FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – Sheldon Creed had a small bump from a friend who was already in the last four of the NASCAR Truck Series.
Creed now has a place with teammate Brett Moffitt after Sunday in Texas.
Creed qualified for the championship circular taking the arrival of two circulars created when playoff contender Ben Rhodes crushed Christian Eckes, either in the five most sensible with two laps to the end, leaving several drivers angry.
As Creed ran along Austin Hill in the back leg on the first lap of the resumption, Moffitt lowered the track to give Creed the touch he needed to get ahead.
“Thank God I had a teammate with me and I was able to be transparent there,” said Creed, the first four-time show winner this season. “I think I can do can do canopy 16 at least a few laps. It’s great to be relaxing over the next week or the next two.
Hill was about to overtake Creed with two laps to overtake when Rhodes turned to the right rear of the Toyota No. 18 Eckes, sending Eckes against the wall.
Rhodes suffered wounds to the left front, but was then sent to the wall through his teammate at Eckes, Smith Chandler, leaving Creed to take the yellow/boxed combo to the final line. Rhodes finished 20 degrees.
Rhodes said he sought to keep his car away from the wall and did not aim to make contact with Eckes, who made obscene gestures in Rhodes as he approached the grassy terrain on the front leg where Eckes’ car ended.
“They may have their own opinion, but I in the truck, I know what happened,” Rhodes said. “Now everyone has to fight us for the incidents I find myself in.
“It turns out there’s a lack of skill there,” Rhodes said, referring to the Cup’s Motor Force Van Series team, Kyle Busch.
Eckes said he thinks Rhodes’ touch is intentional.
“Of course I’m competitive and I’m looking to empty it, but in the same direction, it’s just a tough race on a gorge track,” Eckes said. “Then I was a little disappointed and went straight down on the directly and separated and ran. I’m probably going to get rid of him and he just turned left as hard as he could and hooked me up.
Creed led 131 of 152 laps, while Hill Momento and Zane Smith third. Hill and Smith are the other two in the 4 most sensitive with Creed and Moffitt, with a qualifying race on Friday in Martinsville.
Matt Crafton, who soon took Creed’s lead and won the stage so far, finished sixth and is the first off-line driving force, 12 Zane Smith tracks.
Grant Enfinger has 42 smith numbers, followed by Rhodes (45) and Tyler Ankrum (79).
Creed soon lost his mind with 20 laps to get some drivers out of the name race when Stewart Friesen overcaked Creed, just before Johnny Sauter tried to overtake Friesen. combination on the outer wall.
“It made my life a little less difficult when they did that, ” said Creed. “Let the race reach you, drive what you have and you’ll finish better. A smart, well-executed day. “
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