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Justin Haley took the lead in the final yards of the Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, on Sunday to claim the win in the first 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff race.
“That was amazing. I knew going in there, [Noah] Gragson was probably going to do something not the smartest. That was going to line us up pretty good,” Haley said. “I saw it coming and I knew we were in the catbird’s seat.”
Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson were on the front row, with Gilliland as the race leader for an overtime restart, but on the final lap, Gragson made contact with Gilliland that sent both drivers into a spin in Turn 10. Gragson remained in the top-10 to finish ninth, while Gilliland wound up 11th after leading 11 laps.
KBM teammates up front late
, Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson restart on the front row with two laps remaining in the Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Aug. 26, 2018., Getty Images for NASCAR“I’d go fight him right now, but I can’t,” Gilliland said of his teammate. “I just need to get my emotions in check and go talk to him, but I’m extremely mad.”
Gragson led 35 laps of the race that was scheduled for 64 laps but was extended by one because of a fifth caution with three laps remaining in the scheduled distance. He and Gilliland were the only two drivers to post double digits in the laps-led column. Gragson also won both 20-lap stages in the first 40 laps of the race.
Ben Rhodes started on the pole and led the first six laps before Gragson passed him for the lead on Lap 7. Gragson then lost the lead through pit strategy between the first two stages when he pitted and other drivers, including Timothy Peters, stayed out. Gragson restarted fifth, but in a few laps, he was back up front.
After the conclusion of the second stage, Gragson lost the lead again by pitting. Johnny Sauter stayed out after stopping during a previous caution at the halfway point of the race and took the lead.
Gilliland got up to second in the running order on a restart inside the final 15 laps and soon took the lead from Sauter. By the final caution, Gragson was up to second.
After leading the opening laps, Rhodes spun two to go and finished 14th, making him the only playoff driver to finish outside the top-10.
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 250 RESULTS (* = playoff driver)
1. *Justin Haley, No. 24 Chevrolet
2. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 8 Chevrolet
3. *Brett Moffitt, No. 16 Toyota
4. Timothy Peters, No. 25 Chevrolet
5. *Matt Crafton, No. 88 Ford
6. *Johnny Sauter, No. 21 Chevrolet
7. *Stewart Friesen, No. 52 Chevrolet
8. Austin Hill, No. 02 Chevrolet
9. *Noah Gragson, No. 18 Toyota
10. Alex Tagliani, No. 12 Chevrolet
11. Todd Gilliland, No. 4 Toyota
12. D.J. Kennington, No. 49 Chevrolet
13. Harrison Burton, No. 51 Toyota
14. *Ben Rhodes, No. 41 Ford
15. Cody Coughlin, No. 2 Chevrolet
16. Jordan Anderson, No. 3 Chevrolet
17. Grant Enfinger, No. 98 Ford
18. Justin Fontaine, No. 45 Chevrolet
19. Myatt Snider, No. 13 Ford
20. Norm Benning, No. 6 Chevrolet
21. Austin Wayne Self, No. 22 Chevrolet
22. Bo LeMastus, No. 54 Toyota
23. Jason White, No. 33 Chevrolet
24. Wendell Chavous, No. 15 Chevrolet
25. Jesse Iwuji, No. 34 Chevrolet
26. Justin Kunz, No. 0 Chevrolet
27. Roger Reuse, No. 97 Chevrolet
28. Ray Ciccarelli, No. 50 Chevrolet
29. Jennifer Jo Cobb, No. 10 Chevrolet
30. Max Tullman, No. 20 Chevrolet
31. Mike Harmon, No. 74 Chevrolet
32. Joe Nemechek, No. 87 Chevrolet
UP NEXT: After two off weekends, the Camping World Truck Series playoffs resume Sept. 14 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch won the most recent Truck Series race at LVMS in March, but he won’t be in the Truck Series race there this time around, as Cup Series drivers aren’t allowed to compete in Truck Series playoff races. Playoff driver Ben Rhodes is the defending winner of the fall race at the track.
