Chandler Smith lead the field to the green flag nearly 10 times during the final stage of NASCAR’s inaugural Truck Series race at Knoxville on Friday night.
The driver of the No. 18 held the inside line on a rubbered down race track as the field behind him swayed left, right and center. Cautions took up a majority of the 60-lap stint to end the night, however, it was Austin Hill coming out on top.
Hill took the lead from Smith by way of his transponder reflecting that he was barely in front before the final yellow flag of the race came out.
“To be completely honest with you Austin never took the lead,” Smith said. “It depends on who you ask. The outside was gone really since the start of stage two. We had no chance.”
Hill, meanwhile took advantage of what the scoring showed.
He ran down the inside, and on the fourth overtime attempt of the race, the trucks made it through a pair of laps cleanly.
“I knew once we got through turn 2 clean and got around it, we’d be in the clear,” Hill said. “When it comes down to the end of the race, you’re going to do whatever you need to do to get the win. These things are hard to come by. Guys were just being really aggressive. I was being really aggressive, but I was trying to be friendly at the same time. That was just a product of tonight.”
Once the track got rubbered down, it was a one-lane track.
That secured Hill the victory before the final restart even got going.
“The outside lane just wouldn’t go,” Hill said. “I felt like we got through the turn. We doored him a bit. Maybe I jumped in front of him. Guys are going to have their sides of the story. He did a good job tonight.”
Hill will join names like Austin Dillon, Chase Briscoe and Bubba Wallace as winners of NASCAR’s dirt race for the truck series.
There’s no telling where his career will head, but he’s focused on what he’s done at Hattori Racing Enterprises.
“What I’ve done over at HRE and everything we’ve done with this organization, I feel like we’re very well known,” Hill said. “Each year, we’ve been in contention to win championships. The way this playoff format works it’s kind of a coin toss to what it comes down to. I think winning at a place like Knoxville kind of puts your name on the map.”
The Truck Series will take a month off to regroup ahead of the regular season finale at Watkins Glen International on August 7. The race will again be televised on Fox Sports 1.
“I didn’t think we were going to get one on a dirt track, especially one at Knoxville, but I’m glad we did.”
Knoxville Truck Race Results
1. Austin Hill
2. Chandler Smith
3. Grant Enfinger
4. Todd Gilliland
5. Derek Kraus
6. Matt Crafton
7. Ben Rhodes
8. Brian Brown
9. Tate Fogleman
10. Danny Bohn
11. John Hunter Nemechek
12. Jake Griffin
13. Ryan Truex
14. Zane Smith
15. Chris Windom
16. Carson Hocevar
17. Tyler Ankrum
18. Devon Rouse
19. Norm Benning
20. Johnny Sauter
21. Hailie Deegan
22. Cody Erickson
23. Kyle Strickler
24. Andrew Gordon
25. Jennifer Jo Cobb
26. Jessica Friesen
27. Stewart Friesen
28. Josh Berry
29. Parker Price-Miller
30. Austin Wayne Self
31. Tanner Gray
32. Donny Schatz
33. Chase Purdy
34. Codie Rohrbaugh
35. Sheldon Creed
36. Chase Briscoe
37. Jett Noland
38. Jack Wood
39. Morgan Alexander
