{"id":13867,"date":"2017-11-11T18:13:34","date_gmt":"2017-11-12T00:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=13867"},"modified":"2017-11-11T18:13:34","modified_gmt":"2017-11-12T00:13:34","slug":"johnny-sauter-wins-chaotic-phoenix-race-as-austin-cindric-advances-to-finale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2017\/11\/11\/johnny-sauter-wins-chaotic-phoenix-race-as-austin-cindric-advances-to-finale\/","title":{"rendered":"Johnny Sauter wins chaotic Phoenix race, as Austin Cindric advances to finale \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Johnny Sauter, driver of the #21 ISMConnect Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Robert Laberge\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

AVONDALE, Ariz. \u2013 Three red flags told the story of Friday night\u2019s Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway.<\/p>\n

The third of the three gave defending NASCAR Camping World Truck Series<\/a> champion Johnny Sauter<\/strong> the chance he needed to win the race that set the field for next Friday\u2019s championship event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Johnny Sauter, driver of the #21 ISMConnect Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Trotman\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

When Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates Christopher Bell and Noah Gragson wrecked during an intense side-by-side duel with seven laps left, Sauter inherited the lead for a restart on Lap 149 of 150, and held off John Hunter Nemechek by .668 seconds for his second straight victory, his first at Phoenix, his fourth of the season and the 17th of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t have the best truck,\u201d Sauter said. \u201cWe had a great truck on long runs. He (Nemechek) had fresher tires, but I knew if I could have a good Turn 1 (on the restart) and get a good launch off that corner, we\u2019d be OK.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time Sauter pulled away over the final two laps, Bell, the series leader, had clinched a spot in the Championship 4 race. So had two-time series champion Matt Crafton, who finished third in each of the first two stages to wrap up his place in the finale on points.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Johnny Sauter, driver of the #21 ISMConnect Chevrolet, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Trotman\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

The second red flag followed a wild crash on the backstretch that started with trucks racing five-wide through the dogleg and wrecking when they ran out of room near the entry to Turn 3.<\/p>\n

The first red flag was for agony and ecstasy\u2014agony for Ben Rhodes, who was knocked out of the final four, and ecstasy for Austin Cindric, who advanced in the Playoffs to the Championship 4 and will race for the title in Miami.<\/p>\n

After Bell and Crafton already had joined Johnny Sauter in the championship race at Homestead-Miami, the battle for the final spot took a dramatic turn when the No. 50 Chevrolet of Josh Reaume stalled on the track on Lap 122 of 150 to cause the third caution of the night.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Johnny Sauter, driver of the #21 ISMConnect Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Trotman\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Both Cindric and Rhodes came to pit road under the yellow, with Rhodes giving up the third position to make the stop. When the drivers lined up for a restart on Lap 130, Cindric was 11th, right behind Rhodes in ninth.<\/p>\n

Cindric got a strong run across the start\/finish line and dived to the bottom of the track. Rhodes moved down to block, and contact between the trucks sent Rhodes\u2019 No. 27 Toyota spinning hard into the inside wall, then bouncing up the track into the No. 88 Toyota of Crafton, his ThorSport Racing teammate.<\/p>\n

Cindric avoided damage and rolled home in ninth, earning a chance to run for the series title at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 17 in the Ford EcoBoost 200 (on FS1 at 8 p.m. ET).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would he block it?\u201d an incredulous Cindric asked on his radio after the wreck. \u201cWhy would he block that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Austin Cindric, driver of the #19 Draw-Tite\/Reese Brands Ford, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Trotman\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Rhodes felt the Cindric\u2019s move was unwarranted.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe put me in a bad place and trying to do everything I could to keep the spot, but once you file into Turn 1 we were all going to wreck, so I\u2019m not sure that was the right move on his part,\u201d Rhodes said. \u201cI did everything I could to just make sure we were having a good day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were in front of him all day long, and we were going to be into the final four\u2026 and I don\u2019t know. It looked like a desperation move to me, because there\u2019s so much racing left to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The exit of the Toyotas of Rhodes, Bell and Gragson gave Nemechek one final chance to stay in the Playoff with a victory. Nemechek restarted second in the outside lane but couldn\u2019t keep up with Sauter through the first two corners.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Christopher Bell, driver of the #4 Toyota Toyota, and Noah Gragson, driver of the #18 Switch Toyota, lead the field to start the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Robert Laberge\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cOur truck wasn\u2019t that great on the outside all night,\u201d Nemechek said. \u201cOnce Johnny got to clean air, there was really nothing I could do.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat will probably be the most disappointing second-place finish of my career. So close, yet so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bell and Gragson swapped the lead for the first 145 laps (Bell 90, Gragson 55) before Bell pitted with damage under the final caution and handed the lead to Sauter.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I could see it coming,\u201d said Sauter, who was running third when Gragson lost control, slid into Bell\u2019s Toyota and got T-boned by Justin Haley\u2019s Chevrolet. \u201cI got a good run into Turn 3, and then I saw them spinning.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with that spin of the wheel of fortune, Sauter was in Victory Lane, heading to Homestead-Miami with the same sort of momentum that carried him to the championship last year.<\/p>\n

