Racing at Phoenix Raceway is always exciting, and the LS Tractor 200 this weekend proved to be no exception. The short track in the desert gave fans and racers some edge of their seat racing with a little fighting thrown in for good measure.
Brandon Jones Thunders to Victory in NXS race at Phoenix
Brandon Jones took the victory Saturday, beating Kyle Busch with a well-played strategy of position, pit strategy, and most of all speed. Busch, who has a $100,000 bounty on him next week at Atlanta in Truck Series, thanks to Kevin Harvick, ran a strong race himself finishing third. In fact, it wasn’t until lap 181 that Jones was able to pass him and go onto to take the lead. Jones was solidly quick all race day, winning with a whopping 3.5 seconds over teammate Harrison Burton.
Joe Gibbs Racing enjoyed a great race overall, with a 1-2-3 finish in the event. The win also comes with the added benefit of being the 500th win for Toyota in the top three series of NASCAR. The team seemed to improve as the day went on, each car getting stronger and faster as the race progressed.
Justin Allgaier also had a good race, most of the day being the fastest driver turning laps. However, his pit strategy didn’t work as smoothly. Couple that with the bad timing of a caution and he wasn’t able to utilize his last set of new tires, putting him at a distinct disadvantage.
A Little Extra Excitement…
The real heat of the race came, however, when Dillon Bassett was driving hard for 10th place. He got up under Brandon Brown’s Chevy and got loose. The two Chevies got tangled up and hit the wall, leaving Bassett in 18th and Brown in 12th. Brown drew his car to a stop on pit road where Bassett and his brother confronted him and began a fight. The two ended up having to be separated by crew members and NASCAR officials.
Phoenix Raceway always gives fans and teams a great race from start to finish. The short track in the desert always provides plenty of heat on and off the track and this week didn’t disappoint. The hard-charging drivers and teams brought a breathtaking race to the oval in the desert.
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