"The start was critical for our success," Bell said post-race. "We were already up to 9th by lap three because the outside lane was brutal to keep a handle on. Once we got a clean stop and I slingshot by Moses [Osborne], they all started fighting each other for spots and it really helped us."
The win came after Bell scored a career-best runner-up finish at Toronto Lakeshore Speedway just two races prior. As for the playoffs, the drama you'd expect to see at a cut race really wasn't there as McComb's monster result put a huge gap between himself and the two eliminated drivers, Steve Rea and Dalton Wise, who were over 30 points behind when the race ended. "Just disappointed our hopes ended like that," Wise said. "We had a brutal stretch going before the regular season was finished and it just carried on. It's tough that we drew an outside lane start. I think we could've at least put up a fight if the cards were different." The race ran caution-free, the fourth time this season an NTS race didn't see a yellow where cautions were in play and the third time in the last four races. The remaining six NTS Chase competitors will now face two short tracks in the Round of 6, the first two paved short tracks they've seen all season, along with an intermediate course before the season finale at Pennsylvania Mountain Speedway.
Rea was ahead of Billy Thompson by nearly half a tenth of a second, but the overall session was effectively a reversal of fortune for the drivers between practices, particularly for those right at the cut line. Clint McComb was the second fastest playoff driver, moving from 39th to 8th, and Dalton Wise went from 35th to 15th. McComb is three points above Rea and five points above Wise.
Jasper Rowles also clawed his way out of the bottom half of the full-timers and was 10th in session #2. Meanwhile, Jim Fowler slipped to 33rd-fastest and isn't necessarily safe in the points (+15), and Mike Simpson could only move to 27th on the board but feels safer about his situation (+41). First practice leader Carter Friesen fell all the way to 37th, almost four-tenths slower than his pacesetting lap. Here's final practice times for the Truck elimination race: (playoff drivers in bold) 1) Steve Rea - 51.069 (55 laps) 2) Billy Thompson - 51.113 (53) 3) Trevor Nicks - 51.123 (55) 4) Benny Seitzer - 51.176 (55) 5) Justin Lisonbee - 51.177 (59) 6) Andy Quinn - 51.180 (53) 7) Kevin Knight - 51.183 (56) 8) Clint McComb - 51.195 (56) 9) Daniel Voyles - 51.199 (58) 10) Jasper Rowles - 51.207 (54) 15) Dalton Wise - 51.263 (55) 19) Tyler Reid - 51.301 (57) 20) Adam Coon - 51.312 (57) 27) Mike Simpson - 51.359 (56) (26th among FT) 33) Jim Fowler - 51.402 (55) (30th)
The playoff drivers were surprisingly absent from the front of the time charts. Adam Coon at 7th was the fastest among the Chase contenders while Mike Simpson, Dalton Wise, and Clint McComb were around four-tenths off Friesen. The lack of speed should be of concern to the latter two as Wise sits five points below the cut line and McComb three points above.
Here's the first look at times from the truckers at Ontario: (playoff drivers in bold) 1) Carter Friesen - 51.070 (83 laps) 2) Derek Anderline - 51.118 (84) 3) Essentia - 51.128 (81) 4) Trevor Nicks - 51.199 (85) 5) Daniel Voyles - 51.210 (85) 6) Barry Watson - 51.227 (80) 7) Adam Coon - 51.232 (85) 8) Aaron DuMatte - 51.240 (80) 9) James Smith - 51.248 (85) 10) Benny Seitzer - 51.249 (86) 14) Tyler Reid - 51.269 (84) 17) Steve Rea - 51.294 (81) 19) Jim Fowler - 51.321 (85) 21) Jasper Rowles - 51.347 (86) 32) Mike Simpson - 51.451 (85) (30th among FT) 35) Dalton Wise - 51.472 (85) (31st) 39) Clint McComb - 51.492 (84) (34th)
A record 85 part-time drivers are attempting to make the race at Ontario.
League commissioner Collin Denton noted that there likely won't be any further adjustments to the system for the rest of this season and that demand for the league's third season will dictate the need for fourth-tier series with hopes to alleviate the situation.
The #01 driver went from a likely favorite to out of contention in the matter of a corner as his truck stalled between the two surfaces.
