Former series champion Brett Moffitt won Saturday’s Truck race to become the first playoff driver to secure a spot in next month’s title race at Phoenix Raceway.
Hailie Deegan finished 16th in her series debut, posting the best finish by a female driver in a Truck debut. During the race it was announced that Deegan will run the Truck series in 2021.
Moffitt, who won the 2018 title, held the lead on an overtime restart after surviving a duel with teammate Zane Smith.
Smith sent the race into overtime with his caution as he battled Moffitt for the lead with three laps to go. As they raced down the backstretch, Smith and Moffitt made contact. Smith’s truck went down to the apron and slid in Turn 3 as he came up the track.
“Sorry, he came down as I went up,” Smith radioed his team after the incident.
Moffitt took the blame for the incident.
“Got to apologize to the 21 for trying to block him, but we were racing hard for a championship spot,” Moffitt told Fox after the race. “A bad block by me. It’s my fault.”
Sheldon Creed, who won the first two stages, finished second, giving GMS Racing a 1-2 finish. Austin Hill placed third and was followed by Grant Enfinger and Chandler Smith. Timothy Peters, in his first race of the season, finished seventh.
Deegan’s 16th-place finish topped the best finish by a female driver in her series debut by one spot. Johanna Long had held it since July 2010 when she finished 17th at what is now Lucas Oil Raceway.
STAGE 1 WINNER: Sheldon Creed
STAGE 2 WINNER: Sheldon Creed
WHO HAD A GOOD RACE: Brett Moffitt’s win was his first of the season. … Sheldon Creed’s runner-up finish was his second runner-up finish in the last three races.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Playoff driver Tyler Ankrum was eliminated by a multi-truck crash at the beginning of the second stage. He finished 34th. … Playoff driver Ben Rhodes finished 20th.
NEXT: The series races at noon ET Oct 25 at Texas Motor Speedway.
