Chandler Smith put on a dominant performance, leading 49 of 60 laps to earn his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win of the season in the CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway.
With Smith’s victory, Kyle Busch Motorsports has now won seven of the last eight truck races at Pocono.
“This Charge Me Toyota Tundra was fast today,” Smith said to Fox Sports’ Josh Sims after the race. “It was really good. It was a little tight, had problems getting through the gears, so sorry to the 51 team but also thank you to the 51 team, this one is just as much mine as it is yours.”
Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith, the points leader, finished 13th but officially clinched the regular season championship and the 15 playoff points to go with it. Zane came into the race needing just two points to clinch the title.
After coming into the race hovering above the cutline, GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger and ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton secured the final two playoff spots to set the 10-truck field. Crafton had trouble on pit road late in the race after his truck fell off the jack, but managed to finish 15th. Enfinger secured a 17th place finish.
The field has been reset as follows.
Unofficial reset of truck points (since two would be eliminated after first round) … ZSmith +35, CSmith +20, Rhodes +15, Nemechek +14, Friesen +11, Eckes +5, Majeski +4, Hocevar +3, Enfinger -3, Crafton -4.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 23, 2022
Zane started the race on pole after practice and qualifying were canceled due to rain. Chandler would quickly take the lead on the first lap, and hold it until Lap 27.
Before a full first lap was run under green, the yellow flag was thrown out for a Jack Wood spin in turn two. The race featured five total cautions (four for cause).
Soon after the race returned to green lap five, Niece Motorsports No. 40 Dean Thompson got into an accident on lap eight.
The race returned to green for just two more laps before the most significant accident of the day happened on Lap 13. Hailie Deegan, Tyler Hill, Blaine Perkins, Wood and Todd Bodine were all involved in a wreck.
Bodine would not be able to continue, bringing his 800th and potentially final national series start to an unfortunate end.
“I’ve been so blessed to be able to do what I love to do for 800 times, make so many good friends and have so many great people involved in my life,” Bodine said to Fox Sports after the wreck. “It’s a pretty blessed life to have.”
The wreck ended the first stage under caution, giving Chandler the stage win.
Besides a five-lap run for Christian Eckes from Lap 28-32, Chandler would continue to run away with it in the second stage. Chandler would pit from the lead, allowing ThorSport’s Christian Eckes to win the stage.
Ryan Preece, driving the No. 17 truck for David Gilliland Racing for the seventh time this season, chased down Chandler in the final stage, taking the lead on lap 41. Preece held the lead for six laps, four of which were run under caution due to debris on the track.
Though Preece continued to apply pressure along with the KBM duo of John Hunter Nemechek and Corey Heim, Chandler regained the lead on lap 47 and did not relinquish it.
The first round of the playoffs will begin July 29 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for the TSport 200 at 9:00 EST. Coverage can be found on Fox Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Results:
Final regular season points standings:
