The Camping World Truck Series Great Clips 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was a wild and raucous race that came down to two fearless competitors and two final laps. Before the checkered flag was raised, some of the most competitive trucks in the race would be wrecked, including three machines owned by Xfinity race winner and owner Kyle Busch. In the end, John Hunter Nemechek staved off second place finisher Cameron Hayley and won the second Camping World Truck Series race of the year.
John Hunter Nemechek claimed his second victory in 32 truck races with his first win occurring at Chicagoland Speedway last year. He also became the youngest winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The greenhorn driver, who races for his father and owner Joe Nemechek, is only 18 years old.
After the race was over, John Hunter Nemechek gave credit to some advice he received from the track’s guru and the 2016 Sprint Cup Series runner-up at Atlanta, Kevin Harvick. Harvick has led the most laps at Atlanta over the past four events he has competed in.
When asked what advice he was given, he responded by saying, “That’s kind of a secret, but Kevin’s one of the best racers here in Atlanta, so I had to ask him. He’s very good at conserving tires, very good at winning races here, so to go and talk to him was very special.”
Of course it didn’t hurt that the up-and-comer had the assistance of the six-time Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson’s pit crew. “I would say the pit crew won it for us today,” the race winner said. “I can’t thank all those guys enough. They gained us, I think, 13 spots overall on pit road. … It’s an unsponsored truck, again. That’s two times in the winner’s circle for us.”
Either way, whatever advice Kevin Harvick gave Nemechek was obviously put to good use. The unsponsored black #8 truck seemed to have the fresher tires for the last two lap charge, which proved to be just enough.
To viewers one might say the John Hunter Nemechek was lucky to have survived long enough and to have the advantage of the two or three fastest trucks in the field in the garage by the final charge. The two-time Camping World Truck Series Champion Matt Crafton was clearly the best truck on the track. He took the #88 Toyota to the front early and often, leading a race high 76 laps.
With 18 laps to go, he was taken out of the race when Daniel Suarez’s ARRIS Toyota was clipped by his teammate Christopher Bell, and smashed into Crafton’s hot-rod. That would be the end of the night for both the race leader and the front runner Suarez.
“There is not a lot to say … Our teammate turned us around. I don’t know why,” Suarez said after getting cleared from the infield care center following the violent wreck.
Christopher Bell managed to stay unscathed and directed his truck to the front with a sweeping move from the top of the track to the bottom, overtaking Nemechek after the re-start. It looked at that point the race was a for-gone conclusion, as Bell guided his #4 JBL Toyota to a substantial lead over Nemechek and Cameron Hayley.
Bell had led a total of 46 laps during the race and was clearly the fastest truck in the field now that Matt Crafton had been eliminated. As fate would have it, it just wasn’t going to be a night for the Kyle Busch Racing family. With three laps remaining it appeared that Bell cut a front tire and slammed into the upper wall ruing his chances at victory, and set up the two lap duel that John Hunter Nemechek won.
In the Camping World Truck Series, you’ll take a win any way you can get it.
Camping World Truck Series Quik Trips 200 Results:
| 1 | 8 | John Hunter Nemechek |  |
18 | 130 | 8 |
12
 |
Running | 36 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 13 | Cameron Hayley |  |
5 | 130 | 4 |
12
|
Running | 32 | 1 |
| 3 | 17 | Timothy Peters | |
12 | 130 | 0 |
8
|
Running | 30 | 0 |
| 4 | 19 | Daniel Hemric |  |
9 | 130 | 0 |
5
|
Running | 29 | 0 |
| 5 | 33 | Grant Enfinger | |
4 | 130 | 0 |
9
|
Running | 28 | 0 |
| 6 | 41 | Ben Rhodes | |
7 | 130 | 0 |
6
|
Running | 27 | 0 |
| 7 | 05 | John Wes Townley | |
2 | 130 | 0 |
10
|
Running | 26 | 0 |
| 8 | 92 | Parker Kligerman | |
17 | 130 | 0 |
2
|
Running | 25 | 0 |
| 9 | 75 | Caleb Holman | |
25 | 130 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 24 | 0 |
| 10 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher | |
11 | 130 | 0 |
6
|
Running | 23 | 0 |
| 11 | 98 | Rico Abreu | |
27 | 130 | 0 |
6
|
Running | 22 | 0 |
| 12 | 20 | Austin Hill | |
23 | 130 | 0 |
11
|
Running | 21 | 0 |
| 13 | 02 | Tyler Young | |
22 | 130 | 0 |
1
|
Running | 20 | 0 |
| 14 | 29 | Tyler Reddick | |
21 | 130 | 0 |
2
|
Running | 19 | 0 |
| 15 | 11 | Ben Kennedy | |
10 | 130 | 0 |
2
|
Running | 18 | 0 |
| 16 | 22 | Austin Wayne Self | |
20 | 130 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 17 | 0 |
| 17 | 00 | Cole Custer | |
6 | 130 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 16 | 0 |
| 18 | 63 | Garrett Smithley | |
19 | 129 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | 86 | Brandon Brown | |
24 | 128 | 0 |
-3
 |
Running | 14 | 0 |
| 20 | 81 | Ryan Truex | |
8 | 127 | 0 |
-4
|
Running | 13 | 0 |
| 21 | 49 | Timmy Hill | |
30 | 127 | 0 |
-5
|
Running | 12 | 0 |
| 22 | 32 | Justin Marks | |
14 | 127 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | 1 | Travis Kvapil | |
29 | 127 | 0 |
-7
|
Running | 10 | 0 |
| 24 | 07 | J.J. Yeley | |
26 | 125 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | 44 | Tommy Joe Martins | |
28 | 125 | 0 |
1
|
Running | 8 | 0 |
| 26 | 4 | Christopher Bell | |
3 | 122 | 42 |
-8
|
Accident | 8 | 1 |
| 28 | 21 | Johnny Sauter | |
16 | 121 | 0 |
-9
|
Running | 5 | 0 |
| 29 | 10 | Jennifer Jo Cobb | |
32 | 120 | 0 |
10
|
Running | 4 | 0 |
| 30 | 88 | Matt Crafton | |
1 | 111 | 76 |
-10
|
Accident | 5 | 2 |
| 31 | 51 | Daniel Suarez | |
13 | 111 | 0 |
-7
|
Accident | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | 9 | William Byron | |
15 | 59 | 0 |
-16
|
Engine | 1 | 0 |
