NASCAR Truck race at Charlotte results: 3 takeaways from Chase Elliott’s victory

Kyle Busch walked off Charlotte Motor Speedway as fast as he drove it. The two-time Cup champion said his equipment was an issue from the start of NASCAR’s Truck Series return race.

“It sucks when you start the race with broken pieces after sitting for six months,” Busch told FOX Sports. “So there’s going to be some (expletive) talking when I get home.”

Despite his truck malfunctions, Busch drove the No. 51 Toyota for his Kyle Busch Motorsports team to a second place finish in Tuesday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 race, which was won by Chase Elliott.

As Rowdy walked to his motorhome in frustration, Elliott took a bow in front of the cameras, imitating Busch’s signature move. Just like Busch’s late-lap wreck of Elliott less than a week ago, which resulted in Elliott raising a middle finger to Busch, Elliott said the bow was unplanned.

Busch called the move “cute.”

“Imitation is the strongest form of flattery or something,” Busch said after the race.

Elliott said the victory didn’t make up for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, in which NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver led until a late-lap caution and call to pit bumped Elliott from a first-time win at the event.

“Doesn’t make up for Sunday, but it was still a really good night,” Elliott said after the Truck win.

In addition to pride on the line for beating Busch, who had won seven consecutive Truck races prior to Tuesday, Elliott won a $100,000 prize pool. The bounty ($50,000 paid by Kevin Harvick, $50,000 by Gander Outdoors CEO Marcus Lemonis) will be paid by making a donation in Elliott’s name to the charity of his choice.

STRATEGY SHOWS

If pit strategy lost it for Elliott on Sunday, it won it for him Tuesday. Elliott pitted earlier in the race than Busch, which put him in a better position when multiple cautions were called laps apart late in the race. Elliott remained in first place off a late-lap restart and led Busch by less than a second at the checkered flag.

Elliott led 47 laps of the 134-lap race, and was able to quickly separate from the pack despite his older tires. Elliott said he felt Busch gaining on him and that he had gotten tight late in the race, but he was still able to maintain the lead.

Still, the race was no blowout.

ELLIOTT WAS PERFECT. BUSCH WAS FAST. BOTH WERE IMPRESSIVE.

The field went without an incident for more than half the race, until the third stage when multiple cautions were called within a matter of laps. Busch pitted for tires on Lap 97, bumping him to 13th place on a critical restart.

“We basically handed Chase 20 positions on our final pit stop,” Busch said.

Busch was able to make up the time, however, moving up ten spots in two laps before another caution flag was thrown. Busch said he struggled with his equipment all night.

“The vibration was really, really bad,” Busch said. “Worse than it’s been in a while.”

He said he started the race with “broken pieces” and that he never had a great feel for the truck, which put them “out in the left field the whole night.”

Despite the equipment malfunction, Busch was able to drive himself into the top three. On the final restart, he was on the move. In a matter of minutes, Busch had weaved his way to fifth, then fourth, then all the way to second, zipping past Truck regulars Zane Smith and Johnny Sauter along the way.

REGULARS SHINE

Truck Series driver Smith finished in third place and led 15 laps despite having no time in the car for 70 days, unlike Elliott and Busch, who have been competing in Xfinity (Busch) and Cup races over the last two weeks.

“That was definitely fun,” Smith said after the race. “I can tell you one thing, I’m worn out.”

“If you are going to lose to two guys,” Smith continued. “Those are two good ones.”

In addition to Zane, Ross Chastain had an impressive night. Chastain won the first stage of the race and finished 11th. The No. 42 driver raced his way to a first stage win after a 27th place start. He led six laps.

Smith led 16 laps. Austin Hill, who finished in ninth, led 26 laps behind lap-leader Elliott.

NASCAR Truck Series at Charlotte results

This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 10:27 PM.

Alexandra Andrejev

The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 following an internship at The Washington Post. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and National Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer. Support my work with a digital subscription