Nick Sanchez celebrates his first career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory at Daytona.` (Photo: Cornnell Chu/The Podium Finish)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returned to action for the season opener at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway on Friday night.
As in most cases at superspeedway races, there was exciting racing, and plenty of thrills to go with the action. However, it was Miami’s Nick Sanchez who scored the victory after a late race caution came out on the final lap due to a big wreck on the backstretch.
“Pretty surreal, especially with how the race started,” Sanchez said. “I’m covered in dirt from it. But just a big thanks to my team. Sticking with me all last year, we were winless. It hurt. We should have won.
“But we redeemed ourselves in the first race possible. Big thanks to Rev Racing, Inspire, Max Seigel, Gainbridge Dan Towriss, everyone that helps us, and it’s definitely going to be a good year.”
When the race went green, Ty Majeski who scored his sixth career pole earlier in the afternoon was on the front row alongside veteran and former Daytona Truck Series winner, Johnny Sauter. The pole position for Majeski was also his second Daytona pole, while Sauter saw his fifth Daytona front-row start. Stages 20-20-60 made up the 100 lap race.
It did not take long for a big crash to take place during the race. On Lap 4, the crash erupted on the backstretch with multiple drivers involved. A push from the No. 19 of Christian Eckes who got into the back of the No. 88 driven by Matt Crafton. Crafton then got into the side of the No. 38 of Layne Riggs, which then saw the No. 15 of Tanner Gray get sideways and turn the No. 52 of Stewart Friesen.
Following the incident, drivers such as Thad Moffitt, Lawless Alan, Ty Dillon, Keith McGee, Jake Garcia, Matt Mills, Grant Enfinger, Daniel Dye, Caruth, and Sanchez were collected in the crash.
One more caution slowed the stage at Lap 15 for Alan who came to a stop on the backstretch for a right-rear tire going down off Turn 2. The stage went back green with one lap to go and saw no more incidents. Sauter in the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet took home the stage win, his first since August 2020 at Michigan International Speedway.
The second stage was relatively calmer and only saw two cautions. One for debris with nine to go from Stewart Friesen’s truck, which was a tire carcass, and the other for light rain on the track. The brief rain shower caused a red flag, which only lasted for seven minutes and 10 seconds, but it did see the stage end under caution. Tyler Ankrum and the No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing team take the stage victory.
As the final stage went green with just 56 laps to go, the action began heating up with several drivers looking to see their name up front at Daytona and hoping to take the victory. With a little under 50 to go, Sanchez began entering the picture by trying to give the defending Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes a push to the front. Unfortunately, the push didn’t last long as the two stalled out and went to the back.
However, a mid-race caution came out with 43 laps to go due to Holmes and Bayley Currey spinning off Turn 4. With the help of the yellow, Sanchez was able to restart on the front row alongside Sauter. Sanchez made some good moves to try and lead some of the race, and start putting himself in position in hopes of a victory.
Late in the race, following the restart on Lap 61, there were four additional cautions including a crash with seven laps to go, which would ultimately set up an overtime restart. Despite the crashes, Sanchez was able to avoid them and restarted on the front row with just two laps to go.
The Miami native had some help from Taylor Gray who was pushing him. He briefly lost the lead, as Caruth got a big push from Corey LaJoie. Coming to the white flag, Sanchez regained the lead and it was perfect timing because a big crash broke out behind him including his pusher Gray who went upside down in the melee. The race ended under caution and with Sanchez up front, he was deemed the winner being ahead of the incident. The victory was his first career win in the Truck Series.
Sanchez led three times for 26 laps en route to victory. There were 12 cautions for 52 laps and 24 lead changes among 12 different drivers. Also to note, with Sanchez winning the race, he helped Chevrolet get their 100th career NASCAR victory.
“To earn 100 NASCAR wins at Daytona International Speedway is a monumental achievement in Chevy’s storied racing history,” said Scott Bell, Vice President, Global Chevrolet. “On behalf of everyone at Chevrolet, thank you to all the drivers and teams who have contributed wins over the years that brought us to this milestone. Chevrolet is proud to be the winningest manufacturer at one of NASCAR’s most iconic venues.”
Official Race Results Following Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway
- Nick Sanchez, led 26 laps
- Rajah Caruth, led one lap
- Corey Heim
- Bret Holmes, led 13 laps
- Spencer Boyd
- Stefan Parsons
- Matt Crafton
- Timmy Hill
- Bryan Dauzat
- Christian Eckes, led one lap
- Tyler Ankrum, led 16 laps, won Stage 2
- Jason White
- Bayley Currey
- Stewart Friesen
- Ty Majeski, led six laps
- Tanner Gray, led one lap
- Grant Enfinger, led two laps
- Jack Wood
- Taylor Gray, OUT, Accident
- Corey LaJoie, OUT, Accident, led five laps
- Daniel Dye, OUT, Accident
- Cory Roper, OUT, Accident
- Codie Rohrbaugh, OUT, Accident
- Dean Thompson, OUT, Accident
- Mason Massey, 1 lap down
- Matt Mills, 2 laps down
- Toni Breidinger, 4 laps down
- Chase Purdy, OUT, Accident, led one lap
- Johnny Sauter, OUT, Accident, won Stage 1, led 24 laps
- Ben Rhodes, OUT, Accident, led five laps
- Keith McGee, OUT, Accident
- Lawless Alan, OUT, Overheating
- Layne Riggs, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
- Jake Garcia, OUT, Accident
- Ty Dillon, OUT, Accident
- Thad Moffitt, OUT, Accident
Up Next: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will head up north to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend February 24 for the second event of the season.
