Date: May 12, 2017
Event: Toyota Tundra 250 (Race 4 of 23)
Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1.5-mile oval)
Format: Three Segments; 40 laps/40 laps/87 laps
Start/Finish: 4th / 28th (Clutch, completed 68 of 167 laps)
Winner: Kyle Busch of Kyle Busch Motorsports (Toyota)
Noah Gragson had a fast Switch Tundra all weekend at Kansas Speedway. He started fourth, but issues with the clutch in the second stage of the race sent him to the garage with a 28th-place finish.
Stage One Recap:
- Gragson started fourth, but five cautions slowed the first 32 laps of the race. He struggled a bit on restarts and told the team he needed the Tundra tightened up a bit. Crew chief Marcus Richmond opted to bring Gragson to pit road during the caution on lap 32 for four tires and a track bar adjustment so they could stay out during the stage break and regain track position. The strategy worked as Gragson stayed out during the caution at the end of stage one to move up to fourth place.
Stage Two Recap:
- Stage two began on lap 48 with Gragson in fourth. He quickly fell back to 11th and told the team it felt like a tire was going down. He brought the Switch Tundra to pit road a few laps later as the right-rear tire came apart. Gragson also felt there was a mechanical issue going on so he pitted again. The team did not find a problem, so he returned to the race in 27th, one lap off the pace. A few laps later he radioed to the team the clutch was gone and he took the truck to the garage ending his night early.
Talk about your race?
“I thought we had a fast truck at the beginning of the race and I was just trying to figure everything out. I don’t have much experience at the mile-and-a-half tracks working my way through traffic, so I was learning and gaining experience. We got up to the front at the start of stage two, but then had a tire go down and then it kind of went downhill from there. The clutch burned out which ended our night prematurely.
“It was a good learning experience. I’m thankful for the opportunity Switch, Toyota and Kyle Busch Motorsports have given me. I feel bad for my guys tonight, but I hope to make it up to them next week at Charlotte.”
Toyota Tundra 250 Recap:
- Team owner Kyle Busch won the race for his 47th victory in the series. Johnny Sauter was second, followed by John Hunter Nemechek, KBM’s Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe rounded out the top-five finishers.
- The race featured 11 cautions for a total of 46 laps. There were 15 lead changes among four drivers. Busch led seven times for 91 laps, while KBM’s Bell led four times for 37 laps.
How Gragson’s KBM Teammates Fared:
- Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished fourth
- Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 1st
NCWTS Driver Championship Standings:
Gragson fell two positions to 13th in the Truck Series Championship Standings, 27 points out of 10th.
Next Race:
The Truck Series returns to action on Friday, May 19 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Live coverage of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 begins with the NCWTS Setup Show at 8 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
