Date: April 14, 2023
Event: Long John Silver’s 200 (Race 7 of 23)
Series: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Location: Martinsville Speedway (0.526-mile oval)
Format: Three Stages; 50/50/24
Start/Finish: 8th/1oth (Running, completed 124 of 124 laps)
Winner: Corey Heim of TRICON Garage (Toyota)
Despite qualifying a track-best eighth for Friday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Martinsville Speedway, Chase Purdy started at the rear of the field after the No. 4 team made an unapproved adjustment before the start of the race.
Purdy moved from the back of the field up to 25th as the first 27 laps were raced with wet-weather tires for the first time in NASCAR history on an oval. Overall, more than half of the race was run under caution, but the 23-year-old driver slowly but surely battled his way towards the front of the field. He finished Stage 1 in the 23rd position, Stage 2 in 18th and lined up on the top of the seventh row when the Final Stage went green on lap 105. Over the course of the next two restarts the Bama Buggies driver was able to advance eight positions before the race was ultimately called after 124 laps due to rain.
The top-10 result was Purdy’s fourth across seven starts since joining KBM for the 2023 season. Prior to joining KBM, the Mississippi driver had recorded five total top-10 finishes across 51 career starts.
Chase Purdy, driver of the No. 4 Bama Buggies Chevrolet for KBM:
Talk about earning another top-10 finish tonight.
“It was definitely an interesting race to say the least but proud of everyone on this Bama Buggies team for never giving up. We were able to battle our way from the back of the field and in the end bring home another top-10 finish. Wish that we could’ve finished the race, we had just made up a bunch of spots and felt like if we would’ve kept racing we could’ve kept moving forward.”
Long John Silver’s 200 Race Recap:
- Corey Heim won Friday night’s Long John Silver’s 200. It was his first victory of 2023 and the third victory of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career. Busch finished second, while Zane Smith, Ty Majeski and Tanner Gray rounded out the top five.
- There were six cautions for 63 laps and two lead changes among three drivers.
Craftsman Truck Series Driver Standings:
Purdy leaves the seventh race of the season 10th in the Craftsman Truck Series owner point standings, 127 tallies behind Ty Majeski. With nine races remaining before the playoffs begin, Purdy sits 11th on the playoff grid, 11 points behind the cutoff line.
