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Sanchez holds off Heim for NASCAR Truck win at Charlotte

Sanchez holds off Heim for NASCAR Truck win at Charlotte


Sanchez, who opened the season with his first career win at Daytona, chased down Christian Eckes to take the lead for the first time with eight of 134 laps remaining.

Sanchez then had to deftly navigate a hard charge from Heim before edging him by 0.507 seconds to earn his second win of the 2024 season. Sanchez also collected a $50,000 bonus as part of the Triple Truck Challenge.

 

“We started off bad (in the race). We knew it. It did not affect us and we went to work,” said Sanchez, who drives the No. 2 Chevrolet for Rev Racing. “It put us in position when it mattered most.

“It’s great to get (win) No. 2.”

Heim, who won the first two stages and a race-high 72 laps, twice had jack issues on pit stops which lost him critical track position and made his road back to the front much more difficult late in the race.

Stewart Friesen ended up third, Grant Enfinger fourth and Matt Mills rounded out the top five.

Completing the top 10 were Ben Rhodes, Jake Garcia, Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack and Dean Thompson.

Stage 1

Heim quickly grabbed the lead and cruised to the Stage 1 win by 4.194 seconds over Honeycutt. Tanner Gray was third, Rajah Caruth fourth and Ty Majeski completed the top five.

Stage 2

After reclaiming the lead from Tanner Gray early in the stage, Heim went on to take the victory by 4.612 seconds. Chase Purdy was third, Honeycutt fourth and Thompson rounded out the top-five.

Stage 3

Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, the lead lap cars all elected to pit with Heim first off pit road. Honeycutt was penalized for removing equipment during his stop and had to restart from the rear of the field.

Heim led Tanner Gray and Majeski when the race resumed with 67 laps remaining in the race.

As the field entered Turn 3 on the restart, a multi-car truck accident erupted that knocked out Tyler Ankrum and Jeffrey Earnhardt, among others.

 

Heim continued to lead Tanner Gray when the race returned to green on lap 77.

A wreck involving Matt Crafton sent most of the lead lap trucks down pit road for what would be their final stop for new tires and fuel to make it to the finish. Heim’s truck fell off the jack and he fell to back of the field.

Purdy was among those trucks who stayed on the track and inherited the lead with 47 laps to go. With 40 laps remaining, Eckes had moved into the lead and Heim had made his way back up to eighth.

With 20 laps to go, Eckes, Purdy and Honeycutt raced nose-to-tail for the…

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