Chandler Smith’s Safelite AutoGlass Tundra brought out a caution halfway through the opening stage of Friday’s night Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway when smoke began bellowing out from underneath the No. 18 Toyota. After stopping in his pit stall, the crew determined that an issue causing fluid to leak out the right rear hub was not going to be a quickly fixed and spent several laps in the garage making repairs.
Smith returned to the track early in Stage Two scored in the 38th position over 30 laps down. Despite sustaining some damage in an accident in the Final Stage which subsequently led to two flat right front tires, make it through the remainder of the event. As attrition happened to other competitors, he moved up through the scoring and would end the night with a 28th-place finish.
With two races remaining in the Round of 10 of the Camping World Truck Series playoffs, Smith sits in the 10th position, 18 points behind the cutoff line for advancing to the Round of 8.
Stage One Recap:
- Smith lined up 12th for what was scheduled to be a 160-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 his Safelite Tundra was “sliding the front tires” in the early stages of the race.
- He was running in the 11th position when smoke began to roll out from underneath his Toyota. NASCAR determined that he might be putting fluid on the track and slowed the field for the first time of the race on lap 25.
- After hitting pit road, the Safelite crew determined that the issue was with fluid leaking from the right rear hub and wouldn’t be able to be fixed in the pit stall. Smith took his No. 18 machine to the garage for more lengthy repairs.
- He would end Stage One 30 laps down in the 38th position.
Stage Two Recap:
- After repairs were complete, the No. 18 Toyota returned to the track in the early laps of Stage Two.
- He was scored in the 37th position, 34 laps down when a power outage at the track put the race under red-flag conditions for 48 minutes.
- After going back to green flag conditions, Smith would be scored 36th at the completion of Stage Two.
Final Stage Recap:
- Smith would sustain some damage to the nose of his Safelite Tundra when a 10-truck accident occurred early in the Final Stage.
- The damage caused a tire rub that caused two flat right front tires during the Final Stage.
- Despite all of the issues, attrition throughout the field would allow Smith to gain several positions in the closing laps and end the event scored 28th.
Toyota 200 Recap:
- Shelden Creed scored the Camping World Truck Series victory, beating Matt Crafton to the checkered flag by 0.292 seconds. The seventh victory of Creed’s career secures a spot in the Round of 8 for him. Ben Rhodes, Stewart Friesen, and Johnny Sauter rounded out the top-five finishers.
- There were eight cautions for 37 laps, including a 48-minute red flag period for a power outage at the track. There were five lead changes among three drivers.
How Smith’s KBM Teammates Fared:
- John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished 22nd.
- Derek Griffith, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 26th.
Camping World Trucks Driver Championship Standings:
With two races remaining in the Round of 10 of the Camping World Truck Series playoffs, Smith sits in the 10th position, 18 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 JBL Tundra when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series resumes action Sunday Sept. 5 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Live coverage of the In It to Win It 200 will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 1:30 p.m. ET.
