Ty Majeski’s victory in Friday evening’s TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park wasn’t the form of dominating efficiency he loved final yr—till the ultimate stage of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Collection race.
He overcame a restart violation on lap 50 that despatched him to the rear of the sector however rallied to defend his 2023 victory on the 0.686-mile quick observe. The driving force of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford earned his first victory of the season and the fourth of his profession.
Majeski, who swept the phases and led 179 laps in final yr’s win, was penalized for leaping the restart after the primary warning of the race for Ty Dillon’s spin in Flip 3 on lap 43. He scored no factors in Stage 1, however by the point the second stage ended, Majeski had charged to 3rd.
Sixteen laps after the restart for the ultimate stage, Majeski took the lead for the primary time, utilizing the lapped truck of Thad Moffitt as a decide and charging previous Eckes by way of Turns 1 and a couple of.
We’re 4 huge and rubbing fenders early! 👀 pic.twitter.com/aqIOelHDCv
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The Seymour, Wisconsin, driver led the ultimate 56 of 200 laps and took the checkered flag 4.129s forward of Eckes.
“It’s enormous,” Majeski stated. “Clearly, I made a little bit little bit of a mistake. It was most likely a little bit little bit of an in depth name on that restart. I needed to pony up and get it again. Clearly, while you make a mistake as a driver, you drive a little bit bit tougher to make up for it, however these guys had my again—superior pit stops.
“It’s been an up-and-down yr. We’ve had the velocity to win. Simply haven’t been in a position to put it collectively, had some unhealthy luck alongside the best way, a few of it self-inflicted. However, man, so happy with this Street Ranger group.”
Grant Enfinger completed third after main 71 laps. Tyler Ankrum was fourth, adopted by Layne Riggs, Sammy Smith, Luke Fenhaus, pole winner Rajah Caruth, Dean Thompson and Nick Sanchez.
Fenhaus’ seventh-place consequence was his greatest in three Truck Collection begins.
By the point he took the checkered flag, Majeski already had clinched a Playoff spot on factors, leaving three berths nonetheless out there within the postseason, with the Aug. 10 race at Richmond left to determine the ultimate Playoff grid.
With a Twentieth-place end on Friday, Tanner Grey took over the tenth and remaining Playoff-eligible place from Daniel Dye, who got here residence twenty seventh after an unscheduled pit cease on lap 81. Dye trails Grey by 5 factors getting into the final regular-season race.
5-time race winner Corey Heim completed seventeenth, a lap down, after contact from Eckes’ No. 19 Chevrolet minimize his left-front tire and compelled him to the pits below warning on lap 88. Pressured to make use of his final set of tires prematurely, Heim completed second in Stage 2 on the contemporary rubber however pale within the remaining stage.
“I simply misjudged the straightaway,” stated Eckes, who led a race-high 73 laps. “He’s acquired each proper to be mad.”
Eckes retained the sequence lead by 50 factors over second-place Heim.
