Johnny Sauter Wins Chicagoland Truck Race

Mike DiNovo - USAToday Sports

JOLIET, IL - RIS - Johnny Sauter won the NASCAR Truck Series race Friday night at Chicagoland Speedway and heads into the playoffs trying to win his second straight series championship.  It was the last race before the playoffs to determine the playoff, but he didn't win the biggest prize.

Ben Rhodes overcame a penalty on pit road that dropped him a lap back to finish sixth, which was just good enough to take the final playoff spot over Ryan Truex on a tiebreaker. Rhodes claimed the only open spot in the eight-driver field headed into the Chicagoland cutoff race.

"They gave me the (playoff) hat and I'm like, 'Are you sure this is ours?' They said we were tied and we got the tiebreaker," Rhodes said. "I can't believe it. I'm glad we're in. Overall, everything worked out for us."

Truex, the younger brother of Cup star Martin Truex Jr., started on the pole and led 30 laps.

"We did everything we could do besides win," Truex said.

"This is what we needed," Rhodes said. "This is the momentum, this is the shot in the arm."

Truex, the younger brother of Cup star Martin Truex Jr., started on the pole and led 30 laps.

"We did everything we could do besides win," Truex said.

John Hunter Nemechek, Matt Crafton, Austin Cindric, Kaz Grala and Chase Briscoe also are in the field. Briscoe was second in the race and is the only Truck driver in the playoff field without a victory this season.

Sauter took the lead with 28 laps left in the No. 21 Chevrolet and won for the second time this season and 15th in 214 career Truck races.

"This thing was unreal on the last run," Sauter said.

Driving for GMS Racing, Sauter beat Crafton, Bell and Timothy Peters in last season's finale in which the highest-finisher among the four drivers would take the championship. He showed again he just might be the driver to beat for the title.

Unofficial Race Results for the Ninth Annual Thehouse.Com 225 - Chicagoland Speedway - Joliet, IL - Friday, September 15, 2017

Fin, Str, Driver, Trk, Laps, Stage 1 Pos, Stage 2 Pos, Pts, Status, Tms, Laps, Playoff Pts
1) 4, Johnny Sauter, No. 21 ISMConnect Chevrolet, 150, 2, 4, 56, Running, 1, 28, 5
2) 2, Chase Briscoe #, No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford, 150, 5, 2, 50, Running, 2, 18, 
3) 3, Christopher Bell, No. 4 SiriusXM Toyota, 150, 8, 1, 47, Running, 5, 72, 1
4) 1, Ryan Truex, No. 16 ADVICS/AISIN Toyota, 150, 1, 8, 46, Running, 2, 29, 1
5) 8, Grant Enfinger #, No. 98 Jive Toyota, 150, , , 32, Running, , , 
6) 13, Ben Rhodes, No. 27 Safelite Auto Glass Toyota, 150, 3, , 39, Running, , , 
7) 12, John H. Nemechek, No. 8 Fire Alarm Services/Nickelodeon Chevrolet, 150, 4, 7, 41, Running, , , 
8) 6, Noah Gragson #, No. 18 Switch Toyota, 150, 10, 10, 31, Running, , , 
9) 14, Kaz Grala #, No. 33 Stealth Chevrolet, 150, , , 28, Running, , , 
10) 10, Myatt Snider, No. 51 Louisiana Hot Sauce Toyota, 150, , 9, 29, Running, , , 
11) 11, Cody Coughlin #, No. 13 JEGS Toyota, 150, , , 26, Running, , , 
12) 16, Regan Smith, No. 92 BTS Tire & Wheel/Advance Auto Parts Ford, 149, 9, , 27, Running, , , 
13) 15, Tyler Young, No. 02 Randco/Young's Building Systems Chevrolet, 149, , , 24, Running, , , 
14) 9, Justin Haley #, No. 24 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet, 149, , 6, 28, Running, 1, 2, 
15) 7, Austin Cindric #, No. 19 Draw-Tite/Reese Brands Ford, 148, 6, 5, 33, Running, , , 
16) 5, Matt Crafton, No. 88 Black Label Bacon/Menards Toyota, 148, 7, 3, 33, Running, 1, 1, 
17) 17, Justin Fontaine, No. 45 ProMatic Automation Toyota, 148, , , 20, Running, , , 
18) 23, Wendell Chavous #, No. 49 Chevrolet, 144, , , 19, Running, , , 
19) 25, Josh Reaume, No. 50 WCIparts.com Chevrolet, 143, , , 18, Running, , , 
20) 18, Austin Wayne Self, No. 44 AM Technical Solutions Chevrolet, 143, , , 17, Running, , , 
21) 21, Jordan Anderson, No. 1 Lucas Oil/Bommarito.com Chevrolet, 133, , , 16, Clutch, , , 
22) 22, Camden Murphy, No. 83 Ronald McDonald House Charities Chevrolet, 102, , , 15, Suspension, , , 
23) 30, Norm Benning, No. 6 Parkhill Excavating Chevrolet, 101, , , 14, Transmission, , , 
24) 31, Jennifer Jo Cobb, No. 10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Rebel Road Chevrolet, 27, , , 13, Suspension, , , 
25) 19, Gray Gaulding(i), No. 15 Chevrolet, 25, , , 0, Fuel Pump, , , 
26) 27, Ted Minor, No. 14 Edge Guard Chevrolet, 23, , , 11, Engine, , , 
27) 28, Mike Harmon(i), No. 74 Chevrolet, 12, , , 0, Transmission, , , 
28) 29, Tommy Regan(i), No. 0 Driven2Honor.org Chevrolet, 11, , , 0, Engine, , , 
29) 24, Kevin Donahue, No. 63 Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool Chevrolet, 10, , , 8, Accident, , , 
30) 26, BJ McLeod(i), No. 36 Chevrolet, 10, , , 0, Electrical, , , 
31) 20, Joe Nemechek, No. 87 D.A.B. Constructors Inc. Chevrolet, 7, , , 6, Vibration, , , 
32) 32, Mike Senica, No. 57 Chevrolet, 0, , , 5, Rear Gear, , , 
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series, (#) Rookie

Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 49 Mins, 32 Secs.
Average Speed: 123.250 MPH
Margin of Victory: 2.005 Seconds
Race Comments: Johnny Sauter won the 9th Annual TheHouse.com 225, his 15th victory in 214 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
Failed to Qualify: N/A
Caution Flags: 6 for 28 laps: Laps: 4-6 (No. 15 stall on track [None]); 12-16 (No. 63 incident in turn 2 [None]); 31-34 (No. 51 incident in turn 2 [6]); 37-42 (Stage 1 conclusion [None]); 72-77 (Stage 2 conclusion [45]); 107-110 (No. 88 spin in turn 4 [02]).
Lead Changes: 12 among 6 drivers: R. Truex 0; C. Bell 1; R. Truex 2-23; C. Bell 24-30; R. Truex 31-37; C. Briscoe # 38-54; C. Bell 55-76; M. Crafton 77; C. Bell 78-107; J. Haley # 108-109; C. Briscoe # 110; C. Bell 111-122; J. Sauter 123-150.
Duralast GT Brakes 'Brake in the Race Award' - Stage 1: Ryan Truex, No. 16 Stage 1
Duralast GT Brakes 'Brake in the Race Award' - Stage 2: Christopher Bell, No. 4 Stage 2
Keystone Light Pole Award: Ryan Truex, No. 16 175.982 mph
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Joe Gibbs Engines, No. 4 
Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Johnny Sauter, No. 21 
Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Chase Briscoe, No. 29