By RaceScene Publisher on Saturday, 02 October 2021
Category: The Checkered Flag

Tate Fogleman wins maiden Truck race in wild finish

Delivering your post-race interview when you win your first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is a special feeling. Doing so from the infield medical centre is still special, but also very bizarre.

Tate Fogleman did not quite get to celebrate his maiden Truck Series win in Victory Lane in traditional fashion after being involved in a chaotic finish that saw him spin leader John Hunter Nemechek before beating Tyler Hill to the line. The top two alone make for an unusual duo as Fogleman had never scored a top ten on a paved track (his lone top ten was a ninth at the Knoxville dirt track in July) while Hill had zero top tens entering Saturday’s Chevrolet Silverado 250. But Talladega Superspeedway is infamous for its crazy wrecks and surprise winners, and Saturday was no different.

Ben Rhodes, winner of the other superspeedway race at Daytona in February, started on the pole while Fogleman and Hill were mid-pack. Rhodes dominated the opening stage ahead of Austin Hill, Matt Crafton, Stewart Friesen, Johnny Sauter, Nemechek, Drew Dollar, Sheldon Creed, Todd Gilliland, and Austin Wayne Self.

Bryan Dauzat brought out the first caution on lap 33, which also turned out to be the only yellow flag of Stage #2. Although Toyotas led much of the segment, Creed took the win. Sauter, Zane Smith, Crafton, Hill, Chandler Smith, Tanner Gray, Nemechek, Friesen, and Bret Holmes rounded out the top ten.

Ten laps into Stage #3 marked the largest wreck of the day when Hill was clipped on the backstretch and sent up into Zane Smith, triggering a massive crash that officially dragged in nineteen other drivers. Both Smiths, Dollar, Fogleman, Gilliland, Gray, Sauter, Self, Lawless Alan, Willie Allen, Tyler Ankrum, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Hailie Deegan, Clay Greenfield, Parker Kligerman, Derek Kraus, Dylan Lupton, Cory Roper, Jason White, and Kris Wright all suffered some form of damage in the carnage that resulted in a red flag for cleanup.

Gilliland took the lead for the ensuing restart and continued to hold it through another large wreck involving Alan, Crafton, Deegan, Friesen, Greenfield, and Grant Enfinger. Chase Purdy caught Gilliland and sparred with him for the lead before being turned through the tri-oval shortly before the finish to set up overtime.

On the final lap, Nemechek reached Gilliland’s rear bumper as multiple drivers wrecked behind them in turn three. Fogleman and Hill then joined the two leaders and shuffled Gilliland back. After bumping between Fogleman and Nemechek coming to the finish, the former clipped the latter and spun him. Hill tried to capitalise but instead collided with Fogleman as they crossed the line, causing the two to wreck each other.

“I know we missed that first big wreck, got through the second one, and it kind of felt like things were finally going right on a superspeedway,” Fogleman told FS1 in his post-race interview after being released from the care centre. “I never finished a superspeedway race before.”

It is Young’s Motorsports’ second victory. Incidentally, the first was also a surprise first-time victor at Talladega with Spencer Boyd in 2019.

Race results

FinishStartNumberDriverTeamManufacturerLapsStatus
12012Tate FoglemanYoung’s MotorsportsChevrolet99Running
22156Tyler HillHill MotorsportsChevrolet99Running
3238Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord99Running
474John Hunter NemechekKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota99Running
51440Ryan TruexNiece MotorsportsChevrolet99Running
63104Cory RoperRoper RacingFord99Running
72820Spencer BoydYoung’s MotorsportsChevrolet99Running
82330Danny BohnOn Point MotorsportsToyota99Running
91523Chase PurdyGMS RacingChevrolet99Running
103841Keith McGeeCram Racing EnterprisesChevrolet99Running
11343Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet99Running
1292Sheldon CreedGMS RacingChevrolet99Running
13199Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyota99Running
14388Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota99Running
151932Bret HolmesBret Holmes RacingChevrolet99Running
16299Codie RohrbaughCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet98Accident
17396Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet98Running
183025Willie AllenRackley WARChevrolet94Running
191018Chandler SmithKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota92Running
201319Derek KrausMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingToyota90Running
211798Grant EnfingerThorSport RacingToyota78Accident
22452Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota76DVP
233211Clay GreenfieldSpencer Davis MotorsportsToyota75Accident
24261Hailie DeeganDavid Gilliland RacingFord75Accident
25642Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet75Accident
262534Dylan LuptonReaume Brothers RacingToyota71Accident
273533Jason WhiteReaume Brothers RacingChevrolet66DVP
282726Tyler AnkrumGMS RacingChevrolet65DVP
291222Austin Wayne SelfAM RacingChevrolet63Electrical
301113Johnny SauterThorSport RacingToyota61Accident
313310Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingFord58Accident
32516Austin HillHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota57Accident
33821Zane SmithGMS RacingChevrolet57Accident
342215Tanner GrayDavid Gilliland RacingFord57Accident
351851Drew DollarKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota57Accident
361602Kris WrightYoung’s MotorsportsChevrolet57Accident
373775Parker KligermanHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet57Accident
383645Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet57Accident
394028Bryan DauzatFDNY RacingChevrolet27Accident
402424Jack WoodGMS RacingChevrolet23Engine
Bold – Currently in playoffs
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
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