Tate Fogleman turns Nemechek, wins at Talladega

The second race of the Round of Eight for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series headed next to Talladega Superspeedway for a big wildcard race that could crush dreams or punch a ticket to the championship four in Phoenix. Before the start of the race, it was announced that Austin Hill will NOT return to Hattori Racing Enterprises for the 2022 season and looks to move up to Full-Time racing in the Xfinity Series. Yesterday, GMS Racing announced that Grant Enfinger will join the team in the #23 Chevrolet Silverado for 2022.

Ben Rhodes and Todd Gilliland led the field to the green flag to begin the 94 lap race at Talladega. Things remained pretty calm in the first 20 laps in the race and Ben Rhodes took advantage of being the pole sitter, as he went on to take Stage One. As the points leader, that gave Rhodes 10 more points including a playoff point that will help him towards Phoenix.

Stage 1 Results:

1. Ben Rhodes
2. Austin Hill
3. Matt Crafton
4. Stewart Friesen
5. Johnny Sauter
6. John Hunter Nemechek
7. Drew Dollar
8. Sheldon Creed
9. Austin Wayne Self
10. Todd Gilliland

For Stage Two, Bryan Dauzat, driving for a team that is volunteered by members of the New York Fire and Police Department, lost control and hit the inside wall to bring out the first caution of the race. Sheldon Creed continues to add on to his points and would go on to take Stage Two.

Stage Two Results:

1. Sheldon Creed
2. Johnny Sauter
3. Zane Smith