TRUCKS: Grant Enfinger Goes Back-to-Back with Superior Strategy at Homestead
Grant Enfinger denied his fellow NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff-eligible drivers the opportunity to lock into the Championship 4, after scoring a second consecutive win Saturday at Homestead.
The Fairhope, Alabama-native captured the win in the Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, after an alternate strategy call from Jeff Stankewicz put the No. 9 on defense during the race's final stage.
In reality, that strategy only became a possibility when Enfinger and Christian Eckes made significant contact on a restart, which left the Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet with a severe tire rub, and a mandatory trip down pit road to fix the damage.
Big contact on the restart!
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) October 26, 2024
The Nos. 9 and 19 come together as @TaylorGray17_ pulls away! #BaptistHealth200 pic.twitter.com/j4775ntOxN
The sole caution in the race's final stage, which set up the alternate strategy played by several drivers in the closing laps, gave Enfinger the opportunity to secure the free pass, get back on the lead-lap, and pit a single lap later than the race leaders.
RELATED: 2024 NCTS Baptist Health 200 Race Results
"Man, we've had a truck actually just as good at Darlington, just had bad circumstances," said Enfinger. "My buddy Tyler Young let a tear-off get on our grille, kind of took us out of contention there, but I think the truck we had here was equally as good."
Enfinger, a veteran NASCAR Truck Series driver, was battling other drivers on the same strategy -- including Layne Riggs and Nick Sanchez -- but took the lead from the Front Row Motorsports driver with 22 laps remaining, never looking back until the checkered flag was displayed.
"I feel like we were able to take a disadvantage, whatever happened on that restart. I didn't think I did anything wrong, and my buddy Christian [Eckes], which I guess was trying to split the middle, just cut our tire a little bit. Just racing."
Corey Heim, who led a race-high 68 laps, was the main pursuer throughout the race's final run after making his final green-flag stop at Lap 100. In the end, it didn't work out, with the TRICON Garage pilot finishing fourth, 18.664 seconds behind the race-winner.
While Layne Riggs, Nick Sanchez, and several others on a similar strategy ran out of gas coming to the checkered, Enfinger used his prowess to take the lead, winning the race by 17.516 seconds over ThorSport Racing driver Ty Majeski.
Connor Mosack earned a career-best third-place result in the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports. Corey Heim came home in fourth, with Tyler Ankrum pulling out a miraculous fifth-place finish.
Stewart Friesen made the strategy work to finish in sixth, with chasers Daniel Dye, Rajah Caruth, Christian Eckes, and Taylor Gray completing the top-10 finishers.
Leaving Homestead-Miami Speedway, Grant Enfinger remains the only driver in the NASCAR Truck Series Playoffs to be guaranteed a spot in the season-finale at Phoenix Raceway with a shot at the championship.
Corey Heim (+49), Christian Eckes (+38), and Ty Majeski (+22) are currently above the cutline heading to the final elimination race at Martinsville, while Rajah Caruth (-22), Taylor Gray (-24), Tyler Ankrum (-41), and Nick Sanchez (-43) are below the cutline.
The Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 at Martinsville Speedway will take place on Friday, November 1 at 6:00 PM ET. Coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
