Grant Enfinger wins crashed-filled Las Vegas Truck Series race
It went way longer than scheduled, but was well worth the wait for Grant Enfinger.
Enfinger survived three attempts at a green-white-checkered overtime finish and a red flag for a multitruck crash to win the caution-plagued World of Westgate 200 on Friday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Round 2 of the seven-race playoff for the NASCAR Truck Series championship.
“The truck was great, we had the best truck out there,” said Enfinger, whose Ford powered past race leader Brett Moffitt’s slowing truck on the final restart.
Moffitt ran out of fuel and settled for 11th place. Johnny Sauter, Justin Haley, Ben Rhodes and Matt Crafton rounded out a top five comprised entirely of playoff drivers.
It was the second victory in 55 Truck Series starts for Enfinger.
Pole position starter Noah Gragson’s championship chances suffered a blow when he cut a tire with 25 laps left while trying to catch the lead pack. The 20-year-old Las Vegan was forced to make a green flag pit stop after getting tangled up in an incident that was none of his doing and finished a lap down in 18th place. He trails championship leader Sauter by 17 points.
Fellow Las Vegan Riley Herbst slapped the wall and finished 29th.
Gragson led all 30 laps in winning the first of three race stages, with Enfinger taking the second on a sultry night. When the green flag dropped, the ambient temperature was 98 degrees — 25 degrees hotter than when the trucks ran at LVMS in March.
Green, white, checkered
— A cynic might call scheduling a NASCAR race, a rugby tournament, mixed martial arts fights, professional bull riding and a Golden Knights hockey game all on the same weekend a grievous lack of planning. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is calling it the return of the Ultimate Sports Weekend in Las Vegas, and it’s set for Feb. 28 through March 3. NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, USA Sevens rugby star Carlin Isles and retired UFC fighter Forrest Griffin were on hand for the official announcement at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway media center Friday afternoon.
— ACRA series points leader Sheldon Creed held off promising female driver Hailie Deegan to win Thursday night’s Star Nursery 100 K&N Pro Series West race at the LVMS dirt track. Semiretired NASCAR veteran Brendan Gaughan of Las Vegas finished fifth. Xfinity Series star Christopher Bell settled for 10th after an eventful evening that saw him crash on the first lap, race without a hood and take the lead before being black-flagged for jumping a late restart.
— Natural Light, which is almost becoming better known for its NASCAR ad campaign than as the beer of choice of college students on a limited budget, has done it again. Aspiring motor sports writer Brian Starr of Burdick, Kansas, will have his job resume and photo displayed on Chris Buescher’s No. 37 car at the South Point 400 after winning a nationwide contest. “Make him an offer he can’t refuse: HIRE BRIAN STARR NOW” reads the decal under Buescher’s rear spoiler.
Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.
World of Westgate 200 results
At Las Vegas Motor Speedway
(With starting position in parantheses)
1. (3) Grant Enfinger, Ford, 144.
2. (6) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 144.
3. (12) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 144.
4. (18) Ben Rhodes, Ford, 144.
5. (29) Matt Crafton, Ford, 144.
6. (13) Myatt Snider, Ford, 144.
7. (24) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 144.
8. (21) Austin Theriault, Toyota, 144.
9. (25) Austin Wayne Self, Chevrolet, 144.
10. (4) Chris Eggleston, Toyota, 144.
11. (9) Brett Moffitt, Toyota, 144.
12. (27) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, 144.
13. (20) Korbin Forrister, Toyota, 144.
14. (30) Justin Fontaine, Chevrolet, 144.
15. (26) Jesse Little, Ford, 144.
16. (28) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 144.
17. (2) Stewart Friesen, Chevrolet, 144.
18. (1) Noah Gragson, Toyota, 143.
19. (14) Timothy Peters, Chevrolet, 143.
20. (32) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 143.
21. (23) TJ Bell, Chevrolet, Accident, 138.
22. (8) John Hunter Nemechek, Chevrolet, Accident, 138.
23. (16) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Accident, 138.
24. (15) Cody Coughlin, Chevrolet, Accident, 134.
25. (19) Cory Roper, Ford, Accident, 120.
26. (7) Brandon Jones, Toyota, Accident, 119.
27. (10) Todd Gilliland, Toyota, Accident, 86.
28. (31) Wendell Chavous, Chevrolet, Accident, 86.
29. (5) Riley Herbst, Toyota, Accident, 56.
30. (17) Bo LeMastus, Toyota, Accident, 45.
31. (22) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, Vibration, 27.
32. (11) Tanner Thorson, Chevrolet, Accident, 2.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 101.647 mph.
Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 07 Mins, 30 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.142 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 11 for 47 laps.
Lead Changes: 21 among 9 drivers.
Lap Leaders: N. Gragson 1-33; S. Friesen 34-40; G. Enfinger 41; S. Friesen 42-49; G. Enfinger 50-62; J. Anderson 63; T. Gilliland 64-68; G. Enfinger 69-84; J. Anderson 85; G. Enfinger 86-89; S. Friesen 90-91; G. Enfinger 92-94; B. Rhodes 95; G. Enfinger 96; B. Rhodes 97-99; J. Sauter 100-104; M. Crafton 105-107; J. Sauter 108-115; M. Crafton 116; J. Sauter 117-124; B. Moffitt 125-142; G. Enfinger 143-144.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): G. Enfinger 7 times for 40 laps; N. Gragson 1 time for 33 laps; J. Sauter 3 times for 21 laps; B. Moffitt 1 time for 18 laps; S. Friesen 3 times for 17 laps; T. Gilliland 1 time for 5 laps; B. Rhodes 2 times for 4 laps; M. Crafton 2 times for 4 laps; J. Anderson 2 times for 2 laps.
