NCTS Race Recap: Black’s Tire 250

Rain and lighting forced NASCAR to push the Black’s Tire 250 from Friday night to Saturday afternoon. The Kiwi, Shane Van Gisbergen, was fastest in qualifying, so he started the race on the pole! Kaden Honeycutt joined him on the front row. Grant Enfinger and Chandler Smith started on the second row. Layne Riggs started from eleventh. The first and second stages were 70 laps, with the final stage being 110 laps.

Honeycutt Dominant

SVG got a great launch, but Honeycutt held on and did not allow him to take the lead. They stayed side by side for over two and a half laps. Honeycutt took the lead into turn three, and Smith stayed on the rear bumper of SVG.

Riggs made his way to the front, jumping to seventh before lap 10.

Honeycutt pulled away from SVG by over two and a half seconds.

Riggs got around Nick Leitz to take sixth.

Lapped traffic allowed SVG to close the gap to Honeycutt. He got right to the rear of the leader, but could not make a run at the lead. As soon as Honeycutt got open track ahead, he began to pull back away from SVG.

Honeycutt went on to win stage one in the Black’s Tires 250! He and SVG were almost six seconds ahead of Enfinger in third. Ty Majeski and Riggs rounded out the top five.

Honeycutt Found His Groove

SVG and Honeycutt started the second stage from the front row. Honeycutt took the lead out of turn two, while Riggs settled in third. Enfinger and Smith battled for fourth, with Enfinger holding on to the spot.

Majeski blocked Heim all the way down the front stretch. They made contact but were able to keep it straight. Majeski held onto seventh until Heim moved him up the track in turn three. Majeski fought back, but Heim ran him high into turns one and two. Heim was able to take the spot.

Christian Eckes got around Smith to move into the top five.

Majeski slowed on the backstretch with a flat left front tire. He wound up two laps down after pitting.

Honeycutt pulled away from SVG by over two seconds.

Majeski, using his new left side tires, got around Honeycutt to get one of his laps back.

After fighting through some lapped traffic, Honeycutt built his lead to over three and a half seconds.

Riggs and Enfinger caught SVG and began to hound him for the runner-up spot. SVG ran up turn four, which allowed Riggs to make the pass. Enfinger was next to pass SVG. The battling allowed Eckes to catch and pass SVG, who dropped to fifth.

Honeycutt led them all to get the stage two win in the Black’s Tire 250! Riggs, Enfinger, Eckes, and SVG rounded out the top five.

Riggs had trouble on pit road and lost several spots.

SVG had to restart in the rear of the field due to an uncontrolled tire during his pit stop.

Stage 3

Honeycutt and Enfinger restarted the race on the front row. Honeycutt immediately took his lead back.

Riggs passed Heim on the outside to get into the top five. He then caught Smith and began to fight for fourth.

Honeycutt was able to pull away from Enfinger by over a second.

Riggs and Smith battled for several laps. Riggs got around Smith at one point, but Smith immediately got the spot back. They raced side by side, but Riggs was finally able to get around Smith to take fourth.

Honeycutt continued to pull away from the field and put his lead at almost two and a half seconds.

Smith was the first truck to make the green flag pit stop for tires. He pitted from ninth and fell to 18th and a lap down.

Riggs was next down pit road. He had another horrible stop. His crew struggled to get the left front tire on.

The flood gates opened, and everyone began to pit, except Enfinger. He was told that they were going to stay out.

Riggs had to pit again for the left front tire.

To Pit or Not to Pit

Enfinger was left on the track with a lead of over two seconds. Behind him was Daniel Hemric. Tyler Ankrum, SVG, and Stewart Friesen joined the top two as the last trucks to pit.

Friesen was shoved into the wall out of turn four. He would then bring out the third caution of the day with massive damage. He cut his left front tire and drove straight into the wall.

Honeycutt and Enfinger restarted on the front row with 28 to go in the race. Enfinger spun his tires on the restart, which allowed Honeycutt to scamper away. Heim got around Enfinger to take second.

Honeycutt pulled away by over two seconds, but Heim began to close the gap with ten to go. Honeycutt caught lapped traffic, which slowed him down.

He took the white flag over a second out front. He led the final lap to win the Black’s Tire 250 in dominating fashion!

Marvin’s Minute:

Kaden Honeycutt has the talent; he just needs races like this to remind himself of that. He can be a Truck Series champion. The Series is wide open to be gotten for him. Honeycutt can be emotional under the helmet, but I believe he knows what he is capable of. Expectations are high for him as the playoffs begin after a stop in New Hampshire next week!