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Australia

Austin Hill takes opening win in Kansas Trucks doubleheader

Austin Hill used a dominating performance to earn his first NASCAR Truck Series victory of the 2020 season.

Race Winner Austin Hill, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra

Race Winner Austin Hill, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra

John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images

Race Winner Austin Hill, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra
Race Winner Austin Hill, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra
Race Winner Austin Hill, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra
Race Winner Austin Hill, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra

Hill, who finished 30th last week at Texas due to engine problems, returned to form Friday night, leading 65 of the 134 laps on his way to a win at Kansas Speedway, his first victory of the year.

“There we go – win No. 1!” Hill said over his team radio as he took the checkered flag.

Hill took the lead for the final time on Lap 97 and easily held off Brett Moffitt by nearly three seconds at the finish.

 

Hill had to temper his postrace celebration as the Trucks are running a doubleheader at Kansas this weekend, with another 200-mile race scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

“Man, it’s awesome. We’ve been working so hard and running so consistent,” Hill said. “Last week was a bummer having engine troubles. I told the guys before coming here that we finished fourth here last year – let’s go finish three spots better and I’ll be danged if we did it.

“First win of the season. That last pit stop, I tried to brake-check a little bit because I wanted to come out fourth and be on the high lane. I got tagged from behind. That was my bad and I apologize to Brett, who ended up hit me.

“Now, we have to replace the bumper to get it ready for tomorrow’s race.”

Grant Enfinger finished third, Matt Crafton fourth and Derek Kraus rounded out the top-five. Completing the top-10 were Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes, Sheldon Creed, Johnny Sauter and Todd Gilliland.

Korbin Forrister wrecked in Turn 3 on Lap 82 to bring out a caution that set up what would be the final pit stops of the race.

The lead-lap trucks all pit with Ross Chastain the first off pit road thanks to taking fuel-only. On the restart on Lap 88, Chastain was followed by Crafton, Hill, Smith and Christian Eckes.

After battling side-by-side with Crafton, Hill cleared to the lead by the start of Lap 89. On Lap 92, Moffitt powered around Hill to retake the lead as Enfinger moved to third.

 

Hill reclaimed the lead on Lap 97 as Enfinger moved into the second position.

With 25 laps remaining in the race, Hill had opened up a more than 2-second lead over Enfinger while Moffitt ran third.

With 11 laps to go, Moffitt was able to work his way around Enfinger and set his sights on the leader hoping to make a challenge for the win.

Stage 2

Hill easily held off Rhodes to take the Stage 2 win, his first stage victory of the 2020 season.

Smith was third, Ty Majeski fourth and Kraus rounded out the top-five.

Following the break between Stages 1 and 2, most lead-lap trucks pit with Creed the first off pit road.

Eckes was among those who stayed out and inherited the lead. When the race returned to green on Lap 37, he was followed by Rhodes and Raphael Lessard. Creed lined up seventh.

On Lap 41, Hill got around Eckes to take the lead for the first time in the race as Majeski moved into second.

With 15 laps remaining in the second stage, Hill had built his lead over Majeski to more than half-a-second with Smith moved to third.

On Lap 47, Smith moved into second as Majeski dropped to third. With nine laps to go in the stage, Stewart Friesen was forced to pit under green with a flat tire.

With two laps to go in the stage, Hill had built his lead to more than a second over Rhodes, who had moved into second while Smith dropped to third.

Stage 1

Moffitt grabbed the lead on a restart with seven laps to go and held off Hill for the Stage 1 win, his second stage victory of the 2020 season.

Chastain was third, Gilliland fourth and Crafton rounded out the top-five.

Eckes started on the pole thanks to a random draw but Moffitt quickly grabbed the lead and led the way on Lap 1.

After five laps, Gilliland had moved into second while Hill took third.

On Lap 9, Gilliland worked his way to the inside of Moffitt and took the lead for the first time. About the same time, Tyler Ankrum was forced to pit under green with a flat tire.

Robby Lyons spun out through Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 18 to bring out the first caution of the race. Several trucks elected to pit but Gilliland stayed out and in the lead.

