- Xfinity 250 - Martinsville Speedway - 1. (#91) Zack Saunders - 2. (#1) Cory Mott - 3. (#29) Steward Harding Walker - 4. (#69) Caleb Tipton - 5. (#94) Thomas Wolfe - 6. (#22) Nic Vasquez - 7. (#6) Stephen Menke - 8. (#3) Ben Lawson - 9. (#37) Joe T. Wright - 10. (#16) Nathaniel Campbell - 11. (#57) Michael Deitch - 12. (#00) Garth Griswold - 13. (#11) Nishil Condoor - 14. (#7) Steven Carlile - 15. (#8) Zach Johnson - 16. (#99) Justin Bell - 17. (#74) Caleb Sheets - 18. (#30) Mason Hoeffner - 19. (#96) Vince Mitchell
The 2024 VRS Truck Series concluded the season Monday night in the desert of Phoenix. A 4-way battle for the Championship between Zack Saunders, John Connor, Cory Mott, and Nishil Condoor was on the menu for the night to decide who would be crowned the VRS Truck Series Champion.
The Four-Driver Playoff Battle dropped to three before the green flag flew to start the race. Nishil Condoor turned some laps during practice before his truck experienced mechanical failure at the worst time of the year. His pit crew could not get the car going before the start of the race, and we were down to a three-way battle for the Championship.
Pete Morales would capture the pole, with Josh Stoltz starting on the outside in the first row. John Connor would qualify fifth and was looking to keep his hot streak on fire. He hasn’t finished outside the Top 5 in the playoffs and was hoping to claim the title from defending VRS Truck Series Champion Zack Saunders, who qualified third. Cory Mott would try to play it safe and start in the back from 14th, but he wouldn’t stay in the back for long. 150 laps in the desert was all that stood in the way of crowning a champion.
Morales led the field to the green flag, and the racing got aggressive right from the start. The field took off, and before Morales could get out of Turn 2, he was fighting for third as Zack Saunders would take the lead before Morales and Stoltz would make contact, and they would both spin into 3 Turn 3 for the first of caution of the night.
A second Caution came out after the restart on Lap 10, and we finally saw some green flag laps as John Connor took the lead from Saunders. CJR Race Control Officials would issue another caution on Lap 16 for debris on the track, and when it went back green on Lap 20, the field would stay green until Noah Spaulding caused the caution to fly to end the stage early on Lap 40.
At the end of Stage 1, all three playoff drivers were 1-2-3 at the top of the standings, with Connor taking 1st, Saunders in 2nd, and Mott taking 3rd. Connor did his best to hold on to the two-tenths lead when the caution flew, protecting him from a charging Saunders. Connor and Saunders would keep the racing going on pit road, but CJR Officials would catch both of them speeding and send them to the back. CJR Officials would also catch Cameron Albertson with a choose cone violation before the restart to send him to the back, and Henry Kallhoff would take the lead as the green flag flew to begin Stage 2.
Kallhoff retained that lead through two cautions in Stage 2 and relinquished it to John Connor on Lap 82. It only took 37 laps to get back to the front to win Stage 2 at the end of Lap 90. It appeared Connor was determined to win this Championship, winning the race’s first two stages. He would have to defend off Saunders for the final 60 laps of the race, who finished second. Mott would fall back and finish fifth in Stage 2.
Carnage would strike on Lap 97 in Stage 2 as newcomer Noah Hunt would hit the wall out of Turn 2 and make contact with Garth Griswold, and the accordion effect would follow into Pete Morales. Morales would do his best to save it but would come into the path of Joe Wright, he would follow in his long lost ancestors, the Wright Brothers, and take flight in his Ford F150. Jim Mott, who slowed to miss the carnage, would get sent head-first into Griswold when Teagen Fox failed to break sufficiently, sending Mott and Griswold to the grave. Wright was able to repair his F150 Stealth Fighter Aircraft to get back in the race but would be -10 laps down.
Saunders took the lead back from Matthew Owens after the restart and retained it through the last two cautions of the race. Saunders, who had his Final 4 Playoff eligibility revoked in the Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series, was determined to defend his title and win the VRS Truck Series championship. Connor was doing his best to stay with Saunders, but with the green flag racing, Saunders would run away with it. Saunders would win by a 3-second margin and claim the 2024 VRS Truck Series Championship.
Congratulations to Zack Saunders and all drivers this season on a job well done and memorable season in Crown Jewel.
The Bob Henry’s Xfinity Series will race tonight at 8:15 EST to determine the BHXS Champion. On Wednesday, it will be Championship Night in the Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series. Tune into the Crown Jewel Racing Network to catch all the action in the season finales.