NCTS Race Recap: MillerTech Battery 200

Pocono Raceway played host for the MillerTech Battery 200 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Layne Riggs was fastest in qualifying, earning him his first pole of the year. Another youngster joined him on the front row, Kaden Honeycutt. Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar started in the second row. The stage lengths were 20 laps for the first and second stages, with the final stage being 40 laps.

Heim is Quick

Riggs got a great jump at the drop of the green flag. Honeycutt used the long front stretch to beat Riggs to turn one. Heim got off of turn one with more speed and jumped out in front. Honeycutt and Riggs battled for the runner-up spot. The jockeying for position allowed Hocevar to catch them both, with Tanner Gray in tow. Heim pushed his lead out to almost two seconds over Riggs.

Hocevar was the first truck to the pits for fuel and tires. Heim pitted soon thereafter, and Riggs stayed out on the track.

The first caution came out on lap 18. Cody Dennison cut a right front tire driving into turn one. The contact and blown tire left debris on the track. That would freeze the field, and Riggs would get the stage win!

Connor Mosack only got fuel on his pit stop, which allowed him to win the race out.

He is Heim

Stewart Friesen stayed out of the pits to join Heim on the front row for the restart. Hocevar pushed Friesen out in front. Heim settled in second with Hocevar behind him. Heim used a big push on the outside of turn three to speed past Friesen for the lead. Hocevar followed Heim into second.

Ben Rhodes was the fastest truck on the track. After starting the race in the rear for unapproved adjustments, he made his way into the top ten and continued to show his speed. 

Friesen was the first down pit road, pitti with six to go in the stage.

Heim would lead most of the stage and get the stage win over Hocevar and Riggs. Jake Garcia and Tanner Gray would round out the top five.

Stage 3 Woes

Rajah Caruth, after staying out of the pits, joined Heim on the front row to restart the race. Heim quickly jumped out in front to take back the lead. Caruth slid to fourth after Riggs and Hocevar passed him. He kept falling with his older tires.

The next caution came out when Grant Enfinger got clipped by Rhodes. He turned into Tyler Ankrum. Connor Jones, Clayton Green, and Dawson Sutton were also involved in the incident. Caruth had to pit after his gamble did not pay off.

Heim and Riggs brought the field back to the green. Jake Garcia got into Honeycutt in turn one. He slid up the race track and spun off the nose of Ty Majeski. That brought out the fourth caution.

Down Goes Heim, Down Goes Hocevar

As they came back to the green flag, Heim and Riggs were on the front row. Heim asked his spotter if it looked like he had a flat tire. Indeed, he did. His right rear was flat. He waved the field by him to get down pit road. Hocevar filled the empty spot in line. When they got to the green, Hocevar did not know the rule of a car leaving the line and assumed he had race control. However, that was handed to Riggs when Heim got out of line. After the green flag dropped, Hocevar took off as if he were the leader. He was issued a restart penalty after going too early.

With 16 to go, Riggs took the lead after Hocevar served his pass-through penalty. He got his lead to over a second and a half over Gray. He used the clean air to get the fastest lap point and build on that lead.

With 10 to go, Riggs had his lead at three seconds over Gray. He continued to run the fastest laps throughout the field. No one could catch up to him.

Riggs would lead the field to the checkered flag to win the MillerTech Battery 200! Gray, Honeycutt, Brandon Jones, and Hemric would round out the top five. Hocevar finished in 13th, and Heim in 23rd.

Marvin’s Moment:

Layne Riggs finally got the win he deserved. He has been fast all season, but just has not been able to put it all together. He was the beneficiary of a tire going down for Heim and a restart penalty for Hocevar. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than it is good. That was a huge win for him. The series will be at Lime Rock Park next week!