"Just completely blew it," Rowles said. "You want to lose as little time as you can and I didn't look at the overall picture." The caution put Ross Kispin in the lead after pit stops, but with Rowles on the inside line at the restart, Benny Seitzer took advantage of the opening and snookered Kispin to take over the lead, holding off Dylan Lexton on the low line through turn 2. He would never look back as the #83 led the remainder of the laps and claimed its first career victory. "That race at Texas World [Speedway] was pretty annoying for our team cause we had a shot to be in the playoffs and missed it by that much," Seitzer said. "As much as I would've liked to run for the title, our great finishes were pretty few this season so just to say we're a race winner is pretty special." Despite Rowles' mistake, his points position was not heavily impacted, at least in regards to the Round of 6 cut line, as furthest back drivers Clint McComb, Steve Rea, and Dalton Wise all had poor showings between 36th-38th that keep them in tight quarters heading to Ontario Motor Speedway. Three points separate McComb and Rea, with Wise five points back from the line. The only major accident to take place was a turn 2 accident by Taylor The Pig striking the outside wall and tumbling several times after getting loose on the banking, a very similar occurrence to several part-timers in the heat races.
"We were fine with a top-10 run last practice, but as deep as we are in points right now (35th), we wanna be able to show we're capable of winning even this late in the season," Quinn said. "I went out on that setup and it just flew."
Clint McComb led the Chase drivers at 2nd overall after coming up 2nd among the playoff group in practice #1, with three Chasers making the top-five after none were in the top-10 last session. Meanwhile, part-timers used weather to their advantage to match times with some of the full-timers, with Richard Fridge also making an appearance in the top-10. Here's the final time trials before drivers take on the 1-mile oval: (playoff drivers in bold) 1) Andy Quinn - 24.166 (108 laps) 2) Clint McComb - 24.483 (105) 3) Billy Thompson - 24.513 (103) 4) Adam Coon - 24.523 (113) 5) Mike Simpson - 24.552 (114) 6) Jason Langley - 24.563 (109) 7) Richard Fridge (i) - 24.580 (122) 8) Justin Lisonbee - 24.593 (119) 9) Benny Seitzer - 24.594 (106) 10) Josh McCoy - 24.606 (110) 22) Jasper Rowles - 24.717 (117) (14th among FT) 24) Steve Rea - 24.721 (108) (15th) 29) Tyler Reid - 24.733 (108) (18th) 30) Dalton Wise - 24.749 (110) (19th) 67) Jim Fowler - 24.867 (111) (33rd)
Meanwhile, the playoff drivers were nearly non-existent off the trailers, with the top driver being Dalton Wise all the way down in 13th, three-tenths slower than Friesen. Jim Fowler also finished last in a practice session for the second time in a row as he's just nine points ahead of the cut line. Playoff drivers have had the slowest time in practice among full-timers in all three practices run so far.
Here's the drivers looking ready to win: (playoff drivers in bold) 1) Carter Friesen - 23.952 (178 laps) T2) Kevin Knight - 24.139 (170) T2) Aaron DuMatte - 24.139 (153) 4) Recency - 24.153 (172) 5) Roger Rey - 24.182 (178) 6) Daniel Voyles - 24.185 (179) 7) Andy Quinn - 24.196 (161) 8) Steven Carmona - 24.235 (176) 9) Billy Thompson - 24.236 (175) 10) Benny Seitzer - 24.237 (170) 13) Dalton Wise - 24.252 (178) 14) Clint McComb - 24.254 (168) 16) Tyler Reid - 24.265 (174) 23) Steve Rea - 24.367 (183) 25) Jasper Rowles - 24.374 (173) 27) Adam Coon - 24.380 (182) 31) Mike Simpson - 24.405 (173) 36) Jim Fowler - 24.506 (184)
Unfortunately, the thrill of his first victory was downplayed by it falling one race short of the end of the regular season, where Makana ended 9th in the playoff standings.
