truck Series Champion and current Playoff contender Brett Moffitt will return to the team for a second season to compete for the Truck Series title once again. Sheldon Creed will also be back in the No. 2 GMS Truck for a second season.

    Moffitt has earned four wins, 12 top fives and 15 top-10 finishes and is currently looking for his second bid for the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway next month.

    “I can’t thank Mike (Beam, team president) and Mr. Gallagher (team owner) enough for the opportunity to compete full-time with GMS Racing in 2020,” said Moffitt. “It’s been awesome to work with this organization this year and we’ve been competitive each and every week. We’ve earned four wins so far this season and held a steady lead throughout the Playoffs. Having next year locked down allows us to focus completely on competing for a championship this year. Returning with the same teammates as well will be really cool. We already know how to work together and help each other while maintaining a bit of that competitive edge. I can only imagine what we will be able to accomplish in 2020 building off the momentum from this season.”

    After a rocky start to the 2019 season, Sheldon Creed has had some great runs as of late. Currently, the Alpine, California native has notched four top fives and 10 top-10 finishes along with three DNFs but he does have 164 laps led and a best finish of second twice, at Eldora and Michigan.

    “I feel very confident going into next season with GMS Racing. I know I have the best group of people around me and the best organization to go out next year and compete for wins and hopefully the championship,” Creed stated. “I’m thankful to Mike (Beam, team president) and Maury (Gallagher, team owner) for the opportunity and continued support. The beginning of this season was a bit of a learning curve for me but we found our groove and I’m excited to go out and compete for wins and build momentum for next year. It’ll be great to have my teammates back with me as well.”

    Not to be overshadowed by the two returning drivers is NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Champion, Sam Mayer. Mayer, who has piloted the No. 21 GMS Chevy also returns but with more races scheduled compared to two races that he has done this year. The Franklin, Wisconsin native will now have six races on his schedule in 2020, but those have yet to be announced. Mayer will also compete for the ARCA Menards East championship.

    “I am excited to be returning to GMS Racing in 2020,” said Mayer. “We are being very aggressive with my schedule next year and I think that will help challenge me and help me grow even more in my career. We are doubling the number of Gander Trucks races from what I am running in 2019 and once the ARCA series is finalized, I should be running more races than the entire truck schedule. I’ve been able to accomplish a lot this season with the support from GMS and I can’t wait for next season.”

    GMS Racing Team President, Mike Beam, is excited about the 2020 season.

    “To have all three of these talented young men back with our organization is a blessing,” said Mike Beam, team president. “They have all brought a lot to the table for GMS in 2019. Mayer winning the K&N East Championship, Moffitt being in the hunt for GMS’ second Truck championship and Creed with multiple runner-up finishes. Needless to say, that they have represented GMS well in 2019 and I have no doubt that success will continue in 2020.”

  • NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Talladega

    NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Talladega

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (America’s favorite racing series) returned on track this past weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Prior to Saturday’s event, it was well over a month ago that we last saw the Truck Series on track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 

    They began the Round of 6 in the Playoffs with six drivers who still have their championship hopes alive. It wasn’t the Talladega race we were expecting, but nonetheless, it was a great race.

    Let’s take a look at who made the Power Rankings list this week following the Sugarland Shine 250. 

    1. Brett Moffitt – It was a challenging race for Moffitt and his No. 24 GMS Racing team who was once penalized for locking bumpers with his technical teammate Stewart Friesen. Moffitt questioned the penalty on the radio and especially in his post-race comments. He was able to get back on the lead lap with a late caution and after leading seven laps and despite being penalized, Moffitt rebounded to a top-five finish. It was probably not the finish he wanted after being strong early but to escape Talladega with a clean truck and a top-five finish was a job well done.

    Previous Week Ranking – Fourth

    2. Austin Hill – Hill had a competitive truck, for the most part, finishing seventh in Stage 1 and leading two laps. The Hattori Racing driver was expected to run well after breaking through at Daytona back in February with a win. Even though Hill did not win at Talladega, he had a solid finish of sixth. He also avoided any trouble keeping his Playoff championship hopes alive heading into the two final races of the round at Martinsville and ISM Raceway.

    Previous Week Ranking – Second

    3. Stewart Friesen – Like Moffitt, Friesen had to overcome adversity throughout certain parts of the race. He was penalized twice, once for locking bumpers and then for speeding on pit road during the final round of green-flag pit stops. But Friesen caught a few lucky breaks. In what could have been a disastrous day, the Halmar Racing driver quietly rebounded to a fifth-place finish. He also finished fifth in Stage 1 and won the second stage.

    Previous Week Ranking – Not ranked

    4. Riley Herbst – Despite the post-race controversy, Herbst grabbed a third-place finish in his first Superspeedway start in a truck. The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver did his job and finished the race and also had a stage finish of sixth in Stage 1. Not bad for his first Talladega start.

    Previous Week Ranking- Not Ranked

    5. Todd Gilliland – Overlooked in this whole race was Todd Gilliland and his No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports team who finished second after starting sixth. Gilliland was quiet for the majority of the race until the last few laps where he found himself in contention to win. He led seven laps and had finishes of ninth in both stages. Hopefully, this is a confidence booster for Gilliland who has faced criticism for much of the year.

    Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked

    Fell Out 

    Ross Chastain – Yes, Chastain had a strong truck and quite possibly the best truck. However, a blocking move took the Florida native out of the race on Lap 89 and ruined any chance of a great finish. Chastain now finds himself last in the Playoffs standings, just two points behind the cut line. Two points isn’t much but it could make all the difference in the world when the standings are set for the Championship 4.

    Previous Week Ranking – First

    Sheldon Creed- Creed showed glimpses of having a fast truck but could never really stay out in front. Possibly overshadowed in his performance was leading 20 laps and winning the first stage. In the end, however, the GMS driver could not maintain the lead but did earn a ninth-place finish.

