Posted on by RJ Kraft

RELATED: Race results | Playoff standings

DOVER, Del. – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. proved to be prescient. The Roush Fenway Racing driver indicated on Friday that getting stage points could be a difference-making strategy play and he was, indeed, correct.

A timely caution on Lap 86 of the Apache Warrior 400 presented by Lucas Oil at Dover International Speedway set the stage for Stenhouse to snag stage points in Sunday’s opening 120-lap stage. At the time, green flag stops were underway and Stenhouse was one of five cars yet to pit. But then Jeffrey Earnhardt had a run-in with the pit road sand barriers, and everything changed.

Before the flurry of pit road activity, the Mississippi native had been running in the low 20s.

Stenhouse restarted third on Lap 93 and would finish the stage on Lap 120 in fourth. Those seven stage points ended up being the difference in advancing to the Round of 12. Stenhouse, who turns 30 years old on Monday, ended the day two points to the good on Ryan Newman for the last transfer spot into the next round — and even received a hug of congratulations from friend Tony Stewart.

“We got really, really lucky on that caution,” Stenhouse said on pit road after the race. “We were getting ready to pit and that was really the turning point of our race. Gave us a big buffer when we came in. We needed all of it.”

WATCH: Earnhardt crashes into pit road barriers

Stenhouse entered the elimination race in a tie with Austin Dillon for the last spot to advance, and he held the tiebreaker over the Richard Childress Racing driver. Dillon gave Stenhouse credit for the strategy play working out just right to help him advance.

“The No. 17 played the strategy right and got the stage points and we were racing him pretty much the rest of the day,” Stenhouse said. “So, we tried some more strategy stuff by staying out there at the end on older tires and we didn’t get the caution. So, congratulations to the No. 17 team for moving on.”

RELATED: Dillon reflects on missing out on advancing

Still, Stenhouse’s position remained precarious as Newman made his way up to 13th — and two points behind the final spot — while Stenhouse was trapped a lap down.

“Right there at the end, it’s hard knowing where everybody is,” Stenhouse said. “My spotter was keeping me up-to-date that we were two to the good, but you never know if the 31 or 3 is getting ready to pass a couple cars. It was nerve-racking there at the end. I felt like it was pretty smooth until the last two runs when we just didn’t have a good handle on the car. That was probably the worst two runs and that made me a little nervous.”

With two restrictor-plate wins this season — one each at Daytona and Talladega — and a points reset that drops him in eighth in the standings, Stenhouse is carrying a little extra spring in his step since the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway is in the Round of 12.

“Talladega is our best track to grab a win,” Stenhouse said. “We knew coming into Dover, we probably didn’t have a car capable of winning. But Talladega, we feel confident going in that we got that car. Jimmy Fennig has been working hard on our speedway program. …

“We restart this round ahead of a few others and that’s a positive.”

 

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Race results | Kyle Busch foils Elliott at Dover

Editor’s note: This story has been updated from the original version

Two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars were found with an unsecured lug nut after Sunday’s Apache Warrior 400 at Dover International Speedway.

The Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Ford driven to a sixth-place finish by Clint Bowyer and the 12th-place Furniture Row Racing No. 77 Toyota of rookie Erik Jones each had one unsecured lug nut in a post-race check.

Under the rules set forth in the 2017 NASCAR deterrence system, the suggested guidelines for such an infraction is a $10,000 fine.

Any penalties from NASCAR’s competition department will be announced later in the week.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Race results | Elliott dejected | Round of 12 set

DOVER, Del. — Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman got into a brief exchange on pit road at Dover International Speedway following the Apache Warrior 400 presented by Lucas Oil. 

Gordon, who spent the race on the No. 24 pit box of race runner-up Chase Elliott, said in passing to Newman, “thanks for the help,” seemingly in reference to Newman not letting then-race leader Elliott by in the closing laps of the race as the driver of the No. 31 fought to stay on the lead lap with his playoff hopes on the line.

