Carson Hocevar wins at Kansas Speedway in a rugged NASCAR Truck Collection race on Saturday night time within the Coronary heart of Well being Care 200.
KANSAS CITY, Kan.—Surviving a last-lap contact from the Ford of Layne Riggs, Carson Hocevar bounced off the surface wall and half a lap later took the checkered flag to win Saturday night time’s Coronary heart of Well being Care 200 at Kansas Speedway.
Carson Hocevar Wins at Kansas
The victory was Hocevar’s first of the season in his second NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Collection begin this 12 months, his first on the 1.5-mile observe and the fifth of his profession.
However Hocevar needed to hold Riggs behind him as his truck was closing in shortly. On the ultimate lap, Riggs steered to the within of Hocevar’s No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, received to the left rear quarter of the Silverado, and slid up the observe into Hocevar’s truck.
After the contact, Hocevar and Riggs maintained management, and each scraped the surface wall earlier than persevering with towards the end line. With William Byron trying on from what was then third place, Hocevar arrived 0.262 seconds forward of Riggs, who appeared to have completed second at Kansas for the second straight time.
A Disqualification for Layne Riggs
Nonetheless, Riggs was disqualified after post-race inspection discovered a truck mattress cowl violation on his No. 34 Entrance Row Motorsports Ford, elevating Byron to second place.
“I used to be simply hoping they’d crash, however they didn’t,” mentioned Byron, who fought a tight-handling No. 07 Spire truck as the ultimate run progressed and completed 0.718 seconds behind the race winner.
“I simply thought I’d make it entertaining,” Hocevar quipped after climbing from his truck for a frontstretch interview. “That 34 truck (Riggs) was tremendous, tremendous good. This truck was actually good on the quick runs—I didn’t assume he would get to us for a way far again he was, however he was tremendous good.
“Yeah, it’s been some time since I’ve been in a end like that the place it’s been all on the market. So credit score to him. I do know he was going for all the things there.”
A Penalty for Corey Heim
Riggs and third-place finisher Corey Heim misplaced observe place on the unsuitable facet of a cycle of green-flag pit stops halfway by way of the ultimate stage. Riggs recovered to problem for the lead, whereas Heim incurred a penalty for an improper restart to squander his possibilities at victory.
“Man, I gave it my all,” Riggs mentioned. “We had been actually down dangerous with the observe place there. Within the third phase, we had been about to take the lead, and we did a green-flag pit cease and that basically damage us—needed to come from sixteenth on that green-flag run to get all the way in which again to him.
“I received to him, received into him just a little bit. We each hit the wall, and he received the race. I believe he was mad at me. I believe he flipped me off all the way in which down the frontstretch coming to the checkered. However how are you going to be mad while you win the race?”
Ample cause for Disappointment
Heim led 52 of the primary 53 laps and received the primary stage however misplaced 15 positions on pit highway beneath warning on lap 53 when the rear tire changer’s air gun broke. Heim charged again to fourth within the operating order, however misplaced all his progress when the sixth warning, for Frankie Muniz’s spin into the infield grass, interrupted the cycle of green-flag stops on lap 97, trapping Heim a lap down and forcing him to take a wave-around.
That’s when Hocevar, who remained on the lead lap after pitting, gained management of the race, which featured seven cautions for 33 laps. Hocevar led thrice for 75 laps.
Heim additional broken his possibilities by altering lanes to the surface behind the truck of Toni Breidinger earlier than the beginning/end line on a lap 103 restart. Thwarted in his try to win a 3rd straight race at Kansas, Heim charged again to 3rd on the end.
“Began out with that pit gun breaking—no fault to my pit crew there,” Heim mentioned. “They did an superior job all night time. It appeared like a situational type of deal there, after which caught on the precise unsuitable time on the green-flag cycle.
“Needed to take the wave and begin from the again once more, and received out of line for a penalty on my half. A curler coaster type of day at the moment.”
Rookie Gio Ruggiero ran fourth, adopted by Stewart Friesen, Brandon Jones, pole winner Jake Garcia, Kaden Honeycutt, Grant Enfinger, and Daniel Hemric.
Corey Heim has a commanding lead within the Collection’ level standings, main by 64 factors over second-place, Chandler Smith. Daniel Hemric, Tyler Ankrum, and Grant Enfinger, are third, fourth, and fifth.
Choosing up the sixth by way of tenth place spots are Ty Majeski, Jake Garcia, Kaden Honeycutt, Layne Riggs, and Ben Rhodes.
Up Subsequent
The NASCAR Truck Collection heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway for his or her subsequent race on Saturday, Could seventeenth. The Window World 250 begins at 1:30 pm on FS1, NRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The defending winner is Corey Heim within the No. 11 Tricon Storage entry.
