Grant Enfinger wins first NASCAR Truck race at Milwaukee since 2009

Sunday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race was more than just the series’ first event at the Milwaukee Mile since 2009. For Maury Gallagher, the Clean Harbors 175 was officially the first race of GMS Racing‘s swan song as it took place just days after announcing he would shutter operations at the end of the year.

Grant Enfinger, who won the 2015 ARCA championship with GMS, was more than eager to give his boss one more title before GMS closes their doors. After starting on the pole, he led 95 of 175 laps and swept the stages en route to his third victory of the season. The win locks him into the Round of 8 of the playoffs for the second year in a row.

“I don’t want to ever hear from anybody ask me if we’re going to lay down again,” said Enfinger. “Jeff Hensley (crew chief) has been focused the whole year. There’s been distractions going on all year long, so if anything, this adds clarity. None of these guys, including me, have a job next year, but I feel like we proved that we deserve one.”

Corey Heim broke up Enfinger’s run to start the second stage, but lost the lead with twenty laps remaining in the leg. Likewise, Carson Hocevar was the top driver in Stage #3 only to be passed by Enfinger on lap 159.

William Sawalich, who won the ARCA race earlier in the day, crashed on lap 136 while racing Ben Rhodes but still reached the finish. The same could not be said for ARCA Daytona winner Greg Van Alst, whose poor national series luck continued after he and Brad Pérez wrecked on lap 66, and Josh Bilicki, who bowed out after his tyre exploded from melted brakes.

While Enfinger clinched his spot in the next round, Nick Sanchez and Matt DiBenedetto found themselves in rocky waters entering Kansas, the final race in the Round of 10. Sanchez was spun by Heim on lap 142 and relegated to twenty-fourth, whereas DiBenedetto struggled all day and placed twenty-seventh, two laps down. Sanchez remains above the cut line, but only by three points on Rhodes, while DiBenedetto is twenty ponts back.

ARCA West points leader Sean Hingorani finished twenty-third in his first Truck Series race.

Race results