RAPHAËL LESSARD EARNS FIRST CAREER TRUCK SERIES WIN
Eckes eliminated from the Playoffs with last lap accident
TALLADEGA, Alabama (October 3, 2020) – Canadian Raphaël Lessard drove to his first career NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday afternoon. Lessard was joined in the top-10 by his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Chandler Smith (third) and fellow rookie driver Derek Kraus (10th). For Toyota, it is the second consecutive Truck Series win and the seventh win of the 2020 season in Toyota’s 400th race in the series. Austin Hill will advance to the Round of 8 after clinching a spot last weekend with a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He added another Playoff point with a stage win today.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Talladega Superspeedway
Race 19 of 23 – 94 Laps, 250 Miles
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, RAPHAËL LESSARD
2nd, Trevor Bayne*
3rd, CHANDLER SMITH
4th, Ben Rhodes*
5th, Codie Rohrbaugh*
10th, DEREK KRAUS
12th, CLAY GREENFIELD
17th, STEWART FRIESEN
18th, CHRISTIAN ECKES
19th, AUSTIN HILL
23rd, JOSH REAUME
25th, JASON WHITE
34th, DANNY BOHN
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
RAPHAËL LESSARD, No. 4 Canac Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 1st
How does it feel to get your first Truck Series win?
“That was awesome. First of all, I want to thank everyone back home, my team at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Canac came on board with us this year. Also, Mobil1, Toyota, TRD – this is amazing, I can’t believe it. It’s my second superspeedway race and my first truck series win here is amazing.”
What was the final lap like and did you think you had won the race?
“I don’t know who was behind me, but he gave me a heck of a push and I can’t thank him enough because he’s part of that win too. He pushed me as hard as he could and I was just holding on for the ride. Then the caution came out at the right time. I’m so happy. This was my first time doing a burnout from a race win and I loved it. Hopefully we can do it some more.”
What has this season been like for you?
“It’s been pretty crazy. I moved here to Mooresville, North Carolina in January and it’s a crazy year to be my first time moving from home. My family is all in Quebec, Canada. It’s been crazy and I haven’t seen them in a while. I want to say hi to everybody back in Quebec and all my family. I needed that. We had a tough season so this one feels really good.”
How were you able to get into position to win the race?
“All race long, my crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. gave me the best strategy ever. I was kind of getting tired riding out back. My teammate and I worked really well – Christian Eckes and Chandler Smith. I was just getting tired of it and I guess I listened to my crew chief, my team and I think we won it from listening to what my crew chief was telling me. At the end, we were in position to win it and all I was doing was trying to hold it straight and the guy behind me pushed me as much as he could.”
Did you feel you were ahead of Trevor Bayne when the caution came out?
“I thought I was close, but I was just focused in case we had another restart. In my head, it wasn’t done yet. We didn’t get to the start-finish line yet so I thought it was going to be a green-white-checkered, but it didn’t happen and we ended up winning.”
What would you say to other kids on looking up to you for this victory?
“I want to go celebrate now with my team, but I’m just a kid from Quebec that started racing growing up. Growing up, I was watching my Dad just race for fun and now I’m here. Just always keep believing and always keep pushing hard.”
Were you surprised that Stewart Friesen moved to the high side?
“I think I had the best position of them all being third on the restart. He (Stewart Friesen) opened the inside up, he went to the outside and I knew it was just my chance to put my nose in there. We don’t know what happened. My crew chief (Mike Hillman Jr.) told me not to lift. I was not going to lift and it worked. I was surprised with him moving up because I gave him a pretty good push on the restart, but you never know what’s going to happen. I’m glad he moved up because it helped me to get my first win.”
Does this help you to be able to return to Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2021?
“It for sure is going to help. We’ve been working really hard this year. Kyle Busch has been helping me and giving me some advice. It’s been a tough year so I needed that win. He gave me a shot this year – Kyle Busch and TRD gave me a shot this year and now I just think it feels really good and it’s going to help me for the rest of the season. It’s going to help with our confidence. It’s going to help for my team. It’s been a while since Mike Hillman Jr. (crew chief) and all my guys have won in the Truck Series. I’m glad to get them back in victory lane and I think it’s just going to be even happier to go to work for the rest of the season.”
How has the lack of practice and rookie testing impacted you this season?
