Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Motorsport
Motorsport
Sport
Jim Utter

Brett Moffitt wins NASCAR Truck race at Talladega

Moffit, making his first start of the 2023 season in a second entry for Front Row Motorsports, took control of the race late in the third stage but lost the lead to Christian Eckes just before a late wreck sent the race into a two-lap overtime.

On the restart, Moffitt edged out front, only to see Eckes reclaim the lead before he eventually got shuffled out of the lead on the final lap.

Moffitt held off a late charge from Ben Rhodes to claim his 13th career victory and first since the 2020 season.

“Man, this is pretty awesome,” said Moffitt. “I’ve notably struggled at superspeedways in the past and dreaded coming to them but this was an all-pressure-off situation.

“Front Row gave me great options to come here. Tried to help a teammate. Obviously that didn’t work out for that group but to come here and have a shot at the win and to do it is pretty amazing.

“Reminds me of the good old days and I want to get back to doing this on a regular basis.”

Dean Thompson finished third, Chandler Smith was fourth and Corey Heim completed the top five.

Completing the top-10 were Daniel Dye, Nick Sanchez, Hailie Deegan, Parker Kligerman and Lawless Alan.

With one race remaining in the semifinal round of the playoffs, the four drivers lowest in points without a win and in danger of being eliminated are Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski and Zane Smith. 

Additionally, drivers Greg Van Alst and Stewart Friesen were transported to a local hospital for further evaluation after on-track incidents during Saturday's race.

Stage 1

Sanchez edged Carson Hocevar by 0.058 seconds in a wild last lap to take the Stage 1 win. Heim was third, Majeski fourth and Bret Holmes rounded out the top five.

During pit stops at the conclusion of the stage, Zane Smith slid sideways into his pit, hit his tire carrier and sent two tires rolling down pit road. The crew member was unhurt.

Stage 2

A multi-truck wreck involving Stewart Friesen, Tyler Ankrum and David Gilliland with one lap remaining in the stage brought out a caution and locked Kligerman into the Stage 2 victory.

Sanchez was second, Hocevar third, Majeski fourth and Rhodes rounded out the top five.

Stage 3

Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, the lead-lap trucks all pit with Tanner Gray first off pit road thanks to a two-tire stop. The race resumed on lap 47.

Taylor Gray got spun by Bayley Currey coming off Turn 2 on lap 51 to trigger a multi-truck accident that also collected Matt Crafton, Tyler Ankrum and playoff drivers Enfinger and Majeski.

The race resumed with 42 laps remaining and Tanner Gray out front of Hocevar.

After another accident involving Currey, Enfinger and Tyler Hill, Moffit grabbed the lead on a restart and control of the race with 37 laps to go.

Debris on the backstretch set up another restart with 19 laps remaining and Moffitt still in command.

Ryan Vargas, Hocevar and Rajah Caruth got collected in an accident on lap 80 which set up another restart with 10 laps to go but Moffitt still out front.

Just as Eckes slipped past Moffitt for the lead, a wreck involving Colby Howard and Chase Purdy put the race back under caution. NASCAR halted the race for nearly six minutes to clean the track of debris.

The race resumed with three laps to go and Eckes out front of Chandler Smith and Moffitt.

Sanchez got into Crafton on the frontstretch with one lap remaining, which triggered another multi-truck wreck and sent the race into a two-lap overtime. Eckes led Moffit and Rhodes when the race returned to green.

Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Pits Points
1 United StatesB. MOFFITTFront Row Motorsports 34 Ford 99 2:26'06.014   7  
2 United StatesB. RHODESThorSport Racing 99 Ford 99 +0.089 0.089 6 41
3
D. THOMPSONTRICON Garage
5 Toyota 99 +0.145 0.056 6 37
4
C. SMITHRackley W.A.R.
25 Chevrolet 99 +0.229 0.084 7  
5
C. HEIMTRICON Garage
11 Toyota 99 +0.253 0.024 6 41
6
D. DYEGMS Racing
43 Chevrolet 99 +0.269 0.016 7 31
7
N. SANCHEZRev Racing
2 Chevrolet 99 +0.312 0.043 8 49
8 United StatesH. DEEGANThorSport Racing 13 Ford 99 +0.440 0.128 11 29
9 United StatesP. KLIGERMANHenderson Motorsports 75 Chevrolet 99 +0.504 0.064 7  
10
A. LAWLESSNiece Motorsports
45 Chevrolet 99 +0.552 0.048 7 27
11
C. HOCEVARNiece Motorsports
42 Chevrolet 99 +0.558 0.006 10 43
12
R. CARUTHGMS Racing
24 Chevrolet 99 +0.627 0.069 10 25
13 United StatesG. ENFINGERGMS Racing 23 Chevrolet 99 +0.631 0.004 13 24
14
J. WOODKyle Busch Motorsports
51 Chevrolet 99 +0.695 0.064 13 23
15 United StatesG. SMITHLEYYoung's Motorsports 02 Chevrolet 99 +0.730 0.035 13  
16
B. HOLMESBret Holmes Racing
32 Chevrolet 99 +0.786 0.056 7 30
17 United StatesR. VARGASOn Point Motorsports 30 Toyota 99 +0.846 0.060 15 20
18
T. GRAYTRICON Garage
17 Toyota 99 +0.885 0.039 11 23
19 United StatesC. ECKESMcAnally Hilgemann Racing 19 Chevrolet 99 +0.984 0.099 6 18
20
J. DREWHattori Racing Enterprises
61 Toyota 98 +1 Lap 1 Lap 22 17
21 United StatesT. MAJESKIThorSport Racing 98 Ford 93 +6 Laps 5 Laps 10 30
22
C. ROPERRoper Racing
04 Ford 93 +6 Laps 2'22.137 11 15
23
C. HOWARDCR7 Motorsports
9 Chevrolet 92 +7 Laps 1 Lap 9 19
24 United StatesM. CRAFTONThorSport Racing 88 Ford 91 +8 Laps 1 Lap 16 13
25 United StatesT. GRAYTRICON Garage 15 Toyota 91 +8 Laps 0.017 8 20
26
G. VANYoung's Motorsports
20 Chevrolet 91 +8 Laps 0.807 10 11
27 CanadaJ. WHITEAM Racing 22 Ford 88 +11 Laps 3 Laps 12 10
28 United StatesC. PURDYKyle Busch Motorsports 4 Chevrolet 84 +15 Laps 4 Laps 7 9
29
J. GARCIAMcAnally Hilgemann Racing
35 Chevrolet 79 +20 Laps 5 Laps 11 8
30
T. HILLHill Motorsports
56 Toyota 59 +40 Laps 20 Laps 7 7
31 United StatesB. CURREYNiece Motorsports 41 Chevrolet 58 +41 Laps 1 Lap 8 6
32
Z. SMITHFront Row Motorsports
38 Ford 55 +44 Laps 3 Laps 7 5
33 United StatesT. ANKRUMHattori Racing Enterprises 16 Toyota 50 +49 Laps 5 Laps 9 4
34 United StatesS. FRIESENHalmar Friesen Racing 52 Toyota 38 +61 Laps 12 Laps 3 3
35 United StatesD. GILLILANDTRICON Garage 1 Toyota 38 +61 Laps 2.283 3 4
36 United StatesB. DAUZATFDNY Racing 28 Chevrolet 5 +94 Laps 33 Laps 3 1
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.