Gone Truckin’ – a phrase you may not hear all too much in the Bluegrass State. And yet, many would say those exact words on Thursday night, as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rumbled into the Kentucky Speedway.
The story so far this season for the Trucks has been the battle between three leading teams in the series – ThorSport, Kyle Busch Motorsports, and Brad Keselowski Racing. And with qualifying rained out this weekend, all three multi-truck teams would be leading the field to green, with Matt Crafton (#88 Menard’s Toyota) captain of them all.
Much of the race was dominated by these three teams, with Crafton, Erik Jones (#4 Toyota), and Tyler Reddick (#19 Broken Bow Records Ford) swapping the lead back and forth. Throw into there the monkey wrench of John Hunter Nemechek (#8 Toyota), who was making his first start at the track, and you had a strongly competitive race for the lead.
Meanwhile, the truck that once carried the banner for Brad Keselowski Racing ran into trouble late in the race, with an uncontrolled tire forcing Ryan Blaney (#29 Cooper Standard Ford) to the back of the field on a restart with the penalty. This caution, caused by the tire, would set up the looming fuel mileage race, having to wait and see who could make it to the checkered flag.
A late race caution would change everything, though, as Caleb Holman (#75 Food Country USA Chevy) tangled with Daniel Hemric (#14 California Clean Power Chevy) while racing for the free pass, and wrecked off turn 2. This set up a chance for all trucks to pit for tires and fuel, but two trucks stayed out – the teammates from Brad Keselowski Racing.
But of course, in any NASCAR Trucks race, three words ring true – cautions breed cautions. With cautions piling up, the race at the front closed up again, with Jones and Crafton once again back in the hunt. Crafton was able to pass for the lead on a restart. Then, suddenly the race stopped. Literally.
With five laps to go, Ben Kennedy (#11 Local Motors Chevy) crashed hard in Turns 1 and 2, tearing into the catch fence and bending a support pole. The crash was an eerie reminder of the crash of Austin Dillon on Monday morning in the Sprint Cup’s Coke Zero 400. Kennedy was okay and released from the care center, but NASCAR was forced to call the race due to the significant damage to the fence. The leader at the time of the caution was Matt Crafton, and he would be the winner of the UNOH 225 at Kentucky.
The Camping World Truck Series returns to action midweek on Wednesday, July 22nd as the Trucks take on the dirt at Eldora Speedway. Coverage can be seen across Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2.
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