 

When the race returned to green on Lap 24, Gilliland was followed by Moffitt and Hill. Moffitt quickly moved into the lead on the restart as Hill took over second and Gilliland dropped to fourth.

Cla # Driver Manufacturer Laps Time Gap Interval Laps Led
1 16 United States Austin Hill Toyota 134 1:35'26.966     65
2 23 United States Brett Moffitt Chevrolet 134 1:35'29.894 2.928 2.928 21
3 98 United States Grant Enfinger Ford 134 1:35'34.742 7.776 4.848  
4 88 United States Matt Crafton Ford 134 1:35'35.581 8.615 0.839 2
5 19 United States Derek Kraus Toyota 134 1:35'38.393 11.427 2.812  
6 21 Zane Smith Chevrolet 134 1:35'39.884 12.918 1.491 17
7 99 United States Ben Rhodes Ford 134 1:35'40.221 13.255 0.337 3
8 2 United States Sheldon Creed Chevrolet 134 1:35'40.837 13.871 0.616  
9 13 United States Johnny Sauter Ford 134 1:35'41.379 14.413 0.542  
10 38 United States Todd Gilliland Ford 134 1:35'45.286 18.320 3.907 15
11 45 United States Ty Majeski Chevrolet 134 1:35'45.304 18.338 0.018  
12 30 United States Brennan Poole Toyota 134 1:35'45.848 18.882 0.544  
13 18 United States Christian Eckes Toyota 134 1:35'50.849 23.883 5.001 10
14 51 United States Brandon Jones Toyota 134 1:35'51.529 24.563 0.680  
15 24 United States Chase Purdy Chevrolet 134 1:35'51.559 24.593 0.030  
16 4 Canada Raphael Lessard Toyota 134 1:35'53.480 26.514 1.921  
17 22 United States Austin Wayne Self Chevrolet 134 1:35'58.880 31.914 5.400  
18 15 United States Tanner Gray Ford 134 1:35'59.659 32.693 0.779  
19 56 United States Timmy Hill Chevrolet 133 1:35'29.108 1 Lap 1 Lap  
20 04 Cory Roper Ford 133 1:35'32.050 1 Lap 2.942  
21 44 United States Natalie Decker Chevrolet 133 1:35'34.323 1 Lap 2.273  
22 02 Tate Fogleman Chevrolet 133 1:35'54.341 1 Lap 20.018  
23 20 United States Spencer Boyd Chevrolet 133 1:35'54.849 1 Lap 0.508  
24 9 Codie Rohrbaugh Chevrolet 133 1:35'58.309 1 Lap 3.460  
25 00 Dawson Cram Toyota 133 1:36'01.887 1 Lap 3.578  
26 97 Robby Lyons Chevrolet 132 1:35'48.290 2 Laps 1 Lap  
27 52 United States Stewart Friesen Toyota 132 1:36'00.301 2 Laps 12.011  
28 68 Clay Greenfield Toyota 132 1:36'01.726 2 Laps 1.425  
29 11 United States Spencer Davis Toyota 131 1:34'46.928 3 Laps 1 Lap  
30 3 United States Jordan Anderson Chevrolet 129 1:34'03.860 5 Laps 2 Laps  
31 10 United States Jennifer Jo Cobb Chevrolet 128 1:35'42.002 6 Laps 1 Lap  
32 49 United States Ray Ciccarelli Chevrolet 121 1:35'42.169 13 Laps 7 Laps  
33 26 United States Tyler Ankrum Chevrolet 112 1:35'44.286 22 Laps 9 Laps  
34 40 United States Ross Chastain Chevrolet 102 1:19'10.214 32 Laps 10 Laps 1
35 7 United States Korbin Forrister Toyota 80 1:00'07.528 54 Laps 22 Laps  
36 6 United States Norm Benning Chevrolet 50 40'09.676 84 Laps 30 Laps  
37 28 United States Bryan Dauzat Chevrolet 26 19'42.763 108 Laps 24 Laps  
38 33 United States Kevin Donahue Toyota 17 45'50.323 117 Laps 9 Laps  

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Edition

Australia