“Being a rookie this year and not having a lot of experience – I had a lot of experience in Super Late Models and a little bit in ARCA and five races under my belt in the Truck Series and I feel like every time we would go to the race track, I needed those laps of practice to get used to it, get used to the feeling, get used to the race track and not having it this year, I feel like it’s been hurting me a lot. I’ve been making mistakes that I shouldn’t have. It’s part of it and also I’m missing my family. I haven’t seen them in a while and I wish they were here for my first win, but we’re also missing the fans. When I stood up on the door of my Toyota Tundra, the fans were not there cheering me on and that was kind of sad. Hopefully everything comes back to normal and we’re careful with washing our hands, wearing our masks and hopefully we can have them back at the race track.”
What is your favorite thing about superspeedway racing?
“Anything can happen. I studied a lot of video this week and it equalizes everyone kind of. The trucks make a difference, that’s for sure. The spotter too, but I feel like everyone has a chance rather than going to other race tracks where there’s less aero and here at a track like this, we just try to position ourselves to be there at the end. You can be leading in one lap and be 20th the next lap. It’s hard, but my spotter did a great job keeping me calm. We were riding in the back with our teammates most of the last stage and then when we pitted under green after that, we put ourself in a good position. I was kind of getting tired of riding in the back. My team had a great strategy and my spotter kept me calm. From listening to them, it worked out well.”
Have you talked with Kyle Busch since the win?
“I haven’t talked to him yet. I haven’t really had time to look at my phone so hopefully I can talk to him after all these interviews. I’m sure he’s happy and I’m really happy. I’m going to reach out to him to thank him for the opportunity, that’s for sure. He’s been a huge help and I’m just really happy to get Kyle Busch Motorsports a win this year.”
How will you celebrate tonight?
“We’ll see. I don’t think I’m going to sleep a whole lot. I’m probably going to enjoy the time with my team and celebrate with my team. I don’t drink and I’m always trying to prepare myself and be as ready as I can physically so I don’t think drinking is a good idea for me. We can enjoy a lot with water.”
How has your relationship evolved with Mike Hillman Jr.?
“It’s been better and better relationship with him (Mike Hillman Jr., crew chief). At the beginning of the year, we were working really well, but I think one race at a time and it just keeps getting better and better. We had a rough last three weeks, it’s been really rough, but they stick with me and they kept working hard and it paid off. We’re here in victory lane. He’s been really good and I’m sure he’s going to celebrate a lot.”
How has your transition been to the Truck Series from Super Late Models and is this your biggest career win?
“Oh yes, it’s the biggest for sure. It’s just amazing. I was confident – when it clicked or the first time it really clicked was at Michigan. Michigan, we had a flat (tire) leading and we were really fast. We came up through the field and were fourth on the last lap and I made a mistake. I finished seventh. Then I went to Daytona and finished third, ran really well so it got my confidence up a lot. It just seems like before that, it just wasn’t working. I couldn’t figure it out. I keep on improving my position. I would gain positions on the restart, but then I would lose them one at a time after that. I was kind of getting mad and frustrated and I sat down with Kyle (Busch, team owner) and the team and we talked about it and we talked about what we needed to do to be top-five to top-10 all the time. Since then, been working really well and I’ve been studying a little differently to make sure I understand how to be running up front. We had some pretty good races, just sometimes we haven’t had the luck we needed, but today we got the luck we needed.”
What has your relationship been like with Kyle Busch?
“He (Kyle Busch) gave me a shot this year with TRD and I feel like he believes in me. It’s for sure a lot of pressure because Kyle Busch Motorsports is a team where it’s only winners. You know you’re capable of winning with the truck and the team is capable of winning so it’s all about you. You want it to click together and Kyle is going to tell you straight what you need to do better and when he’s not happy with something or when he sees something you need to do better, he’s going to tell you. I just have to listen and try to absorb everything he says and try to do better. That’s what I’ve been trying to do most of the year and I feel like I’ve got better and better throughout the year and I’m still getting better and still learning. I think all that is just going to help me for the rest of the season.”
CHANDLER SMITH, No. 51 iBuyPower Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 3rd
How was your race today?
“It was a blast. This was my first ever superspeedway race or ever being on a superspeedway other than being at Michigan. I made two laps at Daytona in an ARCA car and other than that, I’ve never even done this, especially in a draft. It was a lot of fun. Hats off to all my iBuyPower Toyota guys from KBM. They gave me a heck of a iBuyPower Toyota Tundra today. Our biggest thing was that we wanted to advance into the Playoffs for the owners points and we did exactly that. I felt like we also had a truck to win the race there at the very end. We were really, really good. I’m happy for Raphaël (Lessard), he got his first ever win today so hats off to that whole 4 team . It was blast.”
