Date: August 26, 2018
Event: NCWTS 250 (Race 17 of 23)
Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Location: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont. (2.459-mile road course)
Format: Three Segments; 20 laps/20 laps/24 laps
Start/Finish: 15th / 11th (running, completed 65 of 65 laps)
Winner: Justin Haley of GMS Racing (Chevrolet)
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) went north of the border to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) for the series’ only road course race of the season. With experience at this track from racing there in last year’s NCWTS race, Todd Gilliland had his sights set on driving his No. 4 Frontline Enterprises Tundra to Victory Lane – and nearly made it there. He led 11 laps and was leading on the final lap of the overtime race when contact with his KBM teammate, Noah Gragson, dropped both drivers through the field leaving Gilliland with an 11th-place finish.
Stage One Recap:
- Gilliland started 15th after qualifying on rain tires on a damp track Saturday evening. He didn’t stay there for long since he was up to 10th within four laps.
- He was sixth before he pitted on lap 37, a few laps short of the stage break to help gain track position.
- After taking four tires and fuel, he was 16th when Stage One ended on lap 40.
Stage Two Recap:
- By staying out he restarted second on lap 25, but fell back to fifth after overdriving into one of the turns.
- Gilliland worked his way back up to third until short pitting again on lap 38. He took four tires and fuel, and was 15th when Stage Two ended on lap 40.
Stage Three Recap:
- Gilliland restarted the final 24-lap stage fifth.
- A great restart following a caution on lap 52 moved him up to second place.
- With 11 laps to go, he took the lead from Johnny Sauter and pulled away from the field.
- It looked as though Gilliland was going to win his first career NCWTS race, until a caution on lap 60 which cost him his sizeable lead.
- The race came down to a two-lap shootout with his KBM teammate Noah Gragson in second place. On the final turn of the final lap, Gragson dove under Gilliland. The two made contact which caused both drivers to spin and lose track position. Instead of driving to Victory Lane, Gilliland crossed the finish line 11th.
Todd Gilliland, driver of the No. 4 Frontline Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports:
Were you anticipating that contact at the end?
“Yes, but I can’t thank everyone at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) enough. They gave me an amazing Frontline Enterprises Toyota Tundra. I should never have let him (Noah Gragson) get to me. I should’ve just gave him the inside and maybe let him wreck himself. I don’t know. He has done that to me on like five, or six road courses. It sucks. We had the fastest truck and we didn’t win again. I’m going to have to talk to him for sure.”
NCWTS 250 Recap:
- Justin Haley won the race followed by John Hunter Nemechek, Brett Moffitt, Timothy Peters and Matt Crafton rounded out the top-five finishers.
- The race featured five cautions for a total of 18 laps. There were eight lead changes among six drivers. Gilliland led 11 laps while Gragson led 35.
How Gilliland’s KBM Teammates Fared:
- Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished 9th
- Harrison Burton, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 13th
NCWTS Championship Standings:
The No. 4 team remains 10th in the Truck Series Owner’s Championship Standings, while Gilliland moved up to 10th in the Driver Championship Standings.
Next Race:
The Truck Series takes two weeks off and returns to action out west on Friday, Sept. 14 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Live coverage of the race begins at 9 p.m. ET on FS1.