Kyle Busch passed Elliott for the final lead change just before the white flag dropped.

Newman quizzically asked Gordon, “You don’t think I was racing for my own position? Just watch what you say, man. You said it as a smartass.”

Gordon denied any malice, and it appears the two talked it out after.

The Richard Childress Racing driver was fighting to advance to the Round of 12 but came up two points short to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the final transfer spot.

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Race results | Full schedule for Charlotte

DOVER, Del. — Chase Elliott simply sat still, his head in his hands — contemplative — before climbing out of his second-place finishing No. 24 NAPA Chevrolet on Dover International Speedway pit road late Sunday afternoon.

A few minutes later, he climbed out and leaned against his car facing away from the crowd of reporters, crew members and race officials on pit road as his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson approached. The reigning and seven-time Cup champion leaned back against the car as well and faced the 21-year old Elliott, who led a race-best 137 laps but not the final one.

Veteran Kyle Busch got around Elliott with one lap to go. And so, the highly-touted, highly-talented former XFINITY Series champion and son of Hall of Famer Bill Elliott came .357-seconds shy of his first Cup victory.

It was his second runner-up finish in the last three races, third on the season and fifth of his two-year Cup career.

It stung. And his teammate Johnson felt for him.

“I knew I couldn’t say anything to make it better, but I felt like just standing there was maybe helpful since I know him so well,” Johnson shared later. “Maybe let him get a few cuss words out before he had to actually pull it together and do a proper interview.

“I don’t think you can say anything now to make it better. As we get close to next weekend, the sting will subside and you can look for the silver lining. But right now, it’s gonna hurt, it’s gonna sting. We all know that 24 car is going to win a lot of races soon.”

After dutifully doing a required television interview, Elliott came into Dover Media Center to take questions from reporters. Many were still outside doing interviews and Elliott had to wait a few moments before the session began. His body language was easily translated, the disappointment palpable.

His answers to reporters questions were short, but heartfelt.

“It was all just lap-traffic dependent,” he surmised of Busch’s pass. “I thought if I had a clean track, I could have run as fast as he did, but I didn’t, and I should have done something different. 

“So that’s just on me, and he did a better job than I did. At the end of the day that’s what it comes down to.”

Of his teammate Johnson’s consolation, he said, “Well, you know, I certainly appreciate his friendship and him willing to come over and talk to me, but yes, I think that kind of shows the kind of person he is, but it doesn’t fix my lack of performance this afternoon.”

Many would argue that Elliott absolutely performed Sunday afternoon in NASCAR’s first elimination race in the 10-race playoff stretch. His time out front was not only best on the afternoon, but best of his season and accounted for nearly a third of his 364 laps led in 2017.

The previous driver of Elliott’s No. 24, four-time champion Jeff Gordon, sat atop Elliott’s pit box for the race. Sitting alone on a row behind the team’s engineers and crew chief, Gordon was expressionless watching Elliott turn the race’s final laps. He sat still with his arms crossed in front, staring at the computer screen in front of him.

There was nothing really he could do but understand the frustration the young Elliott was enduring as he took the checkered flag. When Gordon climbed off the pit box to seek Elliott out, he had nothing but praise and optimism for his young friend.

“A lot of positives to take out of it, a tremendous effort by the whole team, so really disappointing right now,” Gordon said. “He drove an amazing race and his win is coming soon. Kyle (Busch)  did a good job there in lapped traffic. It’s difficult when you’re the leader and no one wants to cut you a break trying to stay on the lead lap. It was difficult to watch.

“I’ll certainly tell him what a good job he did and try to cheer him up. It’s hard on everybody. His team has been very, very close and I know how badly he wants to win. That’s just passion. That’s what I like.”

Gordon knows about passion. As he walked down pit road to speak with Elliott, he ran into Ryan Newman, who had been among the cars in front of Elliott as he raced those final frantic laps. He and Gordon exchanged words but later walked through the garage together smiling.

