How They Started
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series faced forty-two laps in Austin, Texas for the XPEL 225, with stage lengths at 12, 14, and 16 laps. In his first Truck Series race, 17-year-old Connor Zilisch started on pole at Circuit of the Americas. You read that correctly, seventeen.
Corey Heim joined him on the front row. Taylor Gray, Nicholas Sanchez, and Ross Chastain rounded out the top five. Recent winner, Rajah Caruth started in eleventh. But last year’s winner, Zane Smith, is no longer in the series.
It was a cool, cloudy day and the racetrack provided great road course racing for the series. It was the first road course race of the season for this series and a lot of unknowns faced the drivers. A long road course is not something many of these drivers are used to. With a 3.41-mile track and twenty turns, the drivers were challenged with each and every move they made.
Chaos Early
The green flag saw Zilisch smoke through the first turn and Tay. Gray assume the lead. Tay. Gray was issued a pass-through penalty, which gave the lead to his brother Tanner Gray as Zilisch fell deep into the field. It was learned Zilisch had flat-spotted his tires on the first turn and had to pit after the first lap.
Spencer Boyd went into the pits with a flat right front tire and Dale Quarterly got a ton of damage early. Chastain slid up to third but was taken advantage of by the youngin’s early, falling back to fifth.
A caution was thrown on Lap 4. Ben Rhodes had moved up to 17 in the first handful of laps. Meanwhile, Zilisch went back into the pits and the crew went under the hood and lost a lap. The chaos in turn one continued when Heim snatched the lead upon the restart.
Daniel Dye turned Friesen which stacked up the field, but Friesen saved his truck. Layne Riggs stalled on the front stretch after making some moves early. The green flag stayed flying. Grant Enfinger spun it around from contact with Dean Thompson. Heim short pitted stage one in hopes to win the race, however, Sanchez won stage one. He was rewarded for keeping the truck on the track as well as holding out to pit. Zilisch was able to stay in the lucky dog spot and got his lap back.
All Take, No Give
Heim and Jack Hawksworth started the second stage on the front row. Hawksworth grabbed the lead after turn one. Rajah Caruth, with a considerable amount of damage to his truck nose, was able to fight with Heim for third. However, Zilisch was on a tear, passing trucks with ease. Heim made the move for the lead passing Hawksworth. Zilisch got spun out by Tyler Ankrum continuing his topsy-turvy day. The beating and banging continued to be the theme of the truck series.
With very little road course experience, the drivers were aggressive with every lap and turn. Most trucks had damage before halfway in the race. Caruth restarted stage two in third, but with the damage fell to seventh. Ty Majeski, an iRacing legend, was in the top five after starting the race in ninth. Zilisch was issued a pass-through penalty and had to drive pit road speed in the pits without stopping.
A short time later, the caution was thrown for Lawless Alan as he spun and he was not able to get his truck re-fired. Some drivers were able to pit before the caution came out and benefited from it. Heim escaped the pits to be the first out. Friesen and Caruth restarted on the front row.
Rhodes, who started in the rear, took the lead with two to go in stage two. Suddenly, Tan. Gray spun along with Chastain, but they keep it moving, and Heim was able to wrangle the lead back and won stage two with Majeski and Hawksworth behind him. Zilisch was able to maneuver into seventh spot to finish the stage.
Runaway
Heim and Majeski restarted on the front row for the final stage. Zilisch restarted third and looked to make a move for the lead. He leaned on Majeski and acquired some damage, with smoke coming from his truck. Heim ran his fastest lap (faster than Zilisch) in the third stage and looked to runaway from the second-place driver.
Then, Majeski passed Zilisch for second while Heim pulled out to a commanding lead. The final stage seemed to be the tamest for the most part. The trucks were more spread out and drivers more in control. Chastain made a dive beneath Thompson for the ninth position. Rhodes continued to make moves following Chastain into tenth. Zilisch continued to give it his all, sideways into the turns. He showed a ton of speed, but the Truck Series kept giving him the bumper and he was served another track-cutting penalty.
With five to go in the race, another caution was thrown for the stopped truck of Alan. Zilisch pitted for four fresh tires and fuel. Once back racing, Majeski was able to stay with Heim up the hill into turn one, but Heim maintained his spot. A handful of trucks spun but kept it going. Heim pulled way out front. Eckes went too deep into turn one but was able to get his truck back around and moving.
Before all was said and done, the caution came out for Marco Andretti. His entire rear end housing came off the truck.
Well that's a new one. pic.twitter.com/sZhzRK01Jj
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 23, 2024
This caution brought questions about fuel mileage. Teammates Majeski and Tay. Gray were hurting for fuel as their last pit stop was twenty-one laps before this caution flew.
Overtime in Austin
Tay. Gray was told to stop for fuel, which was unfortunate for his great run on the road course. Gray did not stop when he passed pit road. Sanchez was turned in turn one, while Friesen and Caruth got out of sorts on the last lap.
Ultimately, Heim, likely the only clean truck on the track at the end, ran away with the XPEL 225 win. Tay. Gray, Majeski, Zilisch, and Chastain were the rest of the top five.
Marvin’s Mind
Why do stage caution laps count? The Truck Series drivers need as many live laps they can get. With the stages being 12 and 14 laps, why do we need to count the caution laps? Let them run every lap scheduled. The fans will approve. The drivers will get more experience. It can only help the series.
With that, the truck series continues to be a wreck fest. I understand this was a difficult road course, but no give and take. The drivers run over whoever is in front of them. Every week this is an occurrence. It won’t change.
