What’s Happening?

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returned after a three-week hiatus. The second race of the Truck Series playoffs took the series to Bristol Motor Speedway, The Last Great Coliseum. Despite the playoff implications, the storyline going in was about 18-year-old phenom Connor Zilisch. After winning at Watkins Glen in his first Xfinity Series start, he continued his wave of momentum by winning the pole for the second time in just his third start. As for the playoffs, fifth through tenth came in, separated by just 15 points! Defending Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes and Las Vegas winner Rajah Caruth were the two drivers below the cutline. How did the playoff picture change? How did Zilisch perform? Let’s find out everything that happened in the 2024 UNOH 200.

• The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series raced its second race in the Round of 10 of the playoffs. Four drivers were 40 points above the cutline going into the race, while the rest of the field was separated by just a handful of points.
• Connor Zilisch made his third start in tonight’s race. He won the pole in his debut at COTA and raced at Richmond Raceway earlier this season. Zilisch came off a win in his first start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen International.
• Ty Majeski started the race from the rear of the field for an unapproved adjustment. Majeski came into the race 44 points above the cutline, giving him a cushion despite the setback.

The Format

Per Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, this was a 200-lap race. The stage breakdown was as follows:

• Stage 1: 55 laps (1-55)
• Stage 2: 55 laps (56-110)
• Stage 3: 90 laps (111-200)

Teams had four sets of Goodyear tires for the 200-lap race. The fuel window was around 130-145 laps. TJ Majeski was the only driver sent to the rear for an unapproved adjustment after qualifying.

Rajah Caruth Wins Stage 1

Zilisch and Corey Heim battled for the lead from the drop of the green flag. The two set the pace in the opening stage, as they lead the field by over two seconds after 25 laps, with both separated by only a few tenths. With lap traffic coming into play, the pack reeled in the duo, starting with Caruth in third. Knowing time a valuable playoff point was on the line, Heim made the pounce on Zilisch on lap 43 to take the lead of the race after spending much of the stage behind his bumper. Caruth followed suit by taking the second spot from Zilisch 10 laps later.

The battle for the stage win was between Caruth and Heim. Caruth wasted no time getting by the No. 11 with just three laps to go in the stage, but Heim was not far behind. After two lead changes in the final 12 laps, Caruth edged out Heim to take the Stage 1 win at Bristol. It was the first career stage win for the No. 71, who came into the race under the cutline, earning valuable stage points.

Heim, Caruth, and Eckes Battle for Stage 2 Win

Heim led the field to the start of the second stage, pacing himself from Caruth and the rest of the field. With 10 laps to go, the No. 71 drove Heim down for a sweep of the stages. But a new contender entered the equation: Christian Eckes. He made the move on Caruth for second place and began to drive down Heim with five laps to go. But Caruth did not go away quickly as he battled the No. 19 for the second spot, with Heim not far ahead. A great battle for the stage was cut short with just two laps to go when Zilisch spun on the track, bringing out the caution. With the field frozen, Heim would leave Stage 2 with the victory, with Eckes edging out Caruth for second.

Honeycutt and Dye Collide in Stage 3

With 40 laps left in the race, Daniel Dye cut a tire in Turns 3 and 4 and tried to gather it up before spinning out. He avoided going around but at the cost of Cayden Honeycutt, who was door-slammed by a spinning Dye, causing significant damage to the right side of his No. 45 truck. This brought the caution out for the third time in the race, and Dye, who was only a few points above the cutline, went one lap down and went to the back of the field after pitting on a closed pit road.

Riggs Plays Playoff Spoiler Once Again

Jack Wood brought out the caution with 19 laps to go. A late race caution at Bristol is typically a recipe for chaos, especially in the Craftsman Truck Series. The final stint came down to Layne Riggs and Heim with 13 laps to go. Riggs was looking to go back-to-back while Heim was looking for another win at Bristol. Riggs got a great launch on the restart to clear himself from the field en route to his second-straight victory.

While the trio of Heim, Caruth, and Eckes battled for second, Riggs pulled away to a lead that was over one second. Despite missing out on the playoffs, the hottest driver in the postseason has been the driver of the No. 38, who crossed the stripe to take his second career victory in the UNOH 200. Riggs continued to play the playoff spoiler, having won the opening two playoff races.

The Playoff Cutline

After two races, there’s only one more to go in the Round of 10. Heim and Eckes clinched spots in the Round of 8 with their strong performance. Joining them is Nick Sanchez, who also locked himself into the next round on points. Majeski, while not locked in, sits comfortably with a 58-point cushion. Caruth went from below the cutline to plus 35 after his strong run, while Tyler Ankrum and Taylor Gray sit 20 points to the good. Grant Enfinger is the last guy in on points, with a cushion of seven over Dye. A miserable night for Rhodes finds him below the cutline by 12 points with one race left in the opening round. Three drivers advanced on points, most of the field sits comfortably above the cutline, and eighth through 10th have some work to do with just one race to go.

Conclusion

That’s it for the UNOH 200 folks. Despite a lack of cautions, there was plenty to be excited about, with battles for the lead, playoff seeding, and another playoff upset. It sets up an exciting finish to the Round of 10 when the Truck Series heads to Kansas Speedway.

Be sure to tune back in right here at DailyDownforce.com tomorrow for our coverage of the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.