Busch, who has now won two races in a row, said he was slightly surprised he was able to get around Elliott. But the veteran conceded he simply seized opportunity.

“Could Chase have done anything differently?” Busch pondered after the race.

“The only thing Chase could have done differently was just move around and try to get out of the wake of the cars that were in front of him. I was actually surprised he didn’t. 

“He kept running the bottom behind those guys, and the bottom was what got him there for that point in the day. He was good down there all day long, but he was just getting slowed down too much by the air and everything in front of him.

“He could have just tried to blitz them on the top and get around them sooner, but other than that, I think he was just so focused on what he had all day long, making the bottom work, that he just stuck with it.”

And he added, “I would just say that’s experience.”

It’s certainly something Elliott is getting. The close calls — six third-place finishes in addition to the runner-ups — provide promise and uplift. No one doubts that Elliott will win. And when he does, he will have a wonderful — and very well-earned — sense of appreciation. 

“By mid‑week I’m sure they’ll work through this and find the silver lining and move on and go to Charlotte,” Johnson said. 

“They’re a fantastic race team. Chase is one heck of a driver, and I look forward to whenever that celebration does happen.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Race results | Stage recaps | Detailed breakdown | Playoff standings
SHOP: Kyle Busch gear

DOVER, Del. – Call him the Grinch.

Halloween may be the next holiday on the calendar, but Kyle Busch stole Christmas morning from Chase Elliott late on Sunday afternoon at Dover International Speedway.

Running Elliott down from more than four seconds back in the last 40 laps of the Apache Warrior 400 at the Monster Mile, Busch powered his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota around the outside of Elliott’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and cleared him off Turn 4 as the cars approached the white flag.

A lap later, Busch had his second straight victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff, leaving a disheartened Elliott still in search of his first victory in the series and agonizing over what he might have done differently.

Though Elliott was inconsolable, there were plenty of positives in his performance. The Hendrick cars showed real speed for the first time since the playoffs began two weeks earlier at Chicagoland, and Elliott moved on comfortably to the Round of 12.

Not as fortunate were Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch, who were eliminated from the Playoffs, as Ricky Stenhouse Jr., claimed the 12th and final spot in the next round by two points over Newman, thanks to a risky-but-serendipitous pit call by crew chief Brian Pattie.

But it was Busch who stole the show and stole the race, running the top line as he sliced into Elliott’s advantage and diced his way through traffic more adroitly than his less experienced rival.

“Man, I saw that carrot out there, and I wanted to go and get it,” said Busch, who won for the fourth time at Dover and the 42nd time in his career. “I got within five lengths and I stalled out and I was like, ‘Oh, man, I think that was it,’ you know? But I got back to the top and got enough momentum back rolling. Chase was kind of plugged up with the lapped cars in front of him, so I think the lapped cars actually helped us with that one.

“But, overall, just great day for us. Great job by the team being able to get in Victory Lane here in Dover. It’s been a long time since we’ve been in Victory Lane here, and it’s hard to come by wins here because (11-time Dover winner) Jimmie (Johnson) takes up all the darn Monster trophies. But it’s nice to have a third or fourth in my collection – I can’t remember.”

Johnson, who finished third, tried to console his teammate, but Elliott felt he let his team and organization down when he failed to beat Busch to the finish line.

RELATED: Elliott dejected after finishing second

“I thought if I had a clean track, I could have run as fast as he did, but I didn’t, and I should have done something different,” said Elliott, still despondent when he arrived at the media center for his post-race interview. “So that’s just on me, and he did a better job than I did. At the end of the day that’s what it comes down to…

“Man, such a bummer, such a disappointment for my team. I don’t really have a whole lot to add.”

Series leader and pole winner Martin Truex Jr. ran fourth, followed by Kyle Larson and a trio of non-playoff drivers — Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Daniel Suarez.

