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.
Quite the use of the #XfinitySeries off weekend.@Brett_Moffitt wins @NASCAR_Trucks at @TALLADEGA! pic.twitter.com/gt1lSb2DMX
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) September 30, 2023
“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.
A crash on the backstretch collects @GrantEnfinger! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/iiogDKcVKU
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) September 30, 2023
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 | B. MOFFITTFront Row Motorsports | 34 | Ford | 99 | 2:26'06.014 | 7 | |||
2 | B. 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 | H. DEEGANThorSport Racing | 13 | Ford | 99 | +0.440 | 0.128 | 11 | 29 | |
9 | P. 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 | G. 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 | G. 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 | R. 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 | C. 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 | T. 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 | M. CRAFTONThorSport Racing | 88 | Ford | 91 | +8 Laps | 1 Lap | 16 | 13 | |
25 | T. 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 | J. WHITEAM Racing | 22 | Ford | 88 | +11 Laps | 3 Laps | 12 | 10 | |
28 | C. 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 | B. 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 | T. ANKRUMHattori Racing Enterprises | 16 | Toyota | 50 | +49 Laps | 5 Laps | 9 | 4 | |
34 | S. FRIESENHalmar Friesen Racing | 52 | Toyota | 38 | +61 Laps | 12 Laps | 3 | 3 | |
35 | D. GILLILANDTRICON Garage | 1 | Toyota | 38 | +61 Laps | 2.283 | 3 | 4 | |
36 | B. DAUZATFDNY Racing | 28 | Chevrolet | 5 | +94 Laps | 33 Laps | 3 | 1 |