The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series visited Bristol Motor Speedway this past Thursday night for the start of their fourth annual championship Playoffs. The UNOH 200 was full of all kinds of action with twists and turns throughout the evening.
There were 12 cautions for 73 laps which means 36.5% of the race was run under caution which is what you would expect for a place like Bristol, especially in a Truck Series race.
The top spots, for the most part, were filled by playoff drivers, but there were some other drivers who had great runs as well. With that said, here’s a look at this power rankings following Thursday night’s UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
- Brett Moffitt – Moffitt led the second-most laps in the race. He had a dominant truck as he qualified on the pole, finished second in Stage 1 and won the second stage. Rarely did you see Moffitt in the back of the field as he avoided all of the major accidents. He traded the lead with Ross Chastain and Grant Enfinger, before taking the lead for good on Lap 174. Moffitt led the final 27 laps to pick up his third win of the year and the 10th of his career. With the win, he advances onto the next round of the Playoffs.
Previous Week Ranking- Fourth - Grant Enfinger – It was a fifth-place finish for Enfinger and his No. 98 ThorSport Racing team. He led once for 57 laps and finished ninth in Stage 2. Despite finishing fifth, he is tied fourth in the playoff standings with his teammate Matt Crafton. The top five finish continues Enfinger’s consistency that he has had throughout the season that ultimately earned him the regular-season championship.
Previous Week Ranking – First - Stewart Friesen – Friesen started on the right foot in the Playoffs, finishing fourth after starting third. It shouldn’t be surprising at Bristol, as he was runner-up in last year’s race. The Halmar Racing driver was unable to lead any laps but had good stage results, finishing seventh in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage 2. Now, Friesen heads to his home racetrack Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and will look for a popular victory north of the border.
Previous Week Ranking – Fifth - Ross Chastain – Chastain quite possibly had the second-best truck of the night. He started on the outside pole, led four times for 78 laps and wound up third. He won Stage 1 and finished second in Stage 2. Some may question his aggression, but nonetheless, it was his seventh top-five of the year. The strong season continues for the No. 45 Niece Motorsports team.
Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked - Sheldon Creed – Even though he missed the Playoffs, Creed followed Michigan’s strong run with a sixth-place finish at Bristol. He started a disappointing 24th and did not record and top -10 stage finishes. But he was there at the end had things gone Creed’s way. Unfortunately, Creed will have to wait for another race as he finished sixth, his seventh top-10 of 2019.
Previous Week Ranking – Second
Fell Out
1. Tyler Dippel – Dippel was nowhere to be seen, as he had a disastrous night at Bristol getting caught up in a couple of incidents. He was involved in two wrecks, one on Lap 131 and the other on Lap 183. The Youngs Motorsports driver was probably more than ready to leave Bristol after recording a 24th place finish.
Previous Week Ranking – Third