"It was definitely one of those things that made me say 'Really?' as I crossed the finish line," Makana said. "It was on my mind that we could've been in the Round of 6, and all we really did was solidify 9th-place. I'm sure I was a bit subdued on the radio afterwards, but that doesn't make me any less proud of my guys. They absolutely deserved one of these, and I hope that leads to new opportunities next season." The only driver to provide a fight for the lead in the first stint of the race was Robbie Bell, who earned a career-best 2nd. He led two laps around the midway point before Makana took it back. "We had a strong truck and a chance throughout the night, it was just getting a little caught in traffic in the pits that set us a little bit back," Bell said. "But that was a good performance, hopefully we can keep up the momentum." When it comes to the playoff drivers, Jasper Rowles put up the best performance in 4th and 2-seed Adam Coon also gained a top-10 finish. "Our team wants wins, but we also don't want to make stupid mistakes that'll cost us points and these playoffs, so I thought we had the right pace, the right aggression, and great pit service to get from 19th to 4th," Rowles said. Meanwhile further back, Steve Rea, Clint McComb, and Dalton Wise all finished outside the top-30, with all three drivers separated by just five points at the bottom of the standings with two races left this round.
Playoff drivers looked generally better in this session than the last, with three cracking the top-10 and Jasper Rowles leading them in fifth. There were a few outliers, with Tyler Reid and Jim Fowler dropping to the bottom of the charts. Reid was last in first practice.
Here's the drivers looking ready to win: (playoff drivers in bold) 1) Benny Seitzer - 22.217 (122 laps) 2) Roger Rey - 22.219 (126) 3) Aaron DuMatte - 22.230 (125) 4) Dylan Lexton - 22.238 (138) 5) Jasper Rowles - 22.240 (118) 6) Dalton Wise - 22.241 (133) 7) Derek Anderline - 22.242 (134) 8) Recency - 22.247 (123) 9) Moses Osborne - 22.248 (115) T10) Steve Rea - 22.253 (130) T10) Ross Kispin - 22.253 (134) T18) Adam Coon - 22.267 (136) 21) Clint McComb - 22.271 (123) 23) Mike Simpson - 22.275 (126) 35) Tyler Reid - 22.331 (124) 36) Jim Fowler - 22.338 (128)
He was not able to stay free of incident during the session, though, as the #3 got collected in a minor multi-car incident that started with playoff contender Tyler Reid running into the back of Roger Rey, who was entering the track. However, Young's involvement was light enough that the primary truck was able to get repaired.
Meanwhile, the Chase competitors did not fare well at all, with Adam Coon having the best lap at 10th place. Four of the drivers well within 10th-17th, while all others were 27th or lower, with Reid coming in last, a full tenth off of Young. "I don't want to put too much stock into the practice times," Reid said. "It's a small track and there was always traffic, just nowhere to get clean air." Here's the fastest 10 from Toronto: (playoff drivers in bold) 1) Keith Young - 22.206 (196 laps) 2) Aaron DuMatte - 22.222 (190) 3) Benny Seitzer - 22.223 (186) 4) Recency - 22.224 (192) 5) Kevin Knight - 22.225 (182) 6) Dylan Lexton - 22.228 (191) T7) Billy Thompson - 22.237 (192) T7) Daniel Voyles - 22.237 (182) 9) Hunter Cox - 22.247 (211) T10) Adam Coon - 22.248 (187) T10) Robbie Bell - 22.248 (195) 12) Dalton Wise - 22.249 (188) 15) Jim Fowler - 22.255 (198) T17) Clint McComb - 22.261 (201) 27) Steve Rea - 22.286 (200) 31) Jasper Rowles - 22.295 (201) 34) Mike Simpson - 22.306 (188) 36) Tyler Reid - 22.314 (205)
Coon held the lead in the final laps of the race, and as he came out of the final turn, Benny Seitzer pulled out looking to steal a spot in the playoffs.
