Eighteen-year-old Camping World Truck Series rookie William Byron raced his way to his first win of his young career at Kansas Speedway Friday evening. The Kyle Busch-owned #9 Liberty University Toyota pulled away in the waning moments of the Toyota Tundra 250 when drivers Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes collided in Turn 3 leaving the door wide open for William Byron. Byron re-started in the third position in overtime after leading 36 of the 167 laps turned. It was the greenhorn’s first career victory in five official starts.
“It was crazy the last couple of restarts, and I had the lead there on the green-flag run (before the caution that forced overtime), and I was really just praying for no cautions, but you have to earn it,” William Byron said.
“And my crew chief, Rudy Fugle, really told me about that on all the restarts. He’s like, ‘This is how you earn it,’ so I just can’t thank (sponsor) Liberty University enough. This is a dream come true. I was six years old watching Truck races. Didn’t start racing until I was 14, and just to be in a Toyota Tundra like this is amazing.”
None of this could have occurred if the contact between the two front runners didn’t happen on the crucial last lap of the event. Ben Rhodes drove his #41 Toyota tundra hard into Turn 3, clipping the inside of Johnny Sauter. The aggressive move caused the two to slip up into the outside wall and brought out the race’s 11th caution flag. Sauter, who was out in front at the time, was not to happy with the aggressive driving of Rhodes.
“I just got ran over by a bozo … I guess he’s just brain dead,” an irate Sauter said after the incident. “It’s just unfortunate that sometimes you can’t race the way you want to.”
Former Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton finished an impressive third. Crafton led a race high 57 laps but could ran out of time in his attempt to run down the rookie William Byron. Crafton kept his Ideal Door/Menards Toyota out front for a third of the race and settled for the second place finish with a smile.
Daniel Hemric, who drives for NASCAR regular Brad Keselowski, ended the contest in third. Hemric and his Oakmont Management Group Ford didn’t lead a single lap in the race but managed to get a huge boost in his climb towards the top of the point standings.
The Kyle Busch owned JBL Toyota driven by Christopher Bell had an impressive fourth place finish. Bell was in contention till the very end when he re-started in the fifth position in overtime. Bell actually was right on race winner William Byron’s bumper but couldn’t produce enough momentum to real in the eventual winner.
Another NASCAR veteran, Clint Bowyer, drove to a the sixth place finish. The #24 Georgia Boot Chevrolet did not lead a lap at Kansas Speedway but benefited from the contact between the front runners.
Tyler Reddick and his Cooper Standard Ford was a formidable hot-rod throughout the race. Reddick led his truck to the front of the field for 56 circuits, which was good for second in laps led. What ruined the Brad Keselowski owned Fords bid for a win was he spun on lap 164, bringing out the contest’s 10th caution. Reddick ended up in a disappointing 13th place finish.
The 2016 Toyota Tundra 250 took a little over two hours and twenty minutes to conclude. There were 11 cautions during the race that used up 47 laps around the 1.5 mile oval. The average speed of the lightning fast trucks was 108.511 and the margin of victory was decided under the yellow caution flag. The Keystone Light Pole Award went to John Wes Townsley with a qualifying speed of 177.223 miles per hour. The Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race went to the #88 truck of Matt Crafton and the Mobile 1 Driver of the Race went to race winner William Byron.
Final Results for the Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway:
| 1 | 9 | William Byron |  |
2 | 170 | 34 |
5
 |
Running | 36 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 88 | Matt Crafton | |
13 | 170 | 57 |
5
|
Running | 33 | 2 | |
| 3 | 19 | Daniel Hemric |  |
9 | 170 | 0 |
5
|
Running | 30 | 0 | |
| 4 | 4 | Christopher Bell | |
5 | 170 | 5 |
8
|
Running | 30 | 1 | |
| 5 | 24 | Clint Bowyer |  |
16 | 170 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | 81 | Ryan Truex | |
21 | 170 | 0 |
3
|
Running | 27 | 0 | |
| 7 | 00 | Cole Custer | |
4 | 170 | 0 |
4
|
Running | 26 | 0 | |
| 8 | 17 | Timothy Peters | |
8 | 170 | 1 |
2
|
Running | 26 | 1 | |
| 9 | 33 | Ben Kenedy | |
11 | 170 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 24 | 0 | |
| 10 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher | |
32 | 170 | 0 |
1
|
Running | 23 | 0 | |
| 11 | 02 | Tyler Young | |
20 | 170 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 22 | 0 | |
| 12 | 86 | Brandon Brown | |
22 | 170 | 0 |
-1
 |
Running | 21 | 0 | |
| 13 | 29 | Tyler Reddick | |
3 | 170 | 56 |
1
|
Running | 21 | 1 | |
| 14 | 11 | Matt Tifft | |
7 | 170 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 19 | 0 | |
| 15 | 07 | B J McLeod | |
25 | 170 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | 21 | Johnny Sauter | |
12 | 170 | 9 |
2
|
Running | 18 | 1 | |
| 17 | 71 | Mike Bliss | |
17 | 170 | 0 |
11
|
Running | 16 | 0 | |
| 18 | 41 | Ben Rhodes | |
10 | 169 | 5 |
-2
|
Running | 16 | 1 | |
| 19 | 13 | Cameron Hayley | |
15 | 169 | 2 |
-6
|
Running | 15 | 1 | |
| 20 | 50 | Travis Kvapil | |
24 | 169 | 0 |
-1
|
Running | 13 | 0 | |
| 21 | 49 | Timmy Hill | |
27 | 168 | 0 |
-1
|
Running | 12 | 0 | |
| 22 | 98 | Rico Abreu | |
31 | 167 | 0 |
-3
|
Running | 11 | 0 | |
| 23 | 63 | Bobby Pierce | |
26 | 167 | 0 |
0
|
Running | 10 | 0 |
