For the third time in a row, a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race winner led only one lap, but this was an especially emotional lap led for Matt DiBenedetto. The final lap of Saturday’s Chevy Silverado 250 is the first lap he’s ever led in the Truck Series, and it gave him his career first national series win.
A crash coming to the checkered flag froze the field, and though rookie Alabamian Bret Holmes thought he was ahead at the finish, a review of the finish gave DiBenedetto the win. Ben Rhodes is scored as the runner-up behind him, with Holmes scored as finishing third.
“Oh man, it’s been such a long time coming,” said the 31-year-old DiBenedetto. “I’m so thankful. It just seems so surreal.”
He said the review after the finish was particularly nerve-wracking: “I think my heart rate was higher waiting for that than the white flag.” But, he said, “the wait was worth it.”
As for Ben Rhodes, who triggered the contact, he was disappointed with a runner-up finish after seeing the checkered flag in sight.
“Honestly, I think everything worked out fine until the last few hundred feet,” he said. “If I could change it, I would have just stayed right on the bottom. I’m not saying we could have got the win, maybe we would have had second, but we wouldn’t have a torn up race truck right now. A lot of things would have been better for really everybody involved.”
“I hate it for my team most of all,” Rhodes added. “They worked so hard to get these trucks there and we were right there to lock our ticket into Phoenix and now we have to really put in the work at Homestead to make sure we get in for another championship run.”
Brent Holmes was also disappointed when he heard NASCAR’s ruling. The 2020 ARCA Menards Series Champion pulled up to the flagstand at the end of the race only to be told it was under review.
“It definitely showed we deserve to be here,” Holmes said. “Tough to lose that one for sure.”
Ryan Preece and Christian Eckes rounded out the top five, with Eckes and Rhodes the only two Playoff contenders in the top ten entirely. And Hailie Deegan scored her career-best finish in sixth.
As for the Playoff picture, only Ty Majeski has locked himself into the next round with his win at Bristol. All other drivers will be hoping to transfer at Homestead Miami Speedway. Chandler Smith holds a 12-point edge on Zane Smith with reigning series champion Ben Rhodes in that important fourth position, 27 points behind Chandler Smith. Christian Eckes and Stewart Friesen are both three points behind Rhodes. Nemechek is five points from the cutoff line and Grant Enfinger is now 26 points behind Rhodes.
Jordan Andersen had a scare moment early in the race. After his truck caught fire, he tried to exit the truck when it hit the inside wall. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital midrace after suffering burns. NASCAR later released a statement that Andersen was “awake and alert” in the hospital.
The final Playoff race to decide which four drivers advance to the series Championship will be Oct. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – 17th Annual Chevy Silverado 250
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, Alabama
Saturday, October 1, 2022
1. (30) Matt DiBenedetto, Chevrolet, 95.
2. (15) Ben Rhodes (P), Toyota, 95.
3. (23) Bret Holmes, Chevrolet, 95.
4. (10) Ryan Preece (P), Ford, 95.
5. (13) Christian Eckes (P), Toyota, 95.
6. (27) Hailie Deegan, Ford, 95.
7. (26) Chase Purdy, Toyota, 95.
8. (7) Colby Howard, Chevrolet, 95.
9. (21) Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, 95.
10. (20) Tyler Ankrum, Toyota, 95.
11. (36) Kaden Honeycutt, Toyota, 95.
12. (25) Clay Greenfield, Toyota, 95.
13. (8) Derek Kraus, Chevrolet, 95.
14. (2) Chandler Smith (P), Toyota, 95.
15. (33) Timmy Hill, Toyota, 95.
16. (29) Parker Retzlaff(i), Chevrolet, 95.
17. (4) Zane Smith (P), Ford, 95.
18. (28) Kaz Grala, Chevrolet, 95.
19. (14) Jack Wood #, Chevrolet, 95.
20. (18) Stewart Friesen (P), Toyota, 95.
21. (32) Bayley Currey(i), Chevrolet, 95.
22. (5) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 95.
23. (6) Ty Majeski (P), Toyota, 95.
24. (1) John Hunter Nemechek (P), Toyota, 95.
25. (19) Johnny Sauter, Toyota, 95.
26. (12) Corey Heim # (P), Toyota, Accident, 94.
27. (24) Blaine Perkins #, Chevrolet, Accident, 94.
28. (3) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 94.
29. (16) Grant Enfinger (P), Chevrolet, 94.
30. (17) Austin Wayne Self, Chevrolet, Accident, 78.
31. (11) Tanner Gray, Ford, Accident, 78.
32. (31) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, Clutch, 73.
33. (34) Lawless Alan #, Chevrolet, Accident, 32.
34. (35) Dean Thompson #, Chevrolet, Accident, 32.
35. (22) Bryan Dauzat, Chevrolet, DVP, 32.
36. (9) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Accident, 18.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 114.286 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 12 Mins, 40 Secs. Margin of Victory: Under Caution Seconds.
Caution Flags: 9 for 36 laps.
Lead Changes: 25 among 11 drivers.
Lap Leaders: J. Nemechek (P) 1-2;Z. Smith (P) 3;T. Majeski (P) 4;J. Nemechek (P) 5-22;M. Crafton 23;C. Smith (P) 24-37;B. Rhodes (P) 38-39;C. Smith (P) 40-42;C. Purdy 43-45;B. Holmes 46-48;C. Purdy 49;C. Eckes (P) 50;C. Purdy 51-52;B. Holmes 53-54;C. Eckes (P) 55-56;C. Hocevar 57;C. Eckes (P) 58-62;D. Kraus 63-65;C. Eckes (P) 66-70;C. Hocevar 71;C. Eckes (P) 72;C. Hocevar 73-75;C. Eckes (P) 76-77;C. Hocevar 78-84;C. Eckes (P) 85-93;B. Holmes 94-95.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Christian Eckes (P) 7 times for 25 laps; John Hunter Nemechek (P) 2 times for 20 laps; Chandler Smith (P) 2 times for 17 laps; Carson Hocevar 4 times for 12 laps; Bret Holmes 3 times for 7 laps; Chase Purdy 3 times for 6 laps; Derek Kraus 1 time for 3 laps; Ben Rhodes (P) 1 time for 2 laps; Zane Smith (P) 1 time for 1 lap; Ty Majeski (P) 1 time for 1 lap; Matt Crafton 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 4,38,42,18,15,91,99,51,16,98
Stage #2 Top Ten: 18,4,52,99,23,98,16,51,38,66