The difference in this scenario might have been track length, as Seitzer did not have the time to beat the #19 to the line. While Coon appeared safe in the playoffs whether he won or not, he now carries a three-point advantage into the first round of the Chase. Watson, meanwhile, came into the race below the 25th-place standing cut line needed to make the postseason and needed at least a decent finish. After being caught up in pit road contact with Derek Anderline, he finished 30th and fell out of championship contention. He's the only race winner across the NFRN's three series to not make the playoffs. His loss was Jasper Rowles' gain. The #01 team found itself in an intense battle with Jesse Makana once Watson's fallout opened up another spot in the playoffs. Tied at the white flag lap, Rowles had trucks to pass for points while Makana followed no one and ended up passed by two other drivers, bringing him just short of vying for a title. Steve Rea also had a good enough finish to advance. James Smith, who came into the race above the cut line, spun onto pit lane and suffered a bad finish that also eliminated him. Here's what some of the players in the battle had to say: #19 crew chief Lenny Camille: "We're really glad Adam was able to hold them off,. If I had it my way, I probably would've wanted to be where the #83 was, but I think the slow truck on the bottom saved us, kept us all in the same line." Watson: "We had a miscommunication with our spotter. I didn't know the #26 had the first stall. If I'd been told, I would've went more outside entering the pits. I'm just really disappointed that we started the season so well and it ended like this. At this point, we just have to prove we belong here." Rowles: "This is so great for our team and our partners. There were a couple times in the first half of the season we faltered, but we were top half of the field the past four races and that really showed the strength of our truck. I can't wait to get to Toronto Lakeshore [Speedway] and charge toward a title." Makana: "Just bad circumstances there. The race after pit stops didn't play into our hands and we couldn't stay in a big pack. Mayville [Lakeside Park] was possibly our best chance just to win and be in, and now we're the first guys out. Really hoping I can get my guys to victory lane this season."
Barry Watson, involved in a multi-car accident in first practice and seeking a top-25 standing for a playoff birth, was able to jump to 2nd.
First practice leader Roger Rey finished the day a disappointing 33rd. Here's the top times from the final practice session of Texas World: 1) Taylor The Pig - 34.918 (80 laps) 2) Barry Watson - 34.938 (70) 3) Essentia - 34.981 (76) 4) Adam Coon - 35.007 (76) 5) Jasper Rowles - 35.021 (84) 6) Benny Seitzer - 35.060 (81) 7) Kevin Knight - 35.168 (75) 8) Carter Friesen - 35.172 (78) 9) Hunter Cox - 35.198 (78) 10) Mike Simpson - 35.205 (75)
The draft played a factor in practice speeds as the difference between a pack and a single-car run saw a difference of about two seconds.
"It's really disappointing to be in this situation," crew chief Dex Woodrow said. "We just wanted to get a qualifying run in and test pit road entry right after, and they just hit us from the side."
Trevor Nicks, Recency, Jasper Rowles, Daniel Voyles, and Clint McComb were among those collected in the accident. Benny Seitzer got a windshield full of the underside of the #30 but managed to slip through. He was not as lucky when he saw Josh McCoy spinning from contact with McComb during a pit road entry that also collected Aaron DuMatte in a hard hit. Here's Texas World's fast 10 in first practice: 1) Roger Rey - 35.983 (110 laps) 2) Jesse Makana - 36.080 (112) 3) Josh McCoy - 36.086 (112) 4) Taylor The Pig - 36.092 (119) 5) Adam Coon - 36.102 (112) 6) Dylan Lexton - 36.107 (111) 7) Andy Quinn - 36.116 (118) 8) Recency - 36.149 (118) 9) Essentia - 36.164 (115) 10) Aidan Wilder (i) - 36.167 (115)
Evans pitted one lap before the #16 and used the fresh rubber to gain time. The lack of passing on the road course allowed him to pull away.
