The end of a doubleheader day of racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway came to a close with the NASCAR Trucks racing in the Great Clips 200. Many thought coming into the day that Toyota and Matt Crafton could steal the show, but the end of the race was one for the history books.
Matt Crafton (#88 Menard’s Toyota) was indeed the driver to beat early in the race. After landing on the pole in qualifying earlier in the day, Crafton would lead from the outset, holding off a challenge from Christopher Bell (#4 JBL Toyota) after he blew a tire.
The caution clock, a new rule instituted by NASCAR this year, would also come into play today. For the first time, the twenty-minute clock would run out under green flag racing, and change the shape of the strategy. The second one would come out with less than thirty laps to go, setting up a dash to the finish.
As the race wound down, the racing would get tighter and the drivers more desperate. That desperation would lead to a crash at the front of the field, taking out contenders like Matt Crafton and Daniel Suarez (#51 Arris Toyota). Many thought that would leave Christopher Bell in the catbird seat to win.
However, Bell’s luck would run out as well. Like early in the race, Bell would blow a tire, this time while leading, and crash. Now the question becomes, who will win the Great Clips 200 at Atlanta.
John Hunter Nemechek (#8 Toyota) inherited the lead after Bell’s crash, and would never look back. Hanging on in a two-lap dash to the finish, John Hunter Nemechek would win the Great Clips 200 at Atlanta, his second career Truck win.
Coming home in second would be Cameron Hayley (#13 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota) in his best career finish, and Timothy Peters (#17 Toyota) in third. Nemechek, meanwhile, has won both of his Truck races without a sponsor on his vehicle.
Next up for the Camping World Truck Series will be three weeks off, and then racing at Martinsville Speedway, where you can be sure that sheet metal will get bent. See it all on April 2 on FS1.
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