Can you talk us through your run out there with very intense racing?
“Overall, it was a blast. This is my first superspeedway race. I’ve only been on Daytona for two laps in an ARCA car without any draft or anything. This was a lot different just jumping in, starting p5, was a lot of fun. Our biggest thing today was to get our truck out front and just get stage points for the first two stages so we could be locked in for the owners points, and we did just that and we got a good finish. Today was a great day. This 51 team, we haven’t been able to show it here lately, but we are really strong. We just have to put things together. Today, we put everything together pretty good, and if the caution wouldn’t have came out I feel like we would have been in the spot to win the race. Hats off to the 4 (Raphaël Lessard) crew. They are going to be celebrating pretty hard from that, but overall, my iBuyPower, JBL No. 51 Toyota Tundra team did very good. I’m really proud of those guys. We put everything together and we executed on pit road. That’s what we have to do every weekend.
How was racing on the superspeedway for the first time and how excited are you to race in the Winchester 400 tomorrow?
“It was a blast. I felt like it kind of suited my style a little bit and I was kind of second guessing myself if I’m going to be a good superspeedway racer or not. It’s kind of hard to judge. It’s my first superspeedway race, but I felt like it kind of suited me a little bit with this being my first time ever doing it, but to answer the other question, I’m very excited. I’m going to be in Donnie Wilson’s stuff, shout out to those guys and getting their stuff ready for me. I’m excited to get up to Winchester and go super racing and have a little fun and go short track racing.”
DEREK KRAUS, No. 19 SHOCKWAVE/ENEOS Toyota Tundra, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing
Finishing Position: 10th
Top-10 finishes in both restrictor plate races for you this season, Derek. How was your race?
“It was exciting for sure. We were able to get a stage win there. That was really good for our team. On the green flag pit stop, we just missed a little bit. My team gave me a great stop, and I just didn’t get out of the box right. I was held back a little bit, but we were able to stay on the lead lap, and just waited out for the yellow. We got the yellow at the end, and we were able to race really hard. I was pushing Chandler (Smith) there at the end. We were getting close to the front, and everything got congested and we ended up 10th, but overall it was a great day. We brought home a clean truck and that’s as good as it gets at a plate track.”
Next up is Kansas, where you had a great doubleheader earlier this year. How excited are you to get back there?
“I’m really excited to get back there. We had two really good runs there, and going there for a second time will be really cool. I’m really looking forward to it. I know that everyone at MHR (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing) will bring me a really fast Toyota Tundra, and that will be great.”
CHRISTIAN ECKES, No. 18 Safelite Auto Glass Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 18th
Tough finish with the last lap contact. What happened from your perspective?
“I just came up short. Sucks that we are not going to be able to move on to round two, but in the same aspect my Safelite Toyota team tried hard. We did all we could. I’m sure we made some mistakes on the day like the pit road penalities and some other things, but we will move on to the last four races and give the Playoff guys hell.”
What are your goals for the last four races?
“Just to win. We don’t have any championship hopes on the line, unfortunately, anymore, but in the same aspect, there is still plenty of team goals to achieve. We will do the best we can. I wish we did a little bit better in the first two races of this round to separate us, but that’s 2020 and we will move on to the next four.”
AUSTIN HILL, No. 16 United Rentals Toyota Tundra, Hattori Racing Enterprises
Finishing Position: 19th
What happened on the final lap?
“Just hard racing. Everybody is trying to win the race. You stay formed up until the white flag and then all hell breaks loose. If you’re able to put your truck somewhere, you do it. That kind of looks like what had happened. Some guys were putting their trucks in places that they probably shouldn’t and that ultimately is what caused the wreck. We shouldn’t have ever been in that predicament. I was just trying to get all I could get coming to pit road. I knew we had nothing to lose. I was trying to get everything I could and not slide the tires and just came in too hot and sped on pit road. I kind of got us behind there. We still had somewhat of a shot at it getting back on the lead lap and having that green-white-checkered, if the caution could have come out with like 10 (laps) to go or something, we could have had something for them just because our United Rentals Toyota Tundra was so fast. Just going for it and trying to get all I can on pit road and over-stepped that boundary.”
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