Busch, Truex, Larson and 10th-place finisher Brad Keselowski had clinched spots in the Round of 12 before arriving at Dover. Elliott, Johnson, Jamie McMurray (ninth on Sunday), Matt Kenseth (11th), Kevin Harvick (17th), Ryan Blaney (23rd), Denny Hamlin (35th) and Stenhouse (19th) joined them on Sunday.

But it was Stenhouse who won the nail-biter. But for Pattie’s decision to keep the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford on track as long as possible during a cycle of green-flag pit stops late in the first stage, Stenhouse would have been eliminated.

WATCH: Jeffrey Earnhardt’s caution timely for Stenhouse Jr.

As luck would have it, Jeffrey Earnhardt spun into the barrels protecting the entrance to pit road on Lap 86 to cause the first caution of the race one circuit before Stenhouse was scheduled to pit. The fortuitous yellow left five cars on the lead lap and gave Stenhouse the track position he needed to score seven points as the fourth-place finisher in Stage 1.

That gave him the edge he needed over Newman.

“We caught the caution there right at the right time with a perfect amount of laps left in the stage to get stage points and that was the turning point of the day,” said Stenhouse, who battled back from disaster at Chicagoland and a lackluster run at New Hampshire. “Our Fastenal Ford was definitely not close to what we needed, especially the last two runs. We were close before the last two runs and made some adjustments there and really fell off.

“All in all, like I said, I feel lucky that we had all the mistakes at Chicago and really not a good car at Chicago, Loudon or Dover but we still made it in. Really, it’s hats off to the guys for fighting all day, and it’s nice that the round starts over.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs field was whittled from 16 drivers to 12 on Sunday following the playoff race at Dover International Speedway, with Kyle Busch winning.

Dover was the site of the third and final race in the Round of 16, with the four drivers lowest in the standings eliminated from the postseason and the ability to compete for a championship in Miami.

MORE: Race results | Top pictures from Dover

The following drivers advanced to the Round of 12, with seeding and points after Dover:

1. Martin Truex Jr.: 3,059 points
2. Kyle Busch: 3,041 points
3. Kyle Larson: 3,034 points
4. Brad Keselowski: 3,020 points
5. Jimmie Johnson: 3,017 points
6. Kevin Harvick: 3,015 points
7. Denny Hamlin: 3,013 points
8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 3,010 points
9. Ryan Blaney: 3,008 points
10. Chase Elliott: 3,006 points
11. Matt Kenseth: 3,005 points
12. Jamie McMurray: 3,003 points

PROCEED WITH CAUTION: Green-flag pit stops were halted in Stage 1 when Jeffrey Earnhardt wrecked into the sand barrels on the entrance to pit road, bringing out the red flag. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was a big beneficiary. He stayed out as late in the run as possible and finished fourth in Stage 1, for seven crucial points — he had been running further back in the field, hence the gamble. Austin Dillon, meanwhile, was trapped a lap down.

Those seven stage points were the difference was Stenhouse Jr. ended the race two points up on Ryan Newman for the final transfer spot.

BUBBLE BOYS: The playoff picture was tight entering Dover. Jamie McMurray came into the day in 11th place in the standings, nine points above the cutoff line. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Austin Dillon were tied for the final spot, Ryan Newman was one point behind them, and Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne trailed by double digits.

PLAYOFF BONANZA: Martin Truex Jr. will be the top seed for the Round of 12 by virtue of his playoff points. He has 59. All point totals will be reset to 3,000 for the Round of 12, with each driver’s playoff points total added to that.

Posted on by Staff Report

What channel is NASCAR programming on this week? We answer that and provide all the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

All Monster Energy Series and XFINITY Series events are also live streamed online on the NBC Sports App, which can be accessed here. Events that are only available on NBC Sports App are noted below.