    Previous Week Ranking – Third

    Brennan Poole – A rear-end issue took Poole out of the race on Lap 81 and resulted in a disappointing 26th place finish. It has been a difficult season for Poole and the No. 30 team who have yet to finish a Superspeedway race. 

  • NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Las Vegas II

    NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Las Vegas II

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series returned on-track this past Friday night for the final race in the Round of 8. The World of Westgate 200 featured an action-packed race and left a lot of playoff drivers in trouble. However, it saw one driver break through and quite possibly surprised some race fans who were not expecting him to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 

    Here are this week’s power rankings following the second Las Vegas Truck Series race of the season. 

    1. Ross Chastain – Chastain provided a dominant performance throughout the race before being passed late for the win. The Florida native started second, won both stages, led the most laps with 88 but ultimately fell short, finishing second. Despite this Chastain clinched a spot in the Round of 6 after winning one of the stages. Should he and the No. 45 Niece Motorsports team continue this dominance throughout the Round of 6, we could very well see Chastain in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    2. Austin Hill – Hill came through at the end passing Chastain for the lead and the eventual race win. It was his third win of the season and he was able to lock himself into the Round of 6. While Hill was already guaranteed a spot, he made it easier for his No. 16 Hattori Racing team by winning. It shouldn’t as a surprise to anybody as this the same team that won the championship last year.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    3. Sheldon Creed – Creed and his No. 2 GMS Racing team came into Vegas with a lot of momentum after being consistent late in the season. Previously, at Canada, he finished fourth continuing his top-five finishes. Creed qualified sixth, then finished sixth and seventh in Stage 1 and 1, respectively. While he was unable to lead a lap, the No. 2 team continued their string of top-five finishes by posting their fourth of the season.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
    4. Brett Moffitt – Moffitt and the No. 24 team had a quiet night finishing seventh after being dominant in the first two races of the Round of 8. The Grimes, Iowa native did, however, finish ninth and third in both stages and led 12 laps. He may have been disappointed not to sweep the entire Round of 8 but the team is going on to compete in the Round of 6 after winning at Bristol and Canada.

      Previous Week Ranking – First
    5. Brennan Poole – Though not competing in the full Truck schedule as originally planned, Poole and the No. 30 On Point Motorsports is making the most of their opportunities when they do compete. It has been an up and down season for Poole who had two DNFs, one top-five and three top-10s heading into Vegas. His schedule has been sporadic due to not having the funding to compete in every race. Hoping to better his spring finish at Vegas, Poole had a lot of work to do. He qualified 18th but it didn’t take him long to get up to the front with the help of a few cautions. Poole finished seventh and fifth in both stages. After all was said and done, the No. 30 driver fell short of his second top-five but managed a sixth-place finish for his fourth top-10 of the year. It was nicely done by the No. 30 On Point Motorsports team especially considering that they don’t compete every week.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked

      Fell Out
      1.  Stewart Friesen – Friesen and the No. 52 Halmar Racing team had a rough night after being down a cylinder for the majority of the race. The Canadian qualified 19th and finished 19th, down two laps. Despite not having any top-10 stage finishes, Friesen and his team will have another chance to compete for the championship by advancing to the Round of 6.

      2. Ben Rhodes – It was a solid eighth-place finish after starting 13th and surviving the chaos that happened throughout the night. He was also able to record a fourth-place finish in Stage 2.
  • Creed and Hill have Top Five outing at Canada

    Creed and Hill have Top Five outing at Canada

    Starting 17th, Sheldon Creed had a lot of ground to make up at the road course in Canada. It wasn’t easy for him in the first Stage as he finished 15th. However, the team had him stay out for Stage 2 in order to gain track position. Creed restarted the second stage in fourth.

    Under a Lap 31 yellow, the team elected for him to come down pit road for tires and fuel. While this would put him in the back for Stage 2, Creed is out of the Playoffs. Stage points do not matter at this point in the season but pit strategy is everything.

    By staying out under the Stage 2 break, he was able to have another good starting position for the final stage by restarting sixth. Creed quietly remained in the top five until the checkered flag flew, where he finished fourth.

    “Just focus on the windshield, I had cars behind us, I think 16 (Hill) and the 45 (Chastain) started battling,” Creed told MRN Radio. “Good finish for how our weekend started. I wrecked the primary in second practice. These guys worked hard putting the back up together last night and started in the back, and try to learn as much as I could. I’m just happy with our finish here, fourth place. Battled with our teammate pretty good there at the end, he ended up locking it and kind of handed me the pass, but want to thank my guys.”

    “Chevy, GMS, everyone that helps me out and can’t wait to come back next year.”

    The fourth-place finish was Creed’s third top five of the year.

    While Creed isn’t in the Playoffs, Austin Hill is and he was looking for a good points day coming into Canada below the cut line.

    Hill qualified sixth Sunday morning and started out consistent. He finished the No. 16 HRE truck in third place in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2. For the final stage, he had his work cut out for him, restarting 10th after making a pit stop under the stage break.

    However, the Georgia native was able to come back and finish fifth, rounding out the top five finishers at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in what seemed like a quiet race by Hill.

    “Our Don Valley North Toyota Tundra was really good all day,” Hill said to MRN Radio. “We struggled a little bit on center turn, getting it pinched and being able to put the throttle down with the steering wheel straight. but all in all, it was a good points day for us. I think if we were going to win, we were going to have to short pit and we wanted to go for stage points instead of short-pit because who knows if you would have won the race.”

    “All in all, to come home with the top five, that’s what we needed to do and going to Las Vegas, we’re going for another win.”

    Hill sits fifth in the playoff points standings, +5 with one race to go in the Round of 8.