A timely caution gave Zane Smith an assist in scoring his second win of the season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Saturday at Circuit of the Americas.
On lap eight two trucks would go off the track in different areas of the track. While Kris Wright was able to get his truck moving again, Carson Hocevar would find his truck stuck in the gravel pit needing a tow after losing brake pressure.
From there pit strategy would come into play with drivers picking when was the right time for them to take fuel and tires. On lap 23 Ross Chastain would pit from the lead reporting a possible fuel pressure issue.
Multiple drivers would receive penalties on the day for cutting the course showing just how difficult the track could be to maneuver for the trucks.
A caution would come out for the truck of Parker Kligerman who was slow on the front stretch near the end of the second stage. That would give the stage win to Kyle Busch but would help out Zane Smith who was on pit road and finished the stage second but would start up front with fresh tires. During the caution Chastain would return to the pits with fuel pressure issues.
The race would resume with 13 laps to go with Smith up front and Busch working his way up from 16th. By the time the race had 10 laps to go Busch was up to third just over six seconds behind. Busch would get up to second and cut the lead to under six seconds but never got any closer as Smith scored his ninth career win in the truck series.
Running third Ben Rhodes lost his drive line and limped to a tenth place finish.
For Smith it was the second year in a row that he won the season opener at Daytona and followed it up for a win at COTA. Last season Smith won the 2022 Truck Series title.
Upon trying to burn up the tires in celebration Smith’s truck caught on fire.
XPEL 225 Results
- Zane Smith
- Kyle Busch
- Ty Majeski
- Tyler Ankrum
- Ross Chastain
- Corey Heim
- Nick Sanchez
- Tanner Gray
- Kaz Grala
- Ben Rhodes
- Taylor Gray
- Grant Enfinger
- Rajah Caruth
- Stewart Friesen
- Kaden Honeycutt
- Hailie Deegan
- Lawless Alan
- Daniel Dye
- Jake Garcia
- Colin Garrett
- Kris Wright
- Logan Bearden
- Bret Holmes
- Colby Howard
- Timmy Hill
- Mason Fillippi
- Chase Purdy
- Dale Quarterley
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Christian Eckes
- Parker Kligerman
- Spencer Boyd
- Matt Crafton
- Carson Hocevar
- Dean Thompson
- Ed Jones