RELATED: Watch on the NBC Sports App |  How to find FS1, FS2 | How to find NBCSN

Monday, Oct. 2
3 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane Dover, FS1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR 120, NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Tuesday, Oct. 3
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Wednesday, Oct. 4
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Thursday, Oct. 5
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Friday, Oct. 6
1:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Charlotte, NBCSN (Canada: TSN 2)
3 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Charlotte, NBCSN (Canada: TSN GO)
6 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice at Charlotte, NBCSN (Canada: TSN GO)
7 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying at Charlotte, NBCSN (Canada: TSN 5)
10:30 p.m., NASCAR K&N Series Race at Dover, NBCSN

Saturday, Oct. 7
10 a.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Stafford, NBCSN
11 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Charlotte, NBCSN (Canada: TSN 4) CANCELED
noon, NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying at Charlotte, NBCSN (Canada: TSN GO) CANCELED
1 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice at Charlotte, NBCSN (Canada: TSN 2) CANCELED
7:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN
8:31 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Drive for The Cure 300 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, NBCSN (Canada: TSN 2) ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR 3 p.m. ET
10:45 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN

Sunday, Oct. 8
11 a.m., NASCAR America Sunday, NBCSN
noon, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBC
1 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America 500 at Charlotte, NBC (Canada: TSN 1, 4) TIME CHANGE
6 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show at Charlotte, NBCSN
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN
11 p.m., NASCAR K&N Series at Meridian Speedway, NBCSN

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and XFINITY Series are both in action and both in the Round of 12 in the playoffs. The Monster Energy Series begins its second-round NASCAR Playoffs action while the XFINITY Series closes out its opening round at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Monster Energy Series and XFINITY Series events are also live streamed online on the NBC Sports App, which can be accessed here. Check out the full on-track weekend schedule below.

Note: All times are ET

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8
ON TRACK
1 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America 500 (334 laps, 501 miles), NBC (Results) (Canada: TSN 1, 4) TIME CHANGE

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
6:00 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6
1:30-2:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN (Results) (Canada: TSN 2)
3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, NBCSN (Results) (Canada: TSN GO)
6-6:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN (Results) (Canada: TSN GO)
7:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN (Results) (Canada: TSN 5)

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
1 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
2:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
11:45 a.m.: Ryan Blaney
12:45 p.m.: Kyle Larson
1 p.m.: Michael Annett, Brendan Gaughan, Daniel Hemric and Ryan Reed
3 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3:40 p.m.: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
4 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
8:10 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7
11-11:50 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN (Canada: TSN 4) CANCELED
12:05 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN (Lineup) (Canada: TSN GO) CANCELED
1-1:57 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN (Canada: TSN GO) CANCELED
8:31 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Drive for The Cure 300 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (200 laps, 300 miles), NBCSN (Results) (Canada: TSN 2) ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR 3 p.m. ET

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
10:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR XFINITY Series race

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Stage 1 results

Brad Keselowski won Stage 1 in Sunday’s Apache Warrior 400 presented by Lucas Oil at Dover International Speedway, taking with him a precious playoff point to carry through the rest of the postseason. However, it was bubble driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. who benefited most from a caution and finished fourth to pick up important race points toward his total.

Stenhouse caught a break after Jeffrey Earnhardt brought out the caution on Lap 86 when his No. 33 Chevrolet spun and made contact with the protective barrels at the entry to pit road. Stenhouse, along with Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, were among the drivers who had not pitted at the time of the caution, so Stenhouse jumped up to third place as a result.

Stenhouse, who started the race from the 15th spot on the grid and in the final transfer spot for the Round of 12, dropped back to 21st place in Stage 1 before the caution that helped him move up in the field.

Keselowski eventually beat Kyle Busch off pit road to take the lead before the restart, and held that lead for the stage win, his fifth of the season.

