Christopher Bell Endures Carnage to Win at Gateway

On a night of wrecks, angry drivers, more wrecks and a DDT, Christopher Bell endured it all to score the victory at Gateway.

The driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota led 38 laps and took advantage of the misfortunes of other drivers in the closing stages to win the Drivin’ 4 Lineman 200. It’s his second career victory in 16 Camping World Truck Series starts, the first of 2016 and his first on asphalt. The win ties KBM with Roush Fenway Racing for most wins by any organization in the Truck Series.

Ben Rhodes led four laps on his way to scoring a career-best finish of second in his No. 41 ThorSport Racing Toyota. It’s his fourth top-10 finish of 2016. Daniel Hemric rounded out the podium in his No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford. Johnny Sauter led 29 laps on his way to a fourth-place finish in his No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet. Reigning series champion Erik Jones rounded out the top-five in his No. 51 KBM Toyota.

John Hunter Nemechek finished sixth in his No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet. Germán Quiroga finished seventh in his No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota. Kaz Grala finished eighth in his No. 24 GMSR Chevrolet. Ben Kennedy finished ninth in his No. 33 GMSR Chevrolet. Timothy Peters rounded out the top-10 in his No. 17 RHR Toyota.

William Byron, who led a race-high of 47 laps, came home 17th.

Twenty cars finished on the lead lap and 23 finished the race.

The race lasted two hours, 14 minutes and 48 seconds at an average speed of 89.021 mph. There were eight lead changes among six different drivers, nine cautions for 44 laps and three red flag periods. The first red flag was for a three-car wreck in Turn 3 that resulted in Austin Wayne Self being t-boned by Jennifer Jo Cobb. The second was for a multi-car wreck in Turn 4. The last was for a two-car wreck in the closing laps in Turn 1 involving Spencer Gallagher and John Wes Townley that resulted in a fight. During this scuffle, Townley delivered a DDT to Gallagher onto the racing surface.

Byron leaves with a one-point lead over Matt Crafton in the points standings.

T1609_UNOFFRES

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Tucker White
Tucker White
I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

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