"It's a big win for the whole team," said crew chief Ian Dillon, who made the call to short pit. "We'd love to be locked into every race next season, and this might give us some momentum to make that happen." Runner-up Jesse Makana had the chance to contend for a playoff-clinching victory, but he wasn't disappointed in the ultimate result. "It's why we go racing," Makana said. "They had the faster truck in qualifying and didn't make mistakes. Plus, if I followed Addison around another lap, I could've lost more than I gained." One driver, though, was not satisfied with having to run with the part-timers this time around. "We're getting beat by these stupid part-timers that give you no room and no respect whatsoever," Carter Friesen said after finishing 24th. "It's the dumbest thing. Meanwhile, we're out here driving our ass off to ride around and finish outside the top-20. It's ridiculous. I hope we're able to turn it around soon, because I'm tired of this crap where we do nothing all day." As the first part-timer to win in the NTS, Evans has guaranteed an open playoff spot on points heading into the final race of the regular season. Steve Rea, Adam Coon, and James Smith lead the charge on that front with multiple drivers still in contention. Every non-winning full-timer can still mathematically get in with a win at Texas World Superspeedway. A storyline possibly bigger than the win is Barry Watson's issues in the race. The #38 entered pit lane too fast on its lone stop and Watson was handed a stop-and-go penalty. The mistake sent him to 41st on the day, and he sits in 28th in standings, three points back on the cut line he must be above to make his playoff birth count. If he fails to make it, a second open playoff spot will be available. "I apologize to my team, that was inexcusable on my part and I crumbled under the pressure," Watson said. "I'm going to do everything I can to get back into this, but if I don't, even if a pit stop goes awry, I'm still pinning it on myself." Drivers are anxious to take advantage of every possible opportunity heading into the regular season finale. "All in all, this #54 truck will do what it needs to do in order to win," Steven Carmona said after finishing 34th in his native New York. "If it means moving a potential playoff truck off the road or into the wall, that's exactly what I'm going to do."
Osborne is on a bit of a streak as of late, claiming a top-10 at Oswego Speedway and then a runner-up spot at Zen Joltis Quad Oval Mega Speedway, putting him to the second spot in standings among non-winners.
Here's the final practice times for the only NTS road course this season: 1) Moses Osborne - 1:32.402 (34 laps) 2) Hunter Cox - 1:32.508 (32) 3) Brandon Figueroa (i) - 1:32.534 (34) 4) Andy Quinn - 1:32.536 (34) T5) Carter Friesen - 1:32.541 (34) T5) Recency - 1:32.541 (33) 7) Paul Jackson (i) - 1:32.547 (35) 8) Andrew Ross (i) - 1:32.558 (34) 9) Jason Langley - 1:32.566 (34) 10) Dalton Wise - 1:32.567 (32)
However, only six part-timers will make the final field, leaving many of these fast truckers to fight for limited space. Topping the full-timer charts were Aaron DuMatte and Carter Friesen, both just under 1:34 on their laps, followed by Jesse Makana, Dalton Wise, and Jim Fowler.
Here are the top times from the fluctuating conditions of Mayville: 1) Andrew Ross (i) - 1:32.638 (52 laps) 2) Nick Raill (i) - 1:32.668 (51) 3) Jack Kitchel (i) - 1:32.684 (50) 4) Louie Usher (i) - 1:32.750 (51) 5) Tristan Ludet (i) - 1:32.759 (52) 6) William Seaman (i) - 1:32.776 (49) T7) Tyler Sage (i) - 1:32.791 (50) T7) Tania Brayer (i) - 1:32.791 (50) 9) Aeden Valdez (i) - 1:32.794 (50) 10) Andrew Gorman (i) - 1:32.796 (48)
A late race caution was triggered when Essentia made contact with Jason Langley heading to pit lane to send him into the wall, collecting Jasper Rowles.
While the field needed gas, Tyler Reid did not. Reid managed to run on fumes for the last two laps under caution to collect his first career victory and earn a playoff birth. Some tried the same strategy and failed, like Josh McCoy, Keith Young, and Hunter Cox, all giving up potentially great nights. "I think a lot of the teams tonight wanted to go the conservative route and get a good points night," Reid said. "We didn't think anyone will make the playoffs on points, only winners. We were willing to take that risk tonight because the other races likely wouldn't matter unless we win them." In taking the victory, Reid also took over the points lead as previous leader Clint McComb got caught up in the first accident and stalled on the apron, finishing a couple laps down. Four winners make up the top four spots on the standings, all separated by one point, including Reid, McComb, Dalton Wise, and Mike Simpson. "It's a little tense to all be so close right now," Simpson said. "We're potentially looking at a final four right here and no one's clearly ahead." Two races remain before the playoffs and only drivers who have won maintain playoff spots. Columbia International Speedway winner Barry Watson is in the most precarious position, 19th in standings and just nine points ahead of the dreaded 25th place cutoff. "We need a a lot of cooperation in these final two races to get us back to where we were," Watson said. "I'm going to be 100 percent committed to working with my crew and on myself for Mayville [Lakeside Park] and Texas World [Superspeedway]."
