Hill Gobbles Up Gander Outdoors Truck Victory At Daytona

Austin Hill (16) races Grant Enfinger (98) during the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway. [Jerry Markland/Getty Images]

By Joe Jennings

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Austin Hill gobbled up victory in the crash-riddled 20th annual NextEra Resources 250 on a warm Friday evening at the Daytona International Speedway. The race marked the season opener for the Gander Outdoors NASCAR Truck Series.

For Hill, it was a race of survival as his fuel was running low and when the race went into overtime, he held his breath as the race lasted 111 laps.

“I can’t believe it. I would never have thought in a million years that my first victory would come at Daytona,” the happy Georgia driver said. The win came in his 52nd start.

Hill drove the CHIPA Toyopet Toyota.

Due to the carnage, only nine trucks were running at the end. A record 11 caution flags slowed the event for 55 of the 111 laps.

Grant Effinger finished second and Ross Chastain took third.

Spencer Boyd and Matt Crafton were fourth and fifth and with Josh Resume and Timothy Peters next in line.

A massive accident involving 11 trucks decimated the field on lap 54. Among those involved was 2018 champion Brett Moffitt and the father-and-son team of David and Todd Gilliland. The latter duo managed to return, only to be eliminated later on.

Momentarily, Angela Ruch, niece of Derrike Cope, inherited the lead but not for long. However, she persevered and came home eighth, for her best-ever finish. And she became the second female in truck series history to finish inside the top 10. Jennifer Jo Cobb garnered a sixth place here in 2011.

A similar major accident occurred as the race neared conclusion, sending the race into overtime. Two more incidents took place in overtime.

Joe Jennings

racingnation.com

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