By RaceScene Publisher on Friday, 27 May 2022
Category: The Checkered Flag

Ross Chastain capitalises on Hocevar, Preece contact for NCEL 200 win

As Ross Chastain continued his strong 2022 by adding a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win to complement his two Cup Series triumphs, his Niece Motorsports team-mate Carson Hocevar was in the crosshairs of Ryan Preece. Hocevar and Preece were fighting for the win late when the latter was squeezed by his adversary into the wall, leading to choice words from Preece.

Hocevar, who has come so close to scoring his maiden Truck Series win on numerous occasions but fell short each time, was eager to make Friday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway the night where it all came together. He led a race-high fifty-seven laps, five more than Stage #1 winner Zane Smith, before facing a challenge from Preece. A wreck involving Jesse Little and Tyler Ankrum with four laps remaining resulted in overtime, which began with Hocevar and Preece comprising the front row.

As they ran through the first two turns, Hocevar went up the turn three banking and sandwiched Preece between his truck and the outside wall. After crossing the backstretch, further contact between the two caused Hocevar to spin and Preece to fall off pace. Chastain, who was running third, slipped by and took the lead before the caution came out; he would lead the final two overtime laps to secure his fourth career Truck win.

Preece, who finished eleventh, was far from pleased with the incident.

“All you kids watching right now wanting to get to this level: don’t do that,” Preece told FOX Sports. “Race with respect, don’t wreck the guy on the outside if you’re trying to win your first race. It doesn’t get you anywhere.

“All I’m going to say is thank you RaceChoice.com for putting me in this truck because I race for a living, and if I don’t run good, I don’t make a lot of money. I’m pissed right now. We got two more races to try and have some good runs, but that’s just stupid. It’s just really stupid. Don’t be like that.”

After placing sixteenth, Hocevar took responsibility for the contact and later tweeted, “[R]acers race. I was gonna try and track out as much as possible to stall you out down the back, you got to my rr earlier then expected got me really loose and I crashed us. Racers try to capitalize and sometimes get greedy and step too far. that was me tonight. call it how it is.”

Race results

FinishStartNumberDriverTeamManufacturerLapsStatus
1541Ross Chastain*Niece MotorsportsChevrolet143Running
21123Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet143Running
3154John Hunter NemechekKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota143Running
4998Christian EckesThorSport RacingToyota143Running
5238Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord143Running
6615Tanner GrayDavid Gilliland RacingFord143Running
7351Kyle Busch*Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota143Running
8718Chandler SmithKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota143Running
91352Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota143Running
101299Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyota143Running
11817Ryan PreeceDavid Gilliland RacingFord143Running
121619Derek KrausMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet143Running
13166Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingToyota143Running
142091Colby HowardMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet143Running
151761Chase PurdyHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota143Running
16442Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet143Running
171025Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet142Running
181888Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota142Running
192244Kris WrightNiece MotorsportsChevrolet142Running
202516Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota142Running
213056Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota141Running
223345Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet141Running
231924Jack WoodGMS RacingChevrolet141Running
242712Spencer BoydYoung’s MotorsprotsChevrolet141Running
252622Austin Wayne SelfAM RacingChevrolet141Running
263137Max GutierrezAM RacingChevrolet140Running
27351Hailie DeeganDavid Gilliland RacingFord140Running
282440Dean ThompsonNiece MotorsportsChevrolet139Running
292130Tate FoglemanOn Point MotorsportsToyota139Running
30299Blaine PerkinsCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet139Running
313233Josh ReaumeReaume Brothers RacingToyota138Running
321402Jesse LittleYoung’s MotorsportsChevrolet128Accident
333443Keith McGeeReaume Brothers RacingToyota67Suspension
342320Matt Mills*Young’s MotorsportsChevrolet57Accident
352846Brennan PooleG2G RacingToyota38Driveshaft
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
* – Ineligible for points
Original link