Tag: Nick Sanchez

Sanchez avoids Truck Series chaos to nab first career win at Daytona

With cars wrecking and flipping behind him in overtime, Nick Sanchez claimed the first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory of his young NASCAR Cup Series career in Friday night’s Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway. The race …

With cars wrecking and flipping behind him in overtime, Nick Sanchez claimed the first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory of his young NASCAR Cup Series career in Friday night’s Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

The race ended under caution on the second lap of the overtime after Rajah Caruth, running fourth, moved up the track and turned the No. 91 Chevrolet of Jack Wood in front of the field.

Sanchez and runner-up Corey Heim were clear of the chaos, and Caruth escaped with minimal damage to run third. But behind them, the Chevy of Daniel Dye launched the Toyota of Taylor Gray, which flipped in mid-air and landed upright on its tires in a gaggle of mangled cars.

 

All told 12 trucks were involved in the wreck, which caused the record 12th caution of the evening.

Coincidentally, Sanchez rallied from a 13-truck crash on lap six to score the victory for his No. 2 Rev Racing Chevrolet team in his sophomore season.

“It’s huge,” Sanchez said. “We spent all of last year trying to get a win. I knew coming into this year I knew that I had to, right? What better race than to do it than Daytona? Honestly, out of every race, if I was going to do it, this would have been the last one (I expected), but happy to do it. It’s awesome.

“I just knew I had to lead at the white flag, because they were probably going to wreck. I’m glad they wrecked — if everyone is OK. I’m just happy.

“It’s huge. Obviously, we have a new technical partner in Spire (Motorsports)—our first race with them. What a better way to start a partnership. (Sponsor) Gainbridge has stuck with me. They were winless last year. They all deserve it, and they’re going to celebrate with me.”

Caruth was thankful for his third-place finish, but he rued the wreck that ended the race.

“I’m trying to play it back differently in the last laps, but thank you to everybody at Spire Motorsports, HendrickCars.com, the Hendrick Automotive Group, and Mr. H (Hendrick) for what they’ve done for me along with everybody at Spire and Chevy,” Carruth said.

“Man, I felt like I got a bad push there, and you’re already getting tight off of the corner, and everybody is going for all they have on the last lap. I feel terrible to see trucks like that torn up. I hope Taylor (Gray) is all right. But a good night to start the year.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

Fifty-one of the 101 laps were run under caution, and it didn’t take long for the action to start. The first major incident KO’d a handful of drivers.

On the backstretch on Lap 6 of a scheduled 100 circuits, a shove from Christian Eckes’ Chevrolet turned the Ford of three-time series champion Matt Crafton into the Ford of Layne Riggs, igniting a 13-truck accident that eliminated Ty Dillon, Thad Moffitt and Jake Garcia.

With his team unable to effect repairs on his No. 38 Ford F-150, Riggs took his Truck to the garage under caution on lap 17.

“Chaos, a lot of craziness — everybody was just kind of all over the place,” Dillon said after a mandatory trip to the infield care center. “I’ve never seen anything look like that from behind the wheel four laps into a race.

“With my experience, I knew something like that was going to happen. That’s why I got myself to the bottom to hopefully have a spot to bail. And sure enough, it happened. I thought I got through… I hit the grass and it knocked the tires out of my hand, and I was trying to catch it with the throttle…

“Just hate to be taken out so early and not have a chance.”

The lap 6 incident was a harbinger of the chaos to come.

Defending series champion Ben Rhodes saw a good night turn bad when Tyler Ankrum door-slammed his Ford on lap 68. Rhodes pitted with a flat tire a lap later, but after leaving the pits, he spun and crashed as the lead packed tried to dodge the No. 99 Ford in the center of the track.

Rhodes exited the race, and soon after, Johhny Sauter was an innocent victim of a four-truck wreck off Turn 4—after leading 24 laps, second only to Sanchez’s 26.

Bret Holmes finished fourth, followed by Spencer Boyd. Stefan Parsons, Crafton, Timmy Hill, Bryan Dauzat and Eckes completed the top 10.

RESULTS

Nick Sanchez wins the Truck Series race at Daytona, full results and race recap

Nick Sanchez wins the NASCAR Truck Series’ opening race at Daytona. Check out the full results and race recap from Daytona!

Oh, the NASCAR Truck Series. We have missed you. On Friday night, the Truck Series returned to action for the start of the 2024 season, and it resulted in a perfect beginning for one driver. [autotag]Nick Sanchez[/autotag] claimed his first career Truck Series victory at Daytona International Speedway as chaos ensued behind him.

Rajah Caruth came up the race track and made contact with Jack Wood. It resulted in a massive pileup with Taylor Gray flipping in the air. However, that wasn’t the only major incident of the night, as the Truck Series had 12 cautions, which is a new track record. As for the rest of the race, Johnny Sauter won Stage 1, while Tyler Ankrum won Stage 2.

After a winless rookie season in 2023, Sanchez was disappointed but started the new year in perfect fashion. The No. 2 truck may have been beaten up a bit, but it was enough to push Sanchez to victory.

Fresh from Florida 250 finishing order:

  1. No. 2 Nick Sanchez
  2. No. 71 Rajah Caruth
  3. No. 11 Corey Heim
  4. No. 32 Bret Holmes
  5. No. 76 Spencer Boyd
  6. No. 75 Stefan Parsons
  7. No. 88 Matt Crafton
  8. No. 56 Timmy Hill
  9. No. 28 Bryan Dauzat
  10. No. 19 Christian Eckes
  11. No. 18 Tyler Ankrum
  12. No. 22 Jason M. White
  13. No. 41 Bayley Currey
  14. No. 52 Stewart Friesen
  15. No. 98 Ty Majeski
  16. No. 15 Tanner Gray
  17. No. 9 Grant Enfinger
  18. No. 91 Jack Wood
  19. No. 17 Taylor Gray
  20. No. 7 Corey LaJoie
  21. No. 43 Daniel Dye
  22. No. 04 Cory Roper
  23. No. 97 Codie Rohrbaugh
  24. No. 5 Dean Thompson
  25. No. 02 Mason Massey
  26. No. 42 Matt Mills
  27. No. 1 Toni Breidinger
  28. No. 77 Chase Purdy
  29. No. 45 Johnny Sauter
  30. No. 99 Ben Rhodes
  31. No. 27 Keith McGee
  32. No. 33 Lawless Alan
  33. No. 38 Layne Riggs
  34. No. 13 Jake Garcia
  35. No. 25 Ty Dillon
  36. No. 46 Thad Moffitt

Chase Purdy, Nick Sanchez join Spire Motorsports for 2024 NASCAR season

Chase Purdy and Nick Sanchez will drive for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series during the 2024 season.

[autotag]Spire Motorsports[/autotag] bought Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series and many wondered what would happen to the organization’s current and affiliated drivers. [autotag]Chase Purdy[/autotag] and Jack Wood drove for Kyle Busch Motorsports while Rev Racing, which ran its trucks through the KBM shop, had [autotag]Nick Sanchez[/autotag]. Well, two of these drivers have future plans now.

According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Purdy and Sanchez will drive for Spire Motorsports on a full-time basis in 2024. As for a third truck, it will be full-time and have several drivers behind the wheel. One of those drivers is expected to be Kyle Busch as he expressed his desire to run five races with the organization next season.

Purdy almost won the Truck Series race at Phoenix Raceway in Kyle Busch Motorsports’ final race while Sanchez almost made the Championship 4. In 2024, both of these drivers will look to get over their respective challenges and make major progress in their careers at Spire Motorsports.

[lawrence-related id=4040]