Twitchy Race Reports

(BRISTOL, TN) Race #16 of the Sam Maxwell Customs Truck Series was back in action tonight. The “Night Time is the Right Time” as the Trucks went to the Bristol Motor Speedway for a 100 lap shootout short track style. Tonight 38 drivers showed up for a shot at the 36 spot starting field. Qualifying seen Jonathan Holstein grab the pole which was huge given his current point position as he tries to make the 2017 SMC Truck Series Playoffs. 2nd in qualifying was Alex Giese, 3rd Michael Cunic, 4th Allan Young, and 5th went to Travis Wright.

The race was slightly caution filled as there were 6 yellows for 30 laps. Most of the night’s cautions would be for small wrecks involving just a couple of trucks. However a big wreck just shy of the halfway point shook up the race as it started around the 5th place running spot and took out multiple competitors including some key drivers who were close to the playoff bubble. The race went back green and would have a long run to the end which provided for some good racing action. Holstein dominated the race and held the late until late in the race fending off Young, Maxwell, and Mogard as the top 4 drivers had one hell of a race for the lead and eventual win.

Allan Young would make a run at Holstein with roughly 25 laps to go and it would cost him 2 spots as Maxwell and Mogard would get by him. Holstein would have to fend off Maxwell and Mogard for the final 20 laps while having to dodge through lap traffic. With roughly 15 to go a pair of lap trucks were running side by side which slowed the leader down and allowed the top 4 drivers to tighten up even more than they already were.

Once they navigated through that it would again see the running order shake up for the final time with 10 laps to go as Sam Maxwell would race to the lead with Mogard following him to 2nd. Mogard threw everything he had at Maxwell but was unable to get the lead. In the end Sam Maxwell would cruise to his 4th Career ASRS Victory and his first of the 2017 SMC Truck Series. The rest of the top five looked like this, Jared Mogard 2nd, Allan Young 3rd, Jonathan Holstein 4th, and Tom Giannini rounded out the top 5.

With just TWO races left before the 2017 SMC Truck Series Playoff Grid is set the point standings got shook up. Sam Maxwell still sits atop the standings as the point leader, Allan Young jumps up one spot to 2nd in the standings, Brad Cross falls a spot to 3rd after being involved in that big wreck, Jason Stewart jumped up a spot to 4th, Devin Serra falls a spot to 5th, Mitchell Brown jumps to 6th with a solid top 10 finish tonight, Jim Foose falls another spot to 7th after being in a wreck early on, the 8th and final playoff spot currently is in a tie between Michael Atkins Jr. who was in a wreck early and had a bad finish and Jonathan Holstein who is now tied with Atkins after dominating the race and gaining 2 bonus points for leading a lap and the most laps sits tied for the final playoff spot with just 2 races left. Jared Mogard who needed to have a good run only sits 3 points out of the playoff spot in 10th and Tom Giannini is 12 points out of the final playoff spot in 11th.

Tune in to Off Camber TV for Race #17 in two weeks August 29th as the drivers will be tackling the Road Coarse to see who will have to make a last ditch effort to try and get into a playoff spot and who will lock their spot in the playoffs up and get ready to race for a Championship.