Enfinger Survives Three Overtime Starts to Win Truck Race at LVMS

AP Photo/Isaac Brekken

LAS VEGAS, NV – RIS – Brent Enfinger was able to take the lead on the third overtime period and went on to win the NASCAR Camping World race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday night.  Brent Moffitt had been the leader but ran out of fuel shortly after the restart.  Enfinger advanced to the second round of the playoffs with his second career victory. The 2015 ARCA Racing Series champion also won in 2016 at Talladega Superspeedway, his home track in Alabama and the site of the next playoff race.

Johnny Sauter was second, 0.142 seconds behind on the 1.5-mile oval as playoff drivers took the first five spots. Justin Haley, the winner of the playoff opener in Canada to secure a spot in the next round, was third, followed by Ben Rhodes and Matt Crafton.

Moffitt, also in the playoffs, ended up 11th. Fellow playoff drivers Stewart Friesen (18th) and Timothy Peters (19th) were the first two cars a lap down. The playoff field will be cut from eight to six drivers after the Talladega race.

Enfinger survived three attempts at a green-white-checkered overtime finish and a red flag for a multi-truck crash to win the caution-plagued World of Westgate 200 on Friday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Round 2 of the seven-race run to the championship 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.

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.

Unofficial Race Results - 22nd Annual World Of Westgate 200 - September 14, 2018
Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Las Vegas, NV

Fin, Str, Driver, Trk, Laps, St1, St2, Tms Led, Laps Led, Playoff Pts, Pts, Status
1) 3, Grant Enfinger (P), No. 98 Champion Power Equipment/Curb Records Ford, 144, 7, 1, 7, 40, 6, 54, Running
2) 6, Johnny Sauter (P), No. 21 Allegiant Chevrolet, 144, 6, 8, 3, 21, , 43, Running
3) 12, Justin Haley (P), No. 24 Fraternal Order Of Eagles Chevrolet, 144, 9, , , , , 36, Running
4) 18, Ben Rhodes (P), No. 41 The Carolina Nut Co. Ford, 144, 10, 7, 2, 4, , 38, Running
5) 29, Matt Crafton (P), No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Ford, 144, 8, 2, 2, 4, , 44, Running
6) 13, Myatt Snider #, No. 13 Century Container Ford, 144, , , , , , 31, Running
7) 24, Ross Chastain(i), No. 15 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet, 144, , , , , , 0, Running
8) 21, Austin Theriault, No. 30 Cross Insurance Toyota, 144, , , , , , 29, Running
9) 25, Austin Wayne Self, No. 22 GO TEXAN Chevrolet, 144, , , , , , 28, Running
10) 4, Chris Eggleston, No. 54 H2O Fire Protection Toyota, 144, , , , , , 27, Running
11) 9, Brett Moffitt (P), No. 16 TZ Toyota, 144, , 10, 1, 18, , 27, Running
12) 27, Jennifer Jo Cobb, No. 10 Waldo's Painting Company Chevrolet, 144, , , , , , 25, Running
13) 20, Korbin Forrister, No. 7 TruClear Toyota, 144, , , , , , 24, Running
14) 30, Justin Fontaine #, No. 45 ProMATIC Automation/Superior Essex Chevrolet, 144, , , , , , 23, Running
15) 26, Jesse Little, No. 97 JJL Motorsports Ford, 144, , 6, , , , 27, Running
16) 28, Bayley Currey, No. 83 Chevrolet, 144, , , , , , 21, Running
17) 2, Stewart Friesen (P), No. 52 We Build America Chevrolet, 144, 3, 5, 3, 17, , 34, Running
18) 1, Noah Gragson (P), No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota, 143, 1, 3, 1, 33, 1, 37, Running
19) 14, Timothy Peters, No. 25 Kingman Chevrolet Chevrolet, 143, , , , , , 18, Running
20) 32, Jordan Anderson, No. 3 Commercial Property Services Chevrolet, 143, , , 2, 2, , 17, Running
21) 23, TJ Bell, No. 38 Niece Equipment Chevrolet, 138, , , , , , 16, Accident
22) 8, John Hunter Nemechek(i), No. 8 Berry's Manufacturing Chevrolet, 138, 2, 4, , , , 0, Accident
23) 16, Austin Hill, No. 02 Young's Building Systems/Randco Chevrolet, 138, , , , , , 14, Accident
24) 15, Cody Coughlin, No. 2 GOD BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD Chevrolet, 134, , , , , , 13, Accident
25) 19, Cory Roper, No. 04 Preferred Industrial Contractors Inc. Ford, 120, , , , , , 12, Accident
26) 7, Brandon Jones(i), No. 51 Delta Faucet/Menards Toyota, 119, 5, 9, , , , 0, Accident
27) 10, Todd Gilliland #, No. 4 JBL/SiriusXM Toyota, 86, 4, , 1, 5, , 17, Accident
28) 31, Wendell Chavous, No. 49 Sobriety Nation Chevrolet, 86, , , , , , 9, Accident
29) 5, Riley Herbst, No. 46 Advance Auto Parts Toyota, 56, , , , , , 8, Accident
30) 17, Bo LeMastus #, No. 17 Crosley Brands Toyota, 45, , , , , , 7, Accident
31) 22, Joe Nemechek, No. 87 Harrah's Chevrolet, 27, , , , , , 6, Vibration
32) 11, Tanner Thorson, No. 20 GO Share Chevrolet, 2, , , , , , 5, Accident
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series, (#) Rookie

