May 24, 2024 | By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service

Nick Sanchez triumphs at Charlotte for second NASCAR Truck Series win

CONCORD, N.C. — Nick Sanchez showed what an opportunist can do when the right moment presents itself.

Taking advantage of fresh tires and a quick pit stop, Sanchez charged from the 10th position on a restart with nine laps left in Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and held off Corey Heim to win his second NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race of the season — and of his career.

Sanchez crossed the finish line 0.507 seconds ahead of Heim, who fell just short after two snafus on pit relegated him to the runner-up position — temporarily. Sanchez collects a $50,000 bonus as the winner of the first Triple Truck Challenge event of the season.

After the race, Heim’s troubles multiplied when inspectors found three lug nuts not safe and secure on his No. 11 Toyota, resulting in a disqualification that promoted Stewart Friesen to the runner-up position.

“It’s awesome — my No. 2 Gainbridge Chevrolet,” said Sanchez, who qualified 16th for the 11th Truck Series race of the season. “What can I say more about this (Rev Racing) team? We started off bad. It didn’t affect us. We went to work. We put ourselves in position when it mattered most.
“This is for Chris Showalter, my car chief. Birthday today, 700th truck start. This is for him, and it’s great to get number two.”

Remarkably, Showalter has been a part of the series for every race since its inception in 1995.

Sanchez led only the final nine laps. Heim led 72 before the penalty and Christian Eckes 37.

After dominating the first two stages of the race, Heim dropped to 27th under caution for Matt Crafton’s collision with then outside wall on Lap 79 when the jack malfunctioned and failed to lift his No. 11 Toyota.

Heim roared through the field to fifth before Chase Purdy slammed the Turn 2 wall to cause the fifth caution. Like Sanchez, Heim pitted for fresh tires, but a problem with the lug nuts on the right rear wheel cost him valuable time — and ultimately cost him dearly with the disqualification.

Grant Enfinger was credited with third, followed by Matt Mills, Ben Rhodes and Jake Garcia.

Eckes, who entered the race as the series leader, started from the rear after contact from Kaden Honeycutt’s Chevrolet during practice damaged his No. 19 Chevy and prevented him from making a qualifying run.

That was just the start of Eckes’ problems. Alternator issues kept him on pit road for extended stops during the stage breaks and relegated him to starting spots of 28th and 27th for the second and final stages, respectively.

But Eckes recovered to take the lead after staying out for a restart on Lap 88, and he was still in front — albeit close on fuel — when the caution for Purdy’s accident slowed the field. Eschewing a pit stop for new tires under the final caution, Eckes slipped to 10th at the finish.

Honeycutt, who won Stage 1 after Heim’s penalty and finished third in Stage 2, also went to the rear after leaving his pit stall during the second stage break with a fuel dump can still attached to the input valve of his truck. 

Despite the setback, Honeycutt had enough speed in his Chevrolet to recover to seventh at the finish. Connor Mosack, Dean Thompson and Eckes completed the top 10.


NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race Number 11
Race Results for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 - Friday, May 24, 2024
Charlotte Motor Speedway - Concord, NC - 1.5 - Mile Paved

Total Race Length - 134 Laps - 201. Miles

Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Friday, 5/24/2024 @ 11:56 PM Eastern

Fin Str Trk Driver Team Laps Stage 1 Pos Stage 2 Pos Pts Status Tms Laps Playoff Pts
1 16 2 Nick Sanchez Gainbridge Chevrolet 134  8 43 Running 1 9 5
2 12 52 Stewart Friesen Halmar International Toyota 134   35 Running  
3 17 9 Grant Enfinger Grant County Mulch Chevrolet 134   34 Running  
4 15 42 Matt Mills J.F. Electric/Utilitra Chevrolet 134   33 Running  
5 13 99 Ben Rhodes Campers Inn RV Ford 134 8  35 Running  
6 18 13 Jake Garcia Quanta Services Ford 134   31 Running  
7 9 45 Kaden Honeycutt R.D.C. Shoe Company Chevrolet 134 1 3 48 Running   1
8 7 7 Connor Mosack Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet 134 9 7 35 Running  
9 11 5 Dean Thompson Thompson Pipe Group Toyota 134 7 4 39 Running  
10 35 19 Christian Eckes NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet 134   27 Running 2 37
11 25 66 Conner Jones # TSPORT Ford 134   26 Running  
12 14 17 Taylor Gray JBL Toyota 134  10 26 Running  
13 6 77 Chase Purdy Bama Buggies Chevrolet 134 6 2 38 Running 2 5
14 27 32 Bret Holmes Precision Garage Door Chevrolet 134   23 Running  
15 19 1 Brett Moffitt Destiny Homes Toyota 134   22 Running  
16 4 71 Rajah Caruth HendrickCars.com Chevrolet 134 3  29 Running  
17 1 15 Tanner Gray Dead On Tools Toyota 134 2 1 39 Running 2 11 1
18 29 02 Mason Massey RANDCO Chevrolet 134   19 Running  
19 36 43 Daniel Dye Champion Container Chevrolet 134  9 20 Running  
20 30 76 Spencer Boyd A&M Premier Roofing Chevrolet 134   17 Running  
21 8 91 Jack Wood Cometic Gasket/Klotz Chevrolet 134   16 Running  
22 26 56 Timmy Hill Coble Enterprises/UNITS Toyota 134   15 Running  
23 3 98 Ty Majeski Soda Sense/Curb Records Ford 134 4 5 27 Running  
24 20 25 Ty Dillon Rackley Roofing Chevrolet 134   13 Running  
25 23 75 Stefan Parsons Popsells.com Chevrolet 134   12 Running  
26 10 41 Bayley Currey Foundation for Pops Chevrolet 134 10  12 Running  
27 24 21 Mason Maggio US Off Market Real Estate Deals Ford 134   10 Running  
28 5 38 Layne Riggs # Infinity Communcations Group Ford 133 5 6 20 Running  
29 28 20 Memphis Villarreal Laredo Trailer Supply Chevrolet 131   8 Running  
30 21 33 Lawless Alan AUTOChargit Ford 120   7 Brakes  
31 22 88 Matt Crafton Chi Chis/Menards Ford 119   6 Running  
32 34 18 Tyler Ankrum LiUNA! Chevrolet 67   5 Accident  
33 32 46 Thad Moffitt # Customers Bank Chevrolet 65   4 Accident  
34 33 22 Keith McGee More Core Drilling Services Ford 65   3 Accident  
35 31 67 Jeffrey Earnhardt Forgotten Coast K9 Toyota 65   2 Accident  
36 2 11 Corey Heim Safelite Toyota 134   1 Running 2 72

Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 45 Mins, 40 Secs. Average Speed: 114.132 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.507 Seconds

Stage 1 Top 10: 45, 15, 71, 98, 38, 77, 5, 99, 7, 41
Stage 2 Top 10: 15, 77, 45, 5, 98, 38, 7, 2, 43, 17

Caution Flags: 5 for 31 laps; Laps: 32-37 (Stage 1 Conclusion [56]); 62-67 (Stage 2 Conclusion [02]); 69-76 (Nos. 18, 22, 46, 67 Incident Turn 4 [76]); 82-87 (No. 88 Incident Turn 3 [21]); 121-125 (No. 77 Incident Turn 2 [41]).

Lead Changes: 8 among 5 drivers; T. Gray 1-3; C. Heim 4-33; T. Gray 34-41; C. Heim 42-83; C. Purdy 84-87; C. Eckes 88-107; C. Purdy 108; C. Eckes 109-125; N. Sanchez 126-134.

(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

Next Race: June 1, 2024 - World Wide Technology Raceway

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