Enfinger Wins Clean Harbors 175 As GMS Racing Winds Down

Enfinger enjoys another jubilant victory. (Photo: Mike Moore | The Podium Finish)

WEST ALLIS, Wisc. — The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returned to the oldest operating motor speedway in the world on Sunday for the first time since 2009. The only driver in the field to have competed in that last race at the mile-long track was Matt Crafton, who finished 16th with Ron Hornaday Jr. winning the race. 

But in the end, it was a bittersweet victory. Grant Enfinger scored the win just days after GMS Racing announced it was seizing operations in the Truck Series. 

Enfinger earned the pole, and in a similar fashion to the ARCA race, the polesitter led the most laps and was the eventual winner of the race. Enfinger led the entirety of Stage 1, losing the lead after pit stops at the stage breaks.

Truck drivers can be known for being aggressive in their driving style which results in races that have multiple cautions and restarts. That was not the case in Milwaukee as the race only had seven cautions, two of which were for stage breaks.

One harrowing moment of the day came early in Stage 2, as the throttle on Greg Van Alst’s No. 20 Youngs Motorsports truck hung open sending him into the Turn 2 wall, collecting Brad Perez. As the two emerged from the infield care center, Perez stopped Van Alst to make sure he was doing OK. Van Alst said that was the first time he had ever had a throttle stuck open and “that one hurt”.

Grant Enfinger on Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile. (Photo: Mike Moore | The Podium Finish)

At the conclusion of Stage 2, Enfinger was once again the race leader but relinquished the lead as the team elected to make pit stops which included fresh tires on the No. 23. In what was close to a race-winning decision, seven cars elected to stay on the track at the stage break, one of which was Carson Hocevar.

Nearing the end of the race, William Sawalich, the winner of the ARCA race earlier in the day, got loose and smacked the wall, nullifying the 16-year-old’s chances of sweeping the afternoon. Sawalich was able to return to the race and was the beneficiary of the ‘lucky dog’ after an incident in Turn 3 involving Nick Sanchez and Corey Heim. Sawalich went on to finish the race in the 26th spot.

Carson Hocevar on Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile. (Photo: Mike Moore | The Podium Finish)

Hocevar held the lead for 40 laps, maintaining his lead until Lap 159. In the end, Enfinger had the fastest truck of the day and got by Hocevar to win his third race of the season. 

“We just had a really really good Champion car,” Enfinger said. “Honestly that is what it boiled down to. I think we were a top-10 truck. We weren’t bad, just nothing real special. Jeff (Hensley, crew chief)’s tweaks, it was all in the right direction. That first stage I felt like ok you know, we hit on something. Still, it felt like we were a little bit tight in the center that first stage and started using up the right rear tire by the end of it. But then the second stage [with] those adjustments we were pretty much lights out at that point.”

Enfinger is onto the Round of 8 in the Truck Series playoffs. 

Stage 1 Top 10 Results

1. Grant Enfinger
2. Nick Sanchez
3. Taylor Gray (R)
4. Corey Heim
5. Christian Eckes
6. Carson Hocevar
7. William Sawalich
8. Derek Kraus
9. Chase Purdy
10. Ben Rhodes

Stage 2 Top 10 Results

1. Grant Enfinger
2. Corey Heim
3. Christian Eckes
4. Carson Hocevar
5. William Sawalich
6. Nick Sanchez
7. Ty Majeski
8. Matt Crafton
9. Tanner Gray
10. Zane Smith

Clean Harbors 175 at The Milwaukee Mile Finishing Order

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoff Standings (Race No. 2 of 7)