Safelite Racing Team in Line for Another Top-Five Finish Before Misfortune Struck
Date: June 22, 2019
Event: CarShield 200 presented by CK Power (Race 11 of 23)
Series: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series
Location: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Ill. (1.25-mile oval)
Format: Three Stages; 35 laps/35 laps/90 laps
Start/Finish: 8th/16th (Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Winner: Ross Chastain of Niece Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Harrison Burton was running third when the final round of pit stops took place in Saturday night’s CarShield 200 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series event at World Wide Technology Raceway. After the top two trucks pitted, Burton assumed the lead for two laps before being summoned to pit road for a left-side tire and fuel stop with 25 laps remaining.
After stops cycled through Burton was running in the fifth position and as he raced side-by-side with Sheldon Creed, got the air taken off his truck and snapped loose. As Burton corrected his path and appeared to make a great save, he got clipped in the right rear and the No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra went sliding up into the outside wall. After coming to pit road for repairs and four fresh tires, the 18-year-old driver was forced to limp home to a 16th-place finish.
Stage One Recap:
- Burton started the 160-lap event from the 8th spot after Saturday’s qualifying session was cancelled due to rain and the field was set based on Gander Trucks owner’s points. He had advanced to the fifth spot by lap eight and on lap 24 moved into the fourth spot, where he would end the stage.
- The talented teenager communicated that his Safelite Tundra was “free on entry, tight center and loose off,” in the closing laps of Stage One.
Stage Two Recap:
- Crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. summoned Burton to pit road for four fresh tires and a full load of fuel.
- With many teams electing to take just two tires, the No. 18 Toyota was scored in the 11th position when Stage Two went green on lap 43.
- Burton finished Stage Two in the 13th position as he reported that his Tundra was still “loose entry and exit and tighter center.”
Final Stage Recap:
- Hillman Jr. ordered up a right-tire and fuel stop with adjustments in an effort to improve the handling for his young driver. Burton exited the pits second and was lined up beside his KBM teammate Christian Eckes went the Final Stage went green on lap 77.
- When the field went green, Burton got stuck three-wide middle into Turns 1 and 2 and would fall back to the fourth spot by the time a quick caution occurred on lap 80.
- This time around, the talented teenager gained a spot on the restart and would settle into the third spot as a long-green flag run ensued.
- With 45 laps remaining Burton closed to the bumper of Ross Chastain, who was running second and was two-truck lengths behind the leader, Christian Eckes. Burton made a move for the second position pulling side-by-side with Chastain but was unable to complete the pass and settled back into the third spot.
- Eckes hit pit road for a two-tire and fuel stop with 29 laps remaining and Chastain would pit for fuel only with 28 laps remaining. Burton would lead for two laps before hitting pit road for fresh left-side tires and fuel with 25 laps remaining.
- After stops cycled through, Burton was running fifth, in position for his third consecutive top-five finish. Unfortunately, the incident with Creed caused severe damage to the Safelite Tundra and he would be forced to limp home to a 16th-place finish.
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CarShield 200 presented by CK Power Recap:
- Ross Chastain picked up his second Gander Trucks win of 2019. Burton’s KBM teammate Todd Gilliland finished 0.704 seconds behind Chastain in the runner-up spot. Stewart Friesen came home third, KBM driver Chandler Smith was fourth and Brett Moffitt rounded out the top-five finishers.
- The race featured five cautions for a total of 30 laps. There were 14 lead changes among eight drivers. Burton led once for two laps. KBM driver Christian Eckes led a race-high 57 laps.
How Burton’s KBM Teammates Fared:
- Todd Gilliland, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished second
- Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 46 Toyota, finished fourth
- Christian Eckes, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 14th
Gander Trucks Championship Standings:
Burton remained sixth in the Gander Trucks championship standings. After 11 races he finds himself 116 tallies behind points leader Grant Enfinger. He currently sits in the eighth and final spot on the playoff grid
Next Race:
Burton will be back behind the wheel of the No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra when the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series resumes action June 28 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Live coverage of the Camping World 225 begins Friday at 9 p.m. ET on FS1.
