Enfinger Cops Wild Finish In NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Opener At Daytona

Grant Enfinger (#98) crosses the finish line ahead of Jordan Anderson to win the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway. [Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images]

By Joe Jennings

DAYTONA BEACH – Grant Enfinger copped the wild NextEra Energy 250 at the Daytona International Speedway, the opener for the 23-race NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season.

For the second night in a row, a rainstorm rolled through prior to the race start, delaying the start by 45minutes. Also, the temperature was 25 degrees cooler tonight.

Driving the Champions/Curb Records Ford, Enfinger nipped Jordan Andersen at the finish line by a scant .010 seconds to win his third career race. And he gave Ford its 100th truck series victory.

“Winning at Daytona is an unbelievable feeling,” Enfinger said. “More importantly, this is the 25th anniversary for Dick and Rhonda Thor, as they have put so much into this sport. We had a great truck all night. An unbelievable night!”

As usual, the action heated up as the race wound down with 18 trucks bunched together. The mayhem ignited with 5 laps to go when Ben Rhodes got out of shape, triggering a multi-truck crash.

Codie Rohrbaugh took third and Derek Kraus took fourth.

Fifth went to Natalie Decker for her best-ever performance and the highest finish at Daytona by a female driver. She started 30th.

Johnny Sauter finished sixth followed by Austin Hill, Ross Chastain, Sheldon Creed and Jason White.

Pole winner Riley Herbst claimed Stage 1 and Grant Enfinger won out Stage 2.

The first major accident took place on lap 16 with nine trucks involved in the melee. In it, Ty Majeski took a wild ride, turning over and sliding a long way on the roof with flames shooting from underneath his Chevrolet.

Fortunately, no one struck the unlucky driver and with race stopped, rescue workers the opportunity to remove Majeski, who was uninjured.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Majeski said. “I’m not hurt, just my pride. Our season starts next week in Las Vegas and I will be ready to race.”

The second serious accident took place on lap 60 and it involved a dozen trucks.

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