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The Bell Tolls In Truck Series Playoff Opener

The Bell Tolls In Truck Series Playoff Opener
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LOUDON, N.H. – Christopher Bell kicked off the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs with a dominant victory during Saturday’s UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Bell, who started the Truck Series playoffs as the No. 1 seed after scoring four victories during the regular season, won the first stage of the race after a battle with teammate and polesitter Noah Gragson. He went on to easily win the second stage, but things proved considerably more difficult during the final stage of the race.

Bell led the field down pit road after the second stage, but came off pit road in sixth. Ben Rhodes came off pit road first after taking two tires. Austin Cindric and Justin Haley were next off pit road after also taking two tires, followed by Ryan Truex, Kaz Grala and Bell with four tires.

The race resumed on lap 119 with Rhodes pulling into the lead with Cindric hanging onto second with Truex moving into third. Truex moved past Cindric for second two laps after the restart, but the caution waved with 50 laps left when Cindric went for a spin off the bumper of Grala.

The green flag waved again with 44 laps left and Truex made quick work of Rhodes, rocketing to his inside on the restart to take the lead. Bell followed Truex by Cindric in turns three and four to move into second and the pair quickly pulled away from the rest of the field.

Christopher Bell (4) battles Ryan Truex for the race lead during Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (Dave Moulthrop Photo)

For the next 25 laps Truex and Bell engaged in a game of chess, with Truex running low at the exit of the corners to prevent Bell from getting a run out of the corners. Truex held off Bell lap after lap until finally Bell got a big run under Truex entering turn three with 16 laps left, taking the lead by the time he got to turn four.

Once back out front Bell pulled away, beating Truex to the finish line by 1.248 seconds to lock himself into the second round of the Truck Series playoffs.

“He was doing a really good job watching his mirror,” Bell said of Truex. “I knew it was tough to pass all day but our truck was so good we’d been able to do it until we got to him. I kept trying to work down and he kept blocking my air down and down and down. Finally I got one run where I drove up in one and two and then got a big run into three.

“It’s a dream come true to drive for Kyle Busch Motorsports man. These guys do such an excellent job preparing this SiriusXM Tundra.”

Truex said he did everything he could to keep Bell behind him but in the end he came up one position short.

“We’ve come so far with this group. I’m so proud of them,” Truex said of his Hattori Racing Enterprises team. “Chris has been the best truck all year. When you’ve got the best truck in the field behind you it makes it tougher. I did everything I could to hold him off. I was trying to take his lane and block and everything. We just didn’t quite have the grip he had.”

Todd Gilliland earned the best finish of his young Truck Series career, finishing third. Grant Enfinger finished fourth, followed by Stewart Friesen in fifth. Playoff drivers completed the rest of the top-10, with Matt Crafton finishing sixth followed by Rhodes, Cindric, Johnny Sauter and Grala.

Another playoff driver, Chase Briscoe, ended the day in 11th. John Hunter Nemechek had the worst day of the eight playoff drivers, finishing 20th after mechanical issues sent him to the garage for a brief stay early in the race.

For complete results, advance to the next page.

Source :speedsport.com

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