Johnny Sauter scored his first win at Bristol Motor Speedway, and his fifth of the season, in Thursday night’s UNOH 200 as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff field was set.
Sauter got by John Hunter Nemechek in the closing laps to score the win and in the process wrap up the regular-season championship.
“I knew we had a great truck today,” Sauter said. “What a way to cap off the regular season with a win.”
Nemechek was in command until he slowed down with motor issues with five laps to go and Sauter was able to race by for the lead. Down the stretch the GMS racing driver had to hold off Stewart Friesen, who made a hard charge but was forced to settle for second.
“We won at Bristol – this is the ultimate,” Sauter said. “For a short track guy, and I consider myself a short-track guy, to get a win at a place like this is so special.”
Nemechek, who led a race-high 104 laps and won Stage 1 and 2, wound up third with Parker Kligerman and Todd Gillilland rounding out the top five. Gilliland rebounded from a spin and a pitting outside the box penalty to score his third top five of the season.
“Spinning out – your pride is crushed there,” Gilliland said. “It’s one of the worst things that could happen. Then just getting that one lap penalty really put us behind and then after that Kyle (Busch) just came on the radio and said we really needed to work the top here.”
Justin Haley, Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, Noah Gragson and Grant Enfinger completed the first 10 finishers.
Sauter, Brett Moffitt, Gragson, Rhodes, Friesen, Haley, Enfinger and Crafton are the eight drivers qualified for the playoffs.
The Camping World Truck Series now kicks off its playoffs next Sunday with a trip to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
At a loss for words. We put on a clinic tonight, led a ton of laps! Had motor issues at the end of the race while leading and came home 3rd. Another one that slipped away! Learn from it and get better! Looking forward to the future. #nemechek42
— John Hunter Nemechek (@JHNemechek) August 17, 2018
