John Hunter Nemechek held off Carson Hocevar in an overtime finish to win Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Darlington Raceway.
After three consecutive top-five finishes, it is Nemechek’s first win of the season.
The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver led a race-high 70 laps, including the final 27. The win comes after Nemechek led 104 combined laps in last year’s races at Darlington, only to finish eighth and second in races won by Sheldon Creed.
“I thought we gave it away early, honestly, and we were able to rebound and battle back,” Nemechek told Fox Sports 1. “Learned a lot tonight … It’s been a little bit coming after the start of the year.”
For Hocevar, it’s his second straight runner-up finish. He led nine laps but was in contention all night and claimed the first stage win of his career.
.@CarsonHocevar says he wasn’t going to “lift until he saw God” when it came to racing the No. 4 truck.
Said he would have pulled a Carl Edwards move. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/9EI0anGTwD— Noah Lewis (NASCAR) (@Noah_Lewis1) May 7, 2022
The top five was completed by Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski and Matt Crafton. However, Crafton was disqualified after his No. 88 truck failed inspection for being too low in the front.
As a result, Parker Kligerman moved up into the fifth position. It’s his third top five of the season in five starts.
Majeski is fortunate for his result after NASCAR failed to penalize him for driving on the choose cone located on the frontstretch prior to a late restart.
Click here for the race results.
The overtime restart was caused by a wreck involving Ben Rhodes with six laps to go when he cut his left-rear tire entering Turn 1.
That caution brought the number of cautions in the 149-lap race to 10.
On the final restart Ross Chastain, who had been running up front all night and led 46 laps, failed to accelerate and stacked up the field. He finished 26th.
First Stage
The first caution flag of the night waved on Lap 8 for a crash involving Akinori Ogata and Josh Reaume in Turn 1 and 2.
Ogata, making his first start of the season, finished last. Reaume finished 28th.
When the race resumed on Lap 13, Zane Smith took the lead from pole-sitter Nemechek. Smith wasn’t able to pull away and Nemechek began hounding him on Lap 17.
The caution returned on Lap 20 for a spin by Lawless Alan in Turn 3 after he made contact with Chase Purdy.
This caution brought all but 10 trucks to pit road, as Nemechek assumed the lead. The green flag came back out with 21 laps left in the stage.
Within four laps Nemechek led over Corey Heim, Chandler Smith and Ben Rhodes.
But with nine laps to go in the stage Parker Kligerman, one of the drivers who pit, had charged his way to the lead. Chastain had made his way into third after passing Enfinger and Chandler Smith three wide going into Turn 3. He eventually took second.
Kligerman earned his first career stage win, placing first over Chastain, Hocevar, Enfinger and Chandler Smith.
Chastain was first off pit road, beating Hocevar and Kligerman.
Second Stage
On the restart, Kligerman got by Hocevar for second.
On Lap 59 the third caution occurred after Todd Bodine, making his second start of the year, spun after making contact with Tanner Gray as they exited Turn 2. Bodine was able to continue and the race resumed on Lap 63.
The race was slowed again with 17 laps left in the stage for a spin by Tate Fogelman.
In the pits, Chastain was first off over Hocevar. However, Bodine, Dean Thompson and Jesse Little stayed out.
But Chastain quickly retook the lead with 12 laps to go in the stage. His stint in the lead ended with five laps to go when Hocevar passed him on the frontstretch.
Hocevar went on to claim the stage win, the first of his career.
Chastain reclaimed the lead on pit road, beating Nemechek to the exit. Meanwhile, Hocevar dropped to eighth after a slow stop
Final Stage
The race restarted on Lap 50, but barely one lap was complete when a multi-car wreck broke out in Turns 1 -2. It involved Purdy, Hailie Deegan, Tanner Gray, Kris Wright and Austin Wayne Self. Purdy and Gray were eliminated.
The race went back green with 42 laps to go as Nemechek and Chastain battled for the lead, with Nemechek taking the point position.
The caution was displayed once again with 30 laps to go after Corey Heim cut a tire and got into the outside wall.
Christian Eckes was first off pit road after taking two tires. He beat Enfinger and Nemechek.
Chastain dropped to seventh.
Keyword: Nemechek Gets Darlington Win; Crafton Disqualified