By Summer Bedgood, Managing Editor
Ross Chastain disqualified after winning Iowa Truck Series race
After dominating the M&M’s 200 in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series and crossing the start/finish line first on Sunday afternoon at Iowa Speedway, Ross Chastain was disqualified due to his No. 44 Chevrolet failing post-race inspection. His No. 44 Niece Motorsports truck was deemed to be too low.
Instead, second-place driver Brett Moffitt was declared as the winner.
Shortly after the race, Niece Motorsports announced their intention to appeal.
Following the announcement, a very somber Chastain told Kickin’ The Tires that he did not have anything he could say at this time.
Chastain originally declared for Xfinity Series championship points at the beginning of the season, but switched to Gander Outdoors Truck Series points just a few days before the June 7th race at Texas Motor Speedway. In order to make the Playoffs, Chastain would have to win a race and make it into the top 20 in points.
After Chastain had initially won the race, the points showed him less than 15 points outside of the top 20. He will now be awarded with last-place points.
Neither the victory nor the two stage victories Chastain earned during the race will count towards the team’s Playoff bid.
This is Moffitt’s first victory of the season and serves as a virtual guarantee for a postseason berth.
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Johnny Sauter, Austin Hill spar in Iowa
The post-race chaos in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series was preceded by fireworks on track.
While racing Austin Hill for position, Johnny Sauter got into the rear of Hill’s truck, moved him out of the way, and went on by.
In retaliation a couple of laps later, Hill got into the rear of Sauter’s truck hard enough for Sauter to spin and hit the outside wall, bringing the caution out on lap 137.
While the field was still under caution, Sauter drove his damaged truck to Hill’s position on the track, spun him up into the outside wall, then ran nose-first into the driver’s side of Hill’s truck.
NASCAR parked Sauter for the remainder of the race.
“It’s hard to race with that guy,” Hill said to FS1 post-race. “We were racing hard getting into turn one. He had gotten into me a little bit and I kinda returned the favor. I don’t race like that. If you’re gonna race me like that and try to take me out — I guess he was mad at me for Texas last week. I don’t know. But I’m not gonna put up with it. I think you’ve seen that today. I try to race everybody clean but when they race you like that, I don’t put up with it.”
Hill finished the race in the 12th position. Sauter was credited with 27th.
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Cole Custer wins pole for Iowa Xfinity Series race
On Sunday afternoon after perhaps a precedent-setting NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Iowa Speedway, qualifying for the NASCAR XFINITY Series race began.
Cole Custer earned his 10th career pole position with a time of 23.779 seconds / 132.470 mph and will start on the front row alongside Christopher Bell.
Zane Smith, Noah Gragson, and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top five.
The race begins at 5:30PM ET on FS1
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Notes
- Doug Kalitta, John Force qualified No. 1 at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
- Porsche and Mercedes-Benz will be competing in Formula E next season
- Ted Christopher’s nephew won at Thompson Speedway on Saturday in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature
- Rain forced the postponement of the Summer Nationals race scheduled for The Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway on Saturday night
- Eli Tomac earned the overall victory at the Circle K High Point Motocross National in Pennsylvania