Three drivers remained within the top-10. Emerson Sims held steady at P2 while Recency and Robbie Bell gained a few spots.
Here's who looks best heading into the superspeedway: 1) Dylan Lexton - 1:27.265 (29 laps) 2) Emerson Sims - 1:27.287 (31) 3) Tyler Reid - 1:27.291 (32) 4) Recency - 1:27.420 (31) 5) Clint McComb - 1:27.426 (30) T6) Robbie Bell - 1:27.554 (30) T6) Jim Fowler - 1:27.554 (30) 8) Taylor The Pig - 1:27.602 (30) 9) Aaron DuMatte - 1:27.656 (32) 10) Keith Young - 1:27.663 (31)
Tyler Bate was the only part-timer to crack the top-10 this session.
Here's who turned the best laps on the near-five mile track: 1) Andy Quinn - 1:29.256 (48 laps) 2) Emerson Sims - 1:29.635 (47) 3) Dalton Wise - 1:29.666 (44) 4) Daniel Voyles - 1:29.744 (47) 5) Recency - 1:29.797 (49) 6) Billy Thompson - 1:29.842 (48) 7) Hunter Cox - 1:29.866 (47) 8) Trevor Nicks - 1:29.905 (48) 9) Robbie Bell - 1:29.936 (45) 10) Tyler Bate (i) - 1:29.937 (47)
The incident also collected Kevin Knight and TJ Ball, and all four dropped out immediately following contact.
“One of the last things we want happening is drivers who aren’t running for a championship impacting drivers who are,” NFRN Director of Competition Kris Neuert said. “We’re always going to penalize retaliation, but in these cases, the penalty is higher.” Although Knight and Ball were involved in the crash that brought out the caution, the NFRN concluded the two teams could have continued racing with the damage the cars had at the time. Lopez was able to dodge the accident. Lopez was 20th in points going into the race and Ball was 33rd. Makana will effectively be on probation for the rest of the NTS regular season, and it will also apply to any NACS races he makes in that period of time.
Fowler hadn't led any laps at Oswego until green flag pit stops within five laps of the end of the race. The #72 team gave him a fast pit stop that excelled against other crews and beat out other contenders, leading Fowler to victory lane for the first time in his career.
"I couldn't believe it," Fowler said. "After Trenton, our guys were down and I tried to keep them up. It's a team sport and I'm just the driver. I hope they had that in mind throughout our prep for this race." Fowler now has claim on being the first victor on a dirt track in the NFRN. Mike Simpson appeared on his way to his second victory of the season, but his pit stop did not match his on-track speed. "Think it was just an overestimation on gas mileage," Simpson said. "We didn't have any problems getting onto pit lane or driving on it, just put too much in the tank. It's alright, though, cause we should be good on points." The final laps of the race proved to be the craziest although all but one truck made it to the finish line. Following a minor spin by Dalton Wise off the nose of Kevin Knight, Barry Watson was clipped by Jeff Cabico on their way to pit lane, spinning Watson up the track and wrecking Ross Kispin out. Watson then tried to go back across the track to get to the pits, hitting Carter Friesen and missing the pits anyway. "Really not happy with Jeff," Watson said. "We're racing for something and he's not. He can't afford more bad finishes in the position we're in." Daniel Voyles potentially had a challenge for Fowler in the late going, but he was turned by Richard Morris as he left the pits. Voyles ended up 3rd. Jason Langley and Taylor The Pig had run-ins of their own, both spinning on the backstretch off the contact of other drivers.
Drivers now prepare for six heat races to determine the starting order and six advancing part-timers for the 45-lap feature.
Here's who learned the dirt quickest in the first session: 1) Dalton Wise - 19.375 (123 laps) 2) Hunter Cox - 19.426 (129) 3) Robbie Bell - 19.439 (120) 4) Emerson Sims - 19.444 (123) 5) Kevin Knight - 19.451 (126) 6) Moses Osborne - 19.452 (141) 7) Clint McComb - 19.469 (159) 8) Billy Thompson - 19.478 (100) 9) Aaron DuMatte- 19.483 (148) 10) James Smith - 19.487 (106) |
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