By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer
DARLINGTON, S.C. – A missed penalty call aided Ty Majeski’s efforts at in the Dead On Tools 200 at Darlington Raceway.
Coming to the second-to-last restart in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Majeski ran over the orange box when making the choose. In normal circumstances that’s a penalty that would drop him to the tail end of the field. However, NASCAR officials never called the penalty on the ThorSport Racing driver. Majeski remained inside the top-10.
A late caution that forced the race into overtime and issues for Ross Chastain further cleared the track for Majeski’s No. 66 FarmPaint Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. When the field entered Turn 1, the 27-year-old was inside the top-10. Taking the white flag, Majeski had climbed up to fourth, where he would remain for the final lap at ‘The Track Too Tough to Tame.’
“I called it out on the radio,” recalled Majeski. “We’re all humans, right? We all make mistakes; we all miss calls. I felt like we were the lucky dog on one of those yellows when I was trapped (a lap down) and we didn’t get it. Felt like we had a call go against us and a call go for us, I guess that’s just good karma.
“(I’m) lucky, because that would have killed our race, right? We would have finished, 15th maybe 20th. Restarts went our way, some days it’s your way and some days it isn’t. Today it was our way, so we’ll take it.”
Though NASCAR Camping World Truck Series officials missed the call on Majeski, he feels that an earlier call should have gone in his favor. After pitting for a flat tire at the end of Stage 2, the Seymour, WI native was trapped a lap down. On one of the ensuing cautions, NASCAR issued the free pass to a different driver instead of Majeski.
“We had an up and down day for sure,” explained Majeski. “Split that first stage. Repeated made a big adjustment to try get the truck better. Lost a bunch of track position, just really fought trying to get it back. I had a flat tire before the end of the second stage, got trapped a lap down multiple times.
“Finally got back on the lead lap under the first yellow into the third stage and just made our way back up through the field. Restarts are crazy. That last one went our way. Were able to salvage a good day out of it.”
Majeski started the race on the outside pole. However, strategy calls in Stage 1 and the flat tire in Stage 2 left him outside of the top-10 in both Stages.
The fourth-place finish is the second top-five for Majeski in his Truck Series career. It’s also his ninth career top-10 finish.
The top-five finish keeps Majeski seventh in the championship points standings. He’s 62-points behind teammate and leader Ben Rhodes. Majeski is 33-points above the cutline for the playoffs held by Tanner Gray.
Featured Photo Credit: Photo by NKP / NKP Photo.