Chandler Smith ran inside the top five for the majority of the second half of the Final Stage of Sunday’s In It To Win It 200 at Darlington Raceway before the handling of his JBL Tundra went to the loose side. Smith would hang out to finish seventh in the second race in the Round of 10 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs.
The 19-year-old driver heads to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway 10th on the playoff grid, 12 points behind the cutoff line for advancing to the Round of 8.
Stage One Recap:
- Smith lined up ninth for the 147-lap event based on NASCAR’s matrix system with drivers and teams in the playoffs making up the top 12 positions.
- The 19-year-old driver communicated that the handling of his JBL Tundra was on the free side but was able to maintain his position within the top 10 during the opening stanza.
- The No. 18 would cross the stripe eighth and earn two points when Stage One came to completion on Lap 45.
Stage Two Recap:
- After getting four fresh tires, a full load of fuel and a chassis adjustment between stages, the No. 18 Toyota lined up on the top of the second row when Stage Two went green on lap 52.
- On lap 60, he made his way around KBM teammate John Hunter Nemechek second position. Four laps later he passed Sheldon Creed for the race lead.
- Smith remained in the race lead when a caution occurred on lap 67. Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman gave up the race lead to hit pit road for four fresh tires and full load of fuel.
- The JBL Tundra would line up mid-pack for the restart on lap 71. When the race went back to green-flag conditions, Smith began to work his way back through the field.
- He made his way into the top 20 on lap 73 and five laps later had made his way back inside the top 10.
- By Stage end, he had maneuvered all the way back to the runner-up position and earned nine stage points.
Final Stage Recap:
- Smith communicated that his JBL Tundra was “a little twitchy up the hill in Turn 1 but pretty good in (Turns) 3 and 4.”
- After a speedy four-tire and fuel stop by the over-the-wall crew, the 19-year-old driver lined up on the outside of row one when the Final Stage went green on lap 97.
- The Georgia native was in the runner-up position when a caution occurred on lap 111. Smith once again lined up on the top off row one when the field went back green on lap 115.
- As the final stage proceeded caution free, the handling of the JBL Tundra migrated to the free side as Smith fell back outside the top five.
- The No. 18 Toyota would end the day in the seventh position.
Chandler Smith, driver of the No. JBL Tundra for KBM
How did your race go?
“Overall, it was a really solid day for my No. 18 JBL Toyota Tundra team. We ran top three most of the day but at the end of the race we just struggled with lateral grip. We fell back to seventh, but overall, it was a solid day, and we are looking forward to Bristol.”
In It To Win It 200 Recap:
- Sheldon Creed grabbed his second straight win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs, leading 104 out of 147 laps. Nemechek finished 0.531 seconds behind Creed in the runner-up position. Stewart Friesen, Todd Gilliland, and Parker Kligerman rounded out the top-five finishers.
- There were eight cautions for 35 laps. There were four lead changes among three drivers, including Nemechek who led once for 39 laps.
How Smith’s KBM Teammates Fared:
- John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished second.
- Dylan Lupton, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 26th.
Camping World Trucks Driver Championship Standings:
With one race remaining in the Round of 10 of the Camping World Truck Series playoffs, Smith sits in the 10th position, 12 points behind the cutoff line for advancing to the Round of 8.
Next Race:
Smith will be back behind the wheel of the No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series resumes action Thursday Sept. 16 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Live coverage of the UNOH 200 will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 9 p.m. ET.
