Nick Sanchez dominated the race from pole, winning both stages and leading 168 of 171 laps.
At the white flag, he was battling door-to-door with reigning Truck Series champion Zane Smith. He got sideways, just as Hocevar came upon them with a massive run. Sanchez’s truck got hooked to the right and slammed the outside wall, collecting both Smith and Christian Eckes.
“Coming to the last lap, me and the 38 were playing an aggressive side-drafting game,” explained Sanchez after he was released from the infield care center. “Went a little too aggressive on him, got loose, went through the grass, saved it, and just got hooked by the 42 (Hocevar), so I don’t know what else to say on that … Hate that we tore a fast one up, but we’ll build another one and come back stronger.”
Smith placed blame on Sanchez, saying of the incident: “I don’t really know what’s going on with the 2 (Sanchez), but he was just so sketchy, especially on the straightaways. He doors me right there, gets off me, drives it through the grass, and then I just get hooked … he was a dart without feathers on the straightaway.”
The race-ending caution meant that Hocevar would win for the first time in his 59th career start. He had four runner-up finishes and several other close calls before this victory. Naturally, he was elated.
“I’m just excited,” said Hocevar. “I didn’t mean to get into the 2 (Sanchez). I just went to give him a push and they were sideways. The second I hit him, he was gone. I apologize to them. I’ll take the fall for it, wrecking a Chevy, but thankfully a Chevy is in Victory Lane.
“But of all the times we are the fastest car and I don’t win and this team didn’t win, and they deserve to win more than anything. Now I can stop getting the same question asked so many times. We didn’t deserve to win today, but we were in the right spot at the right time.
Unofficially, Chase Purdy was scored in second-place, followed by Stewart Friesen, Ty Majeski, Jake Garcia, Hailie Deegan, Corey Heim, Ryan Vargas, Jack Wood, and Ben Rhodes.
Stage 1
Sanchez led the field to the green flag from pole, but the caution flew almost immediately as Chad Chastain spun exiting Turn 2. He sustained rear-end damage after backing the truck into the outside wall.
Chastain spun a second time soon after, in the same spot as earlier. He became the first driver to fall out of the race.
On the ensuing restart, Christian Eckes briefly challenged for the lead before…
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