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Truck Series: Busch barely beats Friesen in thrilling Atlanta photo-finish

Writer's picture: Sean McKeanSean McKean
9 hours ago3 min read

Written by Sean McKean


Credit - Chris Graythen / Getty Images
Credit - Chris Graythen / Getty Images

In a race that went down to only a hundredth of a second, Cup driver Kyle Busch took victory in the second race of the Truck Series season. It was his eighth victory at the track in Trucks.


As it unfolded


Connor Mosack started from pole and maintained the lead for 27 laps ahead of his three teammates Jack Wood, Tyler Ankrum and Daniel Hemric. The McAnally-Hilgemann drivers remained orderly until the end of Stage 1 on Lap 30. In the mad scramble to the line, Jack Wood took his first ever stage win.


Stage 1 Results:

  1. No. 91 - Jack Wood (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

  2. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports)

  3. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

  4. No. 7 - Kyle Busch (Spire Motorsports)

  5. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage)

  6. No. 52 - Stewart Friesen (Halmar Friesen Racing)

  7. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

  8. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

  9. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports)

  10. No. 07 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)


By only taking two tyres, Corey Heim led the way on the Lap 37 restart.


On Lap 40, Matt Crafton became the first driver to hit the outside wall – lightly brushing it off Turn 2. The caution did not come out.


Whilst Crafton grazed the wall, Kyle Busch took the lead for the first time in the day.


Two laps before the stage ended, Heim slowed down heavily down the backstretch and peeled into the pit lane. This was due to being low on fuel.


Kyle Busch held on to win the stage. Ty Majeski and Grant Enfinger followed behind.


Stage 2 Results:

  1. No. 7 - Kyle Busch (Spire Motorsports)

  2. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing)

  3. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports)

  4. No. 07 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)

  5. No. 45 - Kaden Honeycutt (Niece Motorsports)

  6. No. 91 - Jack Wood (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

  7. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

  8. No. 52 - Stewart Friesen (Halmar Friesen Racing)

  9. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

  10. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)


Rajah Caruth led the Lap 67  restart via pit strategy but quickly conceded the lead to Connor Mosack by Lap 73.


Everything came undone for half of the Spire trucks with 61 laps remaining. Coming off Turn 4, Caruth had a left-rear tyre go flat, sending him into a spin up the track and into the pack. Collected in the ensuing pileup was Andres Perez, Justin Carroll, William Sawalich and Daniel Hemric. Sawalich and Hemric were the only drivers that continued on in the race. The red flag came out for this crash.


Kyle Busch led the restart with 50 laps remaining and maintained it until 30 laps to go when the caution came back out. Off of Turn 2, Frankie Muniz tried to move up to the high line but failed to notice Connor Mosack to his outside. This sent both trucks into the wall and subsequently out of the race.


With 23 laps remaining, Busch had to hold off many drivers for the lead – including Luke Fenhaus, Chandler Smith, Daniel Hemric and eventually Stewart Friesen.


As the white flag flew, Friesen and Busch drew even on the backstretch. Coming off Turn 4, it looked that Friesen had the run, but excellent side-drafting by the two-time Cup champion secured the victory for the veteran. 


Provisional Results:

  1. No. 7 - Kyle Busch (Spire Motorsports)

  2. No. 52 - Stewart Friesen (Halmar Friesen Racing)

  3. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

  4. No. 44 - Bayley Currey (Niece Motorsports)

  5. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

  6. No. 45 - Kaden Honeycutt (Niece Motorsports)

  7. No. 99 - Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing)

  8. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing)

  9. No. 13 - Jake Garcia (ThorSport Racing)

  10. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports)

  11. No. 17 - Gio Ruggeiro (TRICON Garage)

  12. No. 07 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)

  13. No. 42 - Matt Mills (Niece Motorsports)

  14. No. 66 - Luke Fenhaus (ThorSport Racing)

  15. No. 15 - Tanner Gray (TRICON Garage)

  16. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

  17. No. 26 - Dawson Sutton (Rackley WAR)

  18. No. 22 - Josh Reaume (Reaume Brothers Racing)

  19. No. 76 - Spencer Boyd (Freedom Racing Enterprises)

  20. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports) +1 lap

  21. No. 91 - Jack Wood (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing) +2 laps

  22. No. 88 - Matt Crafton (ThorSport Racing) +2 laps

  23. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) +3 laps

  24. No. 5 - Toni Breidinger (TRICON Garage) +3 laps

  25. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing) +4 laps

  26. No. 33 - Frankie Muniz (Reaume Brothers Racing) [DNF]

  27. No. 77 - Andres Perez de Lara (Spire Motorsports) [DNF]

  28. No. 90 - Teddy Carroll (TC Motorsports) [DNF]

  29. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports) [DNF]

  30. No. 1 - William Sawalich (TRICON Garage) [DNF]

  31. No. 02 - Nathan Byrd (Young’s Motorsports) [DNF]

  32. No. 2 - Keith McGee (Reaume Brothers Racing) [DNF]

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