1.5 Mile Paved, Total Race Length - 144 Laps - 216 Miles, 
Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 07 Mins, 30 Secs.
Average Speed: 101.647 MPH
Margin of Victory: 0.142 Seconds
Race Comments: Grant Enfinger won the 22nd Annual World of Westgate 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his second victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Prior to the start of the race, the following trucks dropped to the rear of the field under penalty for the reasons indicated: Nos. 41, 88 (unapproved adjustments).
Failed to Qualify: (3) 12 Tate Fogleman, 33 JJ Yeley(i), 6 Norm Benning.
Caution Flags: 11 for 47 laps: Laps: 5-12 (Fluid on Track from No.20 [None]);
32-37 (End of Stage 1 [10]);
47-49 (No.17 Incident Turn 3 [None]);
62-66 (End of Stage 2 [None]);
84-89 (No.4, 97 Incident Turn 1 [10]);
101-103 (No.8, 52, 98, 88 Incident Turn 2 [83]);
114-116 (No.52 Spin Frontstretch [83]);
122-124 (No.04 Stopped on Pit Road [52]);
131-133 (No.52 Incident Frontstretch [18]);
135-137 (No.2, 8, 30 Incident Backstretch [52]);
139-142 (No.02, 3, 8, 25, 30, 38, 52, 54, 97 Incident Turn 4 [Red Flag: 10:49] [18]).
Lead Changes: 21 among 9 drivers: N. Gragson (P) 1-33;
S. Friesen (P) 34-40;
G. Enfinger (P) 41;
S. Friesen (P) 42-49;
G. Enfinger (P) 50-62;
J. Anderson 63;
T. Gilliland No. 64-68;
G. Enfinger (P) 69-84;
J. Anderson 85;
G. Enfinger (P) 86-89;
S. Friesen (P) 90-91;
G. Enfinger (P) 92-94;
B. Rhodes (P) 95;
G. Enfinger (P) 96;
B. Rhodes (P) 97-99;
J. Sauter (P) 100-104;
M. Crafton (P) 105-107;
J. Sauter (P) 108-115;
M. Crafton (P) 116;
J. Sauter (P) 117-124;
B. Moffitt (P) 125-142;
G. Enfinger (P) 143-144.
Duralast GT Brakes ‘Brake in the Race Award’ - Stage 1: Noah Gragson, No.18
Duralast GT Brakes ‘Brake in the Race Award’ - Stage 2: Grant Enfinger, No.98
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Ilmor Engines (IE), No.98
Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Grant Enfinger, No.98 
Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Myatt Snider, No.13

Ron Fleshman with John Davison

RIS NASCAR Editor.  Has been with RIS since the middle 90's. Writes on each of the three main series of NASCAR.

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Volume 2018, Issue 9, Posted 12:56 AM, 09.15.2018