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Austin Cindric takes first Truck win with controversial last-lap bump

For the fifth consecutive year, the final lap of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park didn’t disappoint.

Race winner Austin Cindric, Brad Keselowski Racing Ford

Race winner Austin Cindric, Brad Keselowski Racing Ford

Barry Cantrell / NKP / Motorsport Images

For the fifth consecutive year, the final lap of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park didn’t disappoint.

Austin Cindric bumped leader Kaz Grala on the white-flag lap causing him to spin and giving Cindric his first truck win taking the Chevrolet Silverado 250 Sunday on the Canadian road course.

The fifth and final caution of the race came on Lap 52 for a spin by Cody Caughlin and wasn’t able to drive away in the wet grass to set up the nine-lap dash to the finish.

On the contact on the final lap he acknowledged the contact with he and Grala.

“He (Grala) already had a win (this season) so I didn’t feel too bad about having to do something to make it happen for this team,” said Cindric. “These guys deserved this win and it was the first win all season for Ford Perfromance.”

For Grala, who went on to finish third after the contact, he was understandably upset after the race when asked if he felt the move by CIndric was a ‘bump and run’ or a ‘dump and run’ on the final lap.

“That was a dump and run and to be honest I know he’s trying to race for a playoff spot but he didn’t even try to pass us,” said Grala. “That was too dirty a move by (Cindric) and I can’t get behind that at all.“

Noah Gragson passed Grala for second with Justin Haley and Ryan Truex completing the top five. Finishing sixth was Johnny Sauter with Chase Briscoe, Parker Kligerman, Austin Self and Ben Rhodes rounding out the top 10.

Cindric, who started from the pole and led the first 32 laps of the race before he made his only pit stop of the race and experienced trouble giving him a penalty, restarted the final segment in 16th place and moved to ninth in just four laps after Christopher Bell lost a motor to bring out the full-course caution on Lap 44.

Stage 2

After top two drivers Austin Cindric and John Hunter Nemechek had trouble during their pit stops on Lap 32, Ryan Truex went on to win the eventful stage edging Chase Briscoe on Lap 40.

Ben Rhodes followed in third with Grant Enfinger and Austin Self completed the top five.

NASCAR Pinty’s Series regular D.J. Kennington was sixth with Jason Hathaway, Victor Gonzalez Jr., Parker Kligerman and Todd Gilliland the top 10.

Cindric made his first pit stop of the race and during the stop he drove away with the fuel cal still attached to the truck and had to return to make a stop and go penalty while Nemechek was too fast on pit road and also forced to make a pass through penalty.

Cindric finished 16th at the end of the stage while Nemecheck was 12th.

Stage 1

Austin Cindric followed up winning his first pole position of the season in qualifying by finishing first after a stage of the first time this season season.

Cindric led all 20 laps of the first stage with Kaz Grala second and Christopher Bell third. John Hunter Nemechek, who won this race last season, was fourth and Justin Haley completed the top five.

Several drivers decided to make a pit stop during the first stage including Matt Crafton and D.J. Kennington.

Haley was the only driver in the top five to make a pit stop after the first stage. The rookie contender restarted 19th after his pit stop.

Below are interviews with Austin Cindric in Victory Lane and an upset Grala after the race:

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Edition

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