Media Center Interviews:<\/h3>\n

Race winner Johnny Sauter – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/PR_NCWTS_Sauter_111017.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

John Hunter Nemechek – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/PR_NCWTS_Nemechek_111017.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Austin Cindric – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/PR_NCWTS_Cindric_111017.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Christopher Bell – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/PR_NCWTS_Bell_111017.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Results – Lucas Oil 150<\/b><\/p>\n

Phoenix Raceway<\/b><\/p>\n

Avondale, Arizona<\/b><\/p>\n

Friday, November 10, 2017<\/b><\/p>\n

               1. (10) Johnny Sauter (P), Chevrolet, 150.<\/p>\n

               2. (6) John H. Nemechek (P), Chevrolet, 150.<\/p>\n

               3. (13) Cody Coughlin #, Toyota, 150.<\/p>\n

               4. (8) Chase Briscoe #, Ford, 150.<\/p>\n

               5. (15) Kaz Grala #, Chevrolet, 150.<\/p>\n

               6. (12) Stewart Friesen #, Chevrolet, 150.<\/p>\n

               7. (5) Todd Gilliland, Toyota, 150.<\/p>\n

               8. (1) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota, 150.<\/p>\n

               9. (7) Austin Cindric # (P), Ford, 150.<\/p>\n

               10. (21) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 150.<\/p>\n

               11. (23) Jason Hathaway, Chevrolet, 147.<\/p>\n

               12. (20) Robby Lyons(i), Chevrolet, 145.<\/p>\n

               13. (26) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 144.<\/p>\n

               14. (16) Justin Haley #, Chevrolet, Accident, 143.<\/p>\n

               15. (2) Noah Gragson #, Toyota, Accident, 142.<\/p>\n

               16. (25) Josh Reaume, Chevrolet, 141.<\/p>\n

               17. (14) Dalton Sargeant, Chevrolet, Accident, 134.<\/p>\n

               18. (24) Jesse Little, Toyota, Accident, 134.<\/p>\n

               19. (11) Ryan Truex, Toyota, Accident, 134.<\/p>\n

               20. (3) Ben Rhodes (P), Toyota, Accident, 129.<\/p>\n

               21. (4) Matt Crafton (P), Toyota, Accident, 129.<\/p>\n

               22. (28) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, Accident, 106.<\/p>\n

               23. (17) Austin Hill, Ford, Brakes, 104.<\/p>\n

               24. (9) Grant Enfinger #, Toyota, Accident, 75.<\/p>\n

               25. (22) Austin Wayne Self, Chevrolet, Engine, 55.<\/p>\n

               26. (30) Ray Ciccarelli, Chevrolet, Electrical, 21.<\/p>\n

               27. (29) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, Engine, 20.<\/p>\n

               28. (27) Mike Harmon(i), Chevrolet, Brakes, 19.<\/p>\n

               29. (19) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, Electrical, 12.<\/p>\n

               30. (18) TJ Bell, Chevrolet, Electrical, 10.<\/p>\n

               31. (31) Ted Minor, Chevrolet, Electrical, 6.<\/p>\n

               32. (32) Mike Senica, Chevrolet, Electrical, 3.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Average Speed of Race Winner:  89.05 mph.<\/p>\n

Time of Race:  01 Hrs, 41 Mins, 04 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.668 Seconds.<\/p>\n

Caution Flags:  6 for 38 laps.<\/p>\n

Lead Changes:  9 among 3 drivers.<\/p>\n

Lap Leaders:   C. Bell (P) 0; N. Gragson # 1-9; C. Bell (P) 10-87; N. Gragson # 88-128; C. Bell (P) 129; N. Gragson # 130-133; C. Bell (P) 134-140; N. Gragson # 141; C. Bell (P) 142-145; J. Sauter (P) 146-150.<\/p>\n

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  C. Bell (P) 4 times for 90 laps; N. Gragson # 4 times for 55 laps; J. Sauter (P) 1 time for 5 laps.<\/p>\n

Stage #1 Top Ten: 4,18,88,27,8,21,19,51,98,16<\/p>\n

Stage #2 Top Ten: 4,18,88,27,19,21,8,51,16,52<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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