Brett Moffitt waited for the last lap to make his winning move. The young driver drove to the outside of Timothy Peters and William Byron on the very last lap to win the Careers for Veterans 200. It was the first and only lap Brett Moffitt ever led in his NASCAR career. Peters led a race high 42 circuits, but finished second behind his Red Horse Racing teammate, Brett Moffitt. Daniel Hemric, Byron and Cameron Hayley finished out the top five at Michigan Speedway.
“This has been huge,” said Brett Moffitt, who also took the #11 Red Horse Racing Toyota to Victory Lane Saturday. “At the beginning of the year we didn’t have anything on the schedule. These guys were giving me such good race trucks week in and week out. I knew it was just a matter of time.”
Speedster Matt Crafton, led a total of 23 laps before fading to Brett Moffitt. He would finish out the contest in seventh place. In addition, Crafton now sits fifth in the point standings. Cole Custer also led 18 before wrecking out in a fiery crash as the race concluding. There were a total of seven caution flags, including the last on a horrifying incident during lap 76.
Christopher Bell also had taken the lead but he lost control of his truck at the bottom of the track. As a result, he slid into the side of Spencer Gallagher. Gallagher had no place to go and plowed into Bell’s #4 Toyota.
Spencer Gallagher went over to the ambulance that Bell had been taken to. The upset truck driver stuck his head in and appeared to give Bell the what for. Consequently, it was for wrecking his truck that lead to both of their exits from the Career for Veterans 200. Eventually, Gallagher hopped into the same ambulance and both competitors were taken to the infield care center.
Some crashes had hits so hard that drivers were also crediting NASCAR for high safety standards. As a result, both Spencer Gallagher and Christopher Bell were released from the infield with no apparent injuries. Afterwards, Bell took the responsibility for the melee.
“I’m just frustrated with myself. Maybe it was too early in the race, but I saw a chance to go for it and I did,” Christopher Bell said.
The start of the race was also delayed for two and a half hours from lightning and rain-showers that moved through the two mile tri-oval. Eventually the race got started. Fans were immediately surprised by watching how much traction the trucks were displaying. The racing machines battled three and four wide at Michigan International Speedway only a while after the track was soaked by weather.
Michigan Speedway and NASCAR officials teamed-up for ten days beginning August 15th. They used a tractor with a heavy trailer that rolls large tires over the track. The purpose is to grind and smash rubber into the track’s racing surface.
The tool is used to increase handling and widen the racing groove. Despite heavy rains that could have washed away some the rubber, the NASCAR “tire dragon” appeared to have worked.
Finally, NASCAR fans said it was the most exciting truck race of year. There were 14 different lead changes among seven racers. William Byron also retained his Camping World Truck Series points lead by 37 over Daniel Hemric.
Final Results for the Career For Veterans 200 at Michigan International Speedway:
- Brett Moffitt, Toyota, Red Horse Racing
- Timothy Peters, Toyota, Red Horse Racing
- Daniel Hemric, Ford, Brad Keselowski Racing
- William Byron, Toyota, Kyle Busch Motorsports
- Cameron Hayley, Toyota, ThorSport Racing
- Ben Rhodes, Toyota, ThorSport Racing
- Matt Crafton, Toyota, ThorSport Racing
- Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, GMS Racing
- Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, GMS Racing
- Tyler Young, Chevrolet, Young’s Motorsports
- Ben Kennedy, Chevrolet, GMS Racing
- John Wes Townley, Chevrolet, Athenian Motorsports
- Rico Abreu, Toyota, ThorSport Racing
- Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Bolen Motorsports
- Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, Martins Family Racing
- Austin Wayne Self, Toyota, AM Win-Tron Racing
- Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, MAKE Motorsports
- Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, MAKE Motorsports
- Tyler Reddick, Ford, Brad Keselowski Racing
- Cody Coughlin, Toyota, Kyle Busch Motorsports
- Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports
- Cole Custer, Chevrolet, JR Motorsports
- Ryan Truex, Toyota, Hattori Racing Enterprises
- Christopher Bell, Toyota, Kyle Busch Motorsports
- Spencer Gallagher, Chevrolet, GMS Racing
- John Hunter Nemechek, Chevrolet, NEMCO Motorsports
- Norm Benning, Chevrolet, MB Motorsports
- Enrique Contreras, Chevrolet, Contreras Motorsports
- Todd Peck, Chevrolet, SS Green Light Racing
- Caleb Roark, Chevrolet, JJC Racing
- Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, Benning Racing
