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Tyler Reddick finished second in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points last year, but he missed the Truck Series Chase this season. The disappointment of missing the Chase won’t have completely faded, but winning his first race of the year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will help ease the sting of missing out.
The night in Las Vegas didn’t start out easy for Reddick. The 20-year-old qualified mid-pack in 16th, but quickly began making ground on the field. By Lap 35, Reddick already grabbed the lead where he’d go on to lead 70 of 146 laps.
It was a good night overall for Brad Keselowski Racing. Reddick’s teammate Daniel Hemric finished second, which allowed BKR to score its first ever 1-2 finish, and first win on a 1.5-mile track. Hemric led 38 laps on the night.
Despite finishing second, Hemric leaves Las Vegas disappointed as he is still 15 points outside the Chase cutoff going into Talladega Superspeedway.
Cole Custer finished third in his No. 00 Haas Automation Chevy. Custer, who was strongest on the short runs, led three laps.
Ben Kennedy had a strong night for GMS Racing in the No. 33 Chevy. Kennedy led 22 laps early in the evening, and was able to maintain a top-five running spot throughout the race. He goes into Talladega fourth in points with an 18-point cushion of seventh.
Loudon winner William Byron finished fifth after having a relatively quiet run. The teenager started 10th, and never made a lot of noise throughout the race, but stayed inside the top-10 throughout the night.
Christopher Bell, Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton, Timothy Peters and Grant Enfinger rounded out the top-10.
While seven of the eight Chase drivers finished inside the top-10, John Hunter Nemechek struggled with the balance of his truck all night. The No. 8 truck finished a lap down in 16th. Nemechek now finds himself tied with Hemric for seventh in points.
The Truck drivers will have two weeks off to rest, and get themselves ready for the first Chase elimination race at Talladega. Byron, a winner at New Hampshire, will have two weeks to rest easy, while the others will fight to secure one of the six Chase spots.