Earlier in the stage, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson traded the lead with Truex leading the first 25 laps, Larson the next 35 and Truex the next 22 before the caution for Earnhardt.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1.  Brad Keselowski Team Penske 10
2.  Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 9
3.  Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing 8
4.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing 7
5.  Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6.  Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 5
7.  Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 4
8.  Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 3
9.  David Ragan Front Row Motorsports 2
10.  Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 1

Stage 2 results

Kyle Larson took the lead on a restart from the non-preferred inside line at Dover and never looked back in winning Stage 2 of the Apache Warrior 400 presented by Lucas Oil. On Lap 174, Larson shot past Martin Truex Jr., who had led the previous four laps, and drove away for his fourth stage win of the season. Larson earned a playoff point for the stage win.

Truex Jr. finished the stage in second place, nearly a second behind Larson. Meanwhile, bubble driver Austin Dillon benefited from a caution on Lap 166 for fluid on the track from the No. 55 of Reed Sorenson. Dillon, who had taken a wave-around to get a lap down was due for a pit stop when the caution came out, allowing the No. 3 to pit with other drivers.

Dillon finished outside the top 10, though, in the stage and remained behind in the race to transfer to the Round of 12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who did not pick up any points in Stage 2, was sitting on the 12th and final transfer spot heading into the Final Stage. Stenhouse ended up claiming the final transfer spot after a 19th-place finish. Dillon was eliminated.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1. Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 10
2. Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing 9
3. Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 8
4. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 7
5. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 6
6. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 5
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports 4
8. Brad Keselowski Team Penske 3
9. Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing 2
10. Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 1

 

Posted on by NASCAR Wire Service

MORE: Race results | Detailed Breakdown | Playoffs standings

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Ben Rhodes took the lead on the final restart and held off Christopher Bell to capture his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career win in Saturday night’s Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Rhodes, who earlier in the season lost what appeared to be a sure victory at Kansas Speedway when a piece of debris punctured his Toyota’s radiator, blocked Bell’s last-gasp effort by going all the way to the track’s apron to take the checkered flag.

Rhodes, who drives for ThorSport Racing, started sixth and was the speedway’s 10th consecutive different winner. He joins Bell to advance to the Round of 6 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs.

“I used every play in my playbook,” said Rhodes of the final laps battle. “I knew if I could keep him close to me, he couldn’t break the (air) bubble.  This is the biggest high of my life.

“So many things have gone wrong and now here I am in Victory Lane.”

Rhodes’ victory came in his 45th series start. His official victory margin over Bell was 0.066 seconds.

Bell, who led three times for 64 laps and dominated much of the 146-lap race in his Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, blamed himself for coming up short in his quest for a sixth season victory.

“I just didn’t get it done there on the last restart (at Lap 140),” he said. “He’s (Rhodes) been long overdue for that win and he earned it tonight.”

Chase Briscoe finished third in his Brad Keselowski Racing Ford, followed by BKR teammate Austin Cindric, who overcame an early-race accident. Kaz Grala, who started 14th, also battled back from an early incident, was the top-finishing Chevrolet in fifth.

Pole sitter Ryan Truex was unable to lead the opening lap but had put his Toyota in position for a solid top-10 finish. A brush with the wall in the closing laps while battling Briscoe and Grant Enfinger for third sent his Toyota to pit road, where he lost two laps and finished 12th.

Seven different drivers traded the lead 11 times. There were six cautions consuming 32 laps.

Briscoe won the race’s first stage by 1.25 seconds over Johnny Sauter. Sauter clawed his way back to 10th-place finish, a lap behind, after cutting a tire and twice speeding on pit road.

Rhodes claimed Stage 2 by 0.419 seconds over Bell in a preview of the final stage finish.

While both Rhodes and Bell are guaranteed to move into the Round of 6 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs, the final four spots remain up for grabs at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 14. Crafton is best placed, followed by Sauter and Briscoe. Cindric currently holds the final transfer spot while Grala and John Hunter Nemechek currently are below the cutoff point.