Date: May 11, 2018
Event: 37 Kind Days 250 (Race 6 of 23)
Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1.5-mile oval)
Format: Three Segments; 40 laps/40 laps/87 laps
Start/Finish: 6th / 2nd (running, completed 167 of 167 laps)Winner: Noah Gragson of Kyle Busch Motorsports (Toyota)
Kyle Busch came to Kansas Speedway looking to tie the record for most wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, but he came up one spot short to his KBM teammate, Noah Gragson, who took the win. Busch fought the handling of his No. 4 Cessna Tundra throughout the race, but came back strong in the closing laps to finish second.
Stage One Recap:
- Busch started sixth, but moved into second behind Gragson within the first 14 laps of the race.
- The Cessna Tundra became tighter as the stage continued, but Busch was able to hang on and finish Stage One in second place.
- He pitted on lap 44 for four tires and to take some wedge out to see if that would help the handling.
Stage Two Recap:
- When the second 40-lap stage began on lap 50, Busch was in sixth place.
- By lap 70 he was running third, despite his Tundra still being too tight.
- Stage Two ended on lap 80 with Busch in third place.
- He brought the Cessna Tundra to pit road for four tires and another wedge adjustment.
Stage Three Recap:
- He started the final 87-lap stage in fourth.
- With 50 laps to go Busch remained in fourth and was still too tight. Without a caution in the final 50 laps, the teams were forced to make green-flag pit stops before the race ended. Busch and crew chief Marcus Richmond opted for right-side tires as opposed to four tires.
- Shortly after the stop, Busch described his Tundra as “plowing tight.”
- With 20 laps to go he was back in eighth, but worked his way to the front again.
- He was second trying to chase down Gragson, but in the end the No. 18 of Gragson was faster. Busch finished second for his second top-five finish in three races this season.
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 4 Cessna Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports:
Talk about your race:
“The 18 (Noah Gragson) was coming, but if I could have got by the 52 (Stewart Friesen), when I was run through the grass, I could have gotten enough of a gap to hold the 18 off. They were faster than us and deserved to win the race. They were better than us all weekend. We just didn’t have it in this No. 4 Cessna Tundra today. I thought we were close and the truck felt better after about 15 laps, it just took too long to come in. There on that last run we didn’t make the right adjustments, we took two tires and got way too tight. Shoulda, coulda, woulda – awesome run by the No. 18 guys. They were fast and deserved it. They needed a boost and they got one. They’re going to race for a championship, so hopefully this will help them get going.”
37 Kind Days 250 Recap:
- KBM’s Noah Gragson won the race, followed by Kyle Busch, Stewart Friesen, John Hunter Nemechek and Johnny Sauter rounded out the top-five finishers.
- The race featured four cautions for a total of 21 laps. There were 13 lead changes among eight drivers. KBM’s Noah Gragson led a race-high 128 laps, while Busch led one lap.
How Busch’s KBM Teammates Fared:
- Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished 1st
- Brandon Jones, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 9th
NCWTS Owner Championship Standings:
The No. 4 team jumped up four positions to third in the Truck Series Owner’s Championship Standings, 50 points out of first.
Next Race:
Todd Gilliland will compete full time in the No. 4 Tundra for the remainder of the season since he turns 18 on May 15. The Truck Series returns to action next Friday, May 18 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Live coverage of the race begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
