{"id":48819,"date":"2024-10-26T14:45:51","date_gmt":"2024-10-26T19:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=48819"},"modified":"2024-11-01T10:06:23","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T15:06:23","slug":"grant-enfinger-grabs-second-truck-playoffs-round-of-8-win-at-homestead-miami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2024\/10\/26\/grant-enfinger-grabs-second-truck-playoffs-round-of-8-win-at-homestead-miami\/","title":{"rendered":"Grant Enfinger grabs second Truck Playoffs’ Round of 8 win at Homestead-Miami"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Grant Enfinger, driver of the #9 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 26, 2024 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

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By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

HOMESTEAD, Fla. \u2013 A strategy call from the pit box coupled with a patient move forward landed veteran Grant Enfinger his second consecutive NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff race win in Saturday\u2019s Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway while his closest competitors ran out of fuel behind him in the closing laps.<\/p>\n

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Grant Enfinger, driver of the #9 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 26, 2024 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Enfinger, who won the opening race in this Playoff round at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway three weeks ago denied the other seven Playoff racers a chance at an automatic bid into championship contention. So now at least two drivers will advance based on points-earned with only next Saturday\u2019s race at Martinsville, Va. to settle which other three drivers move onward into the title fight.<\/p>\n

Enfinger\u2019s No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet suffered damage on an early race restart, and the team opted to move to a different pit strategy \u2013 taking tires and fuel on lap 80 while most of the day\u2019s previous race leaders opted to pit later on Lap 100. Ultimately Enfinger was able to both save enough fuel and race off to enough advantage that no one was able to catch him as he raced away to his 12th career victory.<\/p>\n

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Grant Enfinger, driver of the #9 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 26, 2024 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Taking the lead for good with 22 laps remaining, Enfinger claimed a 17.5-second win over ThorSport Racing\u2019s Ty Majeski as other trucks on a similar alternate strategy to Enfinger \u2013 the No. 38 driven by Layne Riggs and the No. 2 driven by Nick Sanchez – began running out of fuel in the final two laps.<\/p>\n

Enfinger had enough fuel he even did a burnout to celebrate the win.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, [crew chief] Jeff [Stankiewicz] just had the best truck out here,” said Enfinger, who actually made up a lap on track after contact on a race re-start cut his tire earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

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Christian Eckes, driver of the #19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 26, 2024 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cOur car was really fast after about five laps yesterday [in practice] and was the same way today. Jeff did a good job managing me with the tires and then managing me with the fuel. I feel like I saved at least 20 percent more than I did in the first run. Jeff was on me pretty hard obviously and the 38 [Layne Riggs] ran out and the 2 [Nick Sanchez] did too.<\/p>\n

\u201cHard to beat these two weeks,” he added with a grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had potential all year,” the 38-year-old Alabama native continued. \u201cThere\u2019s been sometimes, I haven\u2019t executed and sometimes we\u2019ve just had bad luck. Maybe it\u2019s just time we get our momentum now.”<\/p>\n

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Grant Enfinger, driver of the #9 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 26, 2024 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Connor Mosack finished a career best third-place in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports truck. The day\u2019s most dominant truck, driven by TRICON Garage\u2019s Playoff driver Corey Heim finished fourth after leading a race best 68 of the 134 laps. Heim continues to lead the championship standings and is now 49 points above fifth place with the top-four drivers advancing to the title race.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, a good day for points, but disappointing,” said Heim, who has a series best six wins on the year. \u201cWe were so fast last year and wanted to come back and redeem ourselves and win the race of course. But no complaints as far as points go, makes Martinsville a little bit easier if we put together a decent day.”<\/p>\n

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing\u2019s Playoff driver Tyler Ankrum, finished fifth \u2013 his best finish of the Playoff run to date. Veteran Stewart Friesen was sixth, followed by Daniel Dye.<\/p>\n

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Corey Heim, driver of the #11 Safelite Toyota, and Taylor Gray, driver of the #17 Place of Hope Toyota, race during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 26, 2024 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

And three Playoff drivers \u2013 Spire Motorsports\u2019 Rajah Caruth, McAnally-Hilgemann\u2019s Christian Eckes and Tricon Garage\u2019s Taylor Gray rounded out the top-10.<\/p>\n

Heading into the next race, Heim has that 49-point edge above the cutoff line. Eckes is 38 points to the good and Majeski now holds a 22-point advantage. Caruth is ranked fifth, the first driver outside the Playoff bubble, 22 points back. Gray is 24 points back and Ankrum and Sanchez \u2013 who finished 13th after running out of fuel \u2013 are 41 and 43 points behind, respectively.<\/p>\n

Frankie Muniz, the popular actor from the Malcolm in the Middle television series, finished 33rd in his series debut, his truck suffering mechanical problems early in the race.<\/p>\n

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races in the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway next Friday evening (6 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) to settle the Championship Four field. Eckes won the race there this April.<\/p>\n

Interview:<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n