Date: June 2, 2017
Event: Bar Harbor 200 (Race 6 of 23)
Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Location: Dover (Del.) International Speedway (one-mile oval)
Format: Three Segments; 45 laps/45 laps/110 laps
Start/Finish: 8th / 9th (running, completed 199 of 200 laps)
Winner: Johnny Sauter of GMS Racing (Chevrolet)
Noah Gragson had a fast Switch Tundra at Dover International Speedway in practice and in the race. Despite losing a lap following a green-flag pit stop, he was still fast enough to maintain the lucky dog position. The caution he needed to return to the lead lap never came in the final 25 laps, but he still finished ninth, his third top-10 finish of the season.
Stage One Recap:
- Gragson started the Bar Harbor 200 in eighth place and gained track position throughout the first stage, despite being very loose on entry to the turns. He was up to fifth when the first stage ended and gained valuable stage points. He brought the Switch Tundra to pit road for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment to help the free condition.
Stage Two Recap:
- He was 16th when the second stage of the race began on lap 54 since several trucks pitted during an earlier caution before stage one ended and stayed out to gain track position. He was up to eighth place when he slowed up for an accident ahead of him on lap 74 and was hit from behind. The damage was mainly to the left-rear and bumper of the Tundra and he was able to continue after pitting. He found himself back in 17th place, but was up to 12th when the second stage ended on lap 90.
Stage Three Recap:
- With only about 12 laps on the tires, crew chief Marcus Richmond told Gragson to stay on the track. That call moved him up to seventh to restart the final 110 laps of the race. He was up to third when he had to pit for fuel under green on lap 156. The field began to cycle through green-flag stops, but before everyone had pitted an untimely caution came for Chase Briscoe’s wheel rolling across the track. When the race resumed, Gragson was the first truck one lap down and just needed another caution in the final 25 laps to return to the lead lap and compete for the win. The caution never came, but he still finished the race with a top-10 finish in ninth place.
NOAH GRAGSON, driver of the No. 18 Switch Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports:
Talk about your race?
“Man, that was awesome. We came home ninth, but we were a lap down just the way the pit strategy fell. I’m not really worried about where we finished. That was just such a solid effort by our No. 18 Switch Toyota Tundra team. We got into a little slide there early on in the race with the 66 (Ross Chastain) three wide and we just came back and rebounded and kept on fighting the whole day and really that’s all thanks to my guys for never quitting on me. I had so much fun out there. We had a really fast Toyota Tundra and that’s just thanks to all my team at Kyle Busch Motorsports.”
Bar Harbor 200 Recap:
- Johnny Sauter won the race followed by Kaz Grala, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes and Austin Cindric rounded out the top-five finishers.
- The race featured eight cautions for a total of 43 laps. There were five lead changes among five drivers.
How Gragson’s KBM Teammates Fared:
Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished 25th
Todd Gilliland, driver of the No. 46 Toyota, finished 20th
Harrison Burton, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 13th
NCWTS Driver Championship Standings:
Gragson moved up three positions to 10th in the Truck Series Championship Standings, 30 points out of eighth, the final playoff position.
Next Race:
The Truck Series returns to action on Friday, June 9 at Texas Motor Speedway. Live coverage of the WinstarOnlineGaming.com 400 begins with the NCWTS Setup Show at 7:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
