Menu
World Wide Technology Raceway just outside of St. Louis may be relatively new to the Cup Series calendar, but it has carved a place into NASCAR history particularly through the lower series. During that time, plenty of great races have happened at the track.
A race with three cautions in the final 16 laps saw the same two cars involved in two of the cautions. Spencer Gallagher spun John Wes Townley out, setting up a mad dash to the finish. Ben Rhodes took the lead away from Christopher Bell on the ensuing restart, before a seven car accident in turn four brought out the red flag.
Bell took the lead back on the next restart when Gallagher and Wes Townley wrecked again before the two got out of their cars and got into a wrestling match on the race track under the ensuing red flag. Bell would stay just far enough in front of Rhodes on the ensuing restart to hold off a potential bump and run. It was Bell’s second career Truck Series win and his first on pavement.
Mike Bliss dominated the Xfinity Series race at Gateway, and he seemed to be cruising towards his first win. Leading 116 laps on the day, Bliss took the lead at lap 101 and had held it for 99 consecutive laps when the white flag came out.
Despite two cautions over the final 40 laps, Bliss neglected to pit for fuel, and that decision proved to be a costly one, as he would run out of fuel off of turn two on the last lap. Scott Riggs took the lead and won the race only leading one lap on the day, the last lap.
The Truck Series made its’ return to Gateway in 2014, and it delivered. Bubba Wallace dominated, but a rash of cautions kept the outcome in doubt. John Hunter Nemechek cut a tire with 14 laps to go, setting up a restart. Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates Erik Jones and Wallace were on the front row.
Jones got the better of Wallace on the restart and German Quiroga slid into second, but Jones slid up the track and Quiroga spun Jones out, ending Jones’ day. On the next restart, Wallace powered around Quiroga on the outside, and Wallace would get his second career Truck Series win.
A quarter of a century after the track opened, World Wide Technology Raceway finally hosted its’ first Cup Series race. It was the next chapter in the Denny Hamlin vs Ross Chastain saga with Chastain wrecking Hamlin. Hamlin, laps down, would then show his displeasure by impeding Chastain on the race track.
Up front, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch lined up on the front row for an overtime restart. Busch drove into turn three too hard with two laps to go, handing Logano the lead, and the eventual win.
At the height of the Brad Keselowski vs Carl Edwards rivalry, the two found each other racing for the win at Gateway in 2010. On the last lap coming off of turn four, Keselowski nosed in front of Edwards before Edwards spun Keselowski out coming to the finish line.
After the race, it was not Brad who spoke to the media, rather Brad’s dad Bob Keselowski who spoke to Dr. Jerry Punch. Bob’s interview featured a soundbite for the ages, “I’m sick and tired of this. I’ll get my own damn uniform on and take care of this. He ain’t gonna kill my boy.”
World Wide Technology is a track that tends to feature short-track like short tempers and interesting races. Could this weekend add to this list?
