Noah Gragson returned to his top-10 form at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday in the LTi Printing 200. After starting fifth, he navigated the tricky aerodynamics at the two-mile oval and fought all day to earn a seventh-place finish.
Date: August 12, 2017
Event: LTi Printing 200 (Race 13 of 23)
Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (two-mile oval)
Format: Three Segments; 30 laps/30 laps/40 laps
Start/Finish: 5th / 7th (running, completed 100 of 100 laps)
Winner: Darrell Wallace Jr., of MDM Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage One Recap:
- Gragson started his Switch Tundra fifth for the first 30-lap stage. By the end of the run he was a little free getting into the corners and ended the stage seventh. He came to pit road for a four-tire stop and a wedge adjustment, and returned to the track in eighth place.
Stage Two Recap:
- After starting the second stage eighth, he shot up to fifth place on the restart. His Switch Tundra seemed much better, but by the halfway point of the race at lap 50 he was too free again. He fell back to ninth on a restart with 10 laps to go in the stage and finished the second stage eighth. He pitted the final time for four tires and a track bar adjustment. He returned to the track 13th since a few trucks pitted earlier and stayed out on the track.
Stage Three Recap:
- Gragson had 40 laps in the final stage to work his way toward the front of the field. He was ninth with 28 laps to go and then moved up to sixth with 20 to go. The leaders were shuffling positions in the closing laps and Gragson fell back one position to seventh to finish the race.
NOAH GRAGSON, driver of the No. 18 Switch Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports:
Talk about your race?
“We fought hard for a top-10 finish, but I wish I could have done better. It’s difficult learning the draft and the aero at a track like this. It’s like a chess game out there since everyone is running wide open. I felt like we had a good strategy all day, but just needed to execute better on my end. We’ll move on and give it another shot at Bristol on Wednesday.”
LTi Printing 200 Recap:
- Darrell Wallace Jr., won his first race of the season followed by KBM’s Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Ryan Truex and Austin Cindric rounded out the top-five finishers.
- The race featured five cautions for a total of 24 laps. There were seven lead changes among seven drivers. Kyle Busch led a race high 47 laps.
How Gragson’s KBM Teammates Fared:
- Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished 2nd
- Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 3rd
NCWTS Driver Championship Standings:
Gragson remains ninth in the Truck Series Championship Standings, but now is 22 points behind eighth place, the final playoff position.
Next Race:
The Truck Series returns to action in a few days on Wednesday, August 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Live coverage of the UNOH 200 begins with the NCWTS Setup Show at 8 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
