Following a one-week hiatus, the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series returned to action Saturday afternoon on a windy day at Kansas Speedway.
The Clean Harbors 200 was the opening round for the Round of 8 Playoffs and we already know one driver who will be in the Championship 4 at Phoenix, that being Brett Moffitt. Moffitt will be looking for the second Truck Series championship of his career.
The focus of the race was on Moffitt and the playoff drivers but we will also discuss other takeaways after the 20th race of the 2020 Truck Series season.
- Hailie Deegan Full-Time In 2021 – It was only a matter of time before Deegan would eventually make her way up the ladder in one of NASCAR’s three touring brands. The California native competed in her first Truck Series start Saturday afternoon, driving in the No. 17 DGR-Crosley Ford F-150 and coming home to a 16th place finish, one lap down. During the race, Ford Performance had announced that their developmental driver, Deegan, will be going full-time in the Truck Series next year starting at Daytona. Deegan just wrapped up her first full season in the ARCA Menards Series, earning four top fives and 17 Top 10 finishes while finishing third in points. However, the Truck Series could present a learning curve for Deegan in her first season. Only time will tell how well she adjusts.
- Timothy Peters Returns – With Stewart Friesen out of the race in the No. 52 Halmar team (competing in a dirt race), Truck Series ace Timothy Peters piloted the No. 52 on Saturday afternoon. Peters made his first start since Talladega last year driving for Joe Nemechek’s team. The Providence, North Carolina native finished a respectable seventh place after starting 28th. Peters seems to be making one-off and part-time efforts over the last couple of years, but if a competitive ride were to open up for him, it seems likely that a team owner would want Peters as part of their organization. Peters has 11 Truck Series wins to his credit and was a runner-up for the championship in 2012 driving for the now-defunct Red Horse Racing team.
- Niece Motorsports Announces James Buescher Return – Speaking of returns, Niece Motorsports announced last week that former Truck Series driver and 2012 series champion James Buescher is slated for a return race at Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday. Buescher’s last series start came five years ago in 2015, driving the No. 31 Bob Newberry entry at Martinsville where he finished seventh after starting 15th.
- Tyler Hill Earns Best Season Finish – Tyler Hill drove the No. 56 Hill Motorsports team truck owned by his brother Timmy Hill to a 14th place finish Saturday. The finish marked Tyler’s best so far this season with his previous best coming at Las Vegas where he finished 17th.
