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Late-race pass propels Ben Kennedy to first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win

by Mike Haag | Posted on Wednesday, August 17th, 2016

By Chris Knight, NASCAR Wire Service

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Ben Kennedy stole the lead from William Byron with 20 laps to go in Wednesday night’s UNOH 200 and later withstood an intense six-lap shootout with Brett Moffitt to the finish line to earn his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Ben Kennedy, driver of the #33 Jacob Chevrolet, poses with the winners sticker after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Ben Kennedy, driver of the #33 Jacob Chevrolet, poses with the winners sticker after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

With his triumph in his 63rd career series start, Kennedy, the great-grandson of NASCAR Founder Bill France Sr., became the first France family member to win a NASCAR national series race.

“I can’t put it into words,” said Kennedy, the son of International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy. “Someone asked me earlier today what it’s like going to Bristol for your first time and to win here is just so cool. I’m speechless. The guys gave me an awesome truck. Everyone at GMS Racing, Jacob Companies, the fans in the stands, everybody watching on TV, gosh this is just the coolest day of my life.”

With two laps to go, Moffitt, driving the No. 11 Toyota Tundra – the truck piloted earlier this season by Kennedy – gave the Daytona Beach, Florida native a shot in the bumper, but Kennedy refused to be rattled and stretched his lead to 0.274-seconds at the checkered flag.

“I was just thinking go as fast as possible on this last lap,” Kennedy said. “I knew Brett was putting pressure on me from behind. I appreciate him racing me clean. This is just so cool. These guys deserve it. They work so hard.”

Ben Kennedy, driver of the #33 Jacob Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Ben Kennedy, driver of the #33 Jacob Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Moffitt, who earned a career-best second-place finish, didn’t have quite enough for Kennedy’s No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado when it counted most.

“We had a good truck, a strong truck all day,” Moffitt said. “We ran top-five, top-10 most of it. He had just enough to get away from us on that last restart. After that, we got to him once but couldn’t get around.”

Although Bristol has been widely known for its bump-and-run racing, Moffitt, continuing to fill-in for the recovering Matt Tifft, said he tried once, but couldn’t get to Kennedy to try again.

“I’m going to race people the way I want to be raced,” he said. “It is Bristol, so if you need to move someone, you got to move them. I just wasn’t quite good enough in the center to get to him. He slipped up a few times and I was able to get to his bumper once, but didn’t get to him hard enough. I was really waiting for him to make a mistake so I could shove my nose in there, but he executed when he needed to. He hit his marks and I just wasn’t able to get to him.”

Ben Kennedy, driver of the #33 Jacob Chevrolet, does a burnout after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Ben Kennedy, driver of the #33 Jacob Chevrolet, does a burnout after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

With the victory, Kennedy virtually secures a spot in the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase with three races remaining in the regular season.

“We put this deal together (with GMS Racing) a couple months ago and I never imagined – I never would have imagined going into this race that we would be here today,” Kennedy said. “I thought we were a top-15 truck or a top-10 truck, but to actually be here in Victory Lane means the world to me.”

Note:  Additional race photos are posted below race results.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – UNOH 200
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
Wednesday, August 17, 2016

1. (13) Ben Kennedy, Chevrolet, 200.
2. (8) Brett Moffitt, Toyota, 200.
3. (12) Daniel Hemric, Ford, 200.
4. (6) William Byron #, Toyota, 200.
5. (7) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 200.
6. (9) Cole Custer #, Chevrolet, 200.
7. (5) Christopher Bell #, Toyota, 200.
8. (16) John H Nemechek, Chevrolet, 200.
9. (15) Brandon Jones(i), Chevrolet, 200.
10. (19) John Wes Townley, Chevrolet, 200.
11. (10) Kaz Grala, Chevrolet, 200.
12. (14) Spencer Gallagher, Chevrolet, 200.
13. (25) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 200.
14. (1) Tyler Reddick, Ford, 200.
15. (21) Caleb Holman, Toyota, 200.
16. (22) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 200.
17. (11) Jesse Little, Toyota, 200.
18. (27) Austin Cindric, Ford, 199.
19. (18) Austin Hill, Ford, 199.
20. (24) Parker Kligerman, Ford, 199.
21. (26) Austin Wayne Self #, Toyota, 198.
22. (23) Stewart Friesen, Chevrolet, 198.
23. (28) Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, 197.
24. (3) Cameron Hayley, Toyota, 197.
25. (30) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, 197.
26. (20) Rico Abreu #, Toyota, 194.
27. (31) Matt Mills, Chevrolet, 191.
28. (32) Bryce Napier, Chevrolet, 191.
29. (2) Daniel Suarez(i), Toyota, Accident, 186.
30. (4) Ben Rhodes #, Toyota, Engine, 128.
31. (29) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, Power Steering, 71.
32. (17) Matt Crafton, Toyota, Engine, 70.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  74.387 mph.
Time of Race:  01 Hrs, 25 Mins, 59 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.274 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  9 for 55 laps.
Lead Changes:  7 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   T. Reddick 1; D. Suarez(i) 2-39; C. Bell # 40-135; D. Suarez(i) 136; C. Bell # 137-141; D. Suarez(i) 142-179; W. Byron # 180; B. Kennedy 181-200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  C. Bell # 2 times for 101 laps; D. Suarez(i) 3 times for 77 laps; B. Kennedy 1 time for 20 laps; T. Reddick 1 time for 1 lap; W. Byron # 1 time for 1 lap.
Top 10 in Points: W. Byron # – 349; D. Hemric – 312; J. Sauter – 306; T. Peters – 302; C. Bell # – 296; M. Crafton – 295; B. Kennedy – 287; J. Nemechek – 281; C. Custer # – 273; T. Reddick – 270.

Tyler Reddick, driver of the #29 Cooper Standard Ford, leads the field at the start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Tyler Reddick, driver of the #29 Cooper Standard Ford, leads the field at the start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

 

Daniel Suarez, driver of the #51 ARRIS Toyota, leads the field druing ar restart of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Daniel Suarez, driver of the #51 ARRIS Toyota, leads the field druing ar restart of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

 

Austin Hill, driver of the #02 Ford, leads a group of cars during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Austin Hill, driver of the #02 Ford, leads a group of cars during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

 

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Toyota, leads Brandon Jones, driver of the #171 M&D Building Supply/Menards Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Toyota, leads Brandon Jones, driver of the #171 M&D Building Supply/Menards Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

 

Tommy Joe Martins, driver of the #44 Cross Concrete Construction Chevrolet, leads Daniel Hemric, driver of the #19 Blue Gate Bank Ford, during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Tommy Joe Martins, driver of the #44 Cross Concrete Construction Chevrolet, leads Daniel Hemric, driver of the #19 Blue Gate Bank Ford, during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

 

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Toyota, gets into his truck during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Toyota, gets into his truck during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

 

Ben Kennedy, driver of the #33 Jacob Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Ben Kennedy, driver of the #33 Jacob Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

About the Author

Mike Haag has covered motorsports in San Antonio and South Texas for more than 36 years. In addition to covering motorsports for the San Antonio Express-News for nearly 28 years, Mike also has co-hosted TrackSmack with Dawn Murphy for 18 race seasons. In addition to being a writer, Mike taught high school English and Journalism for 30 years before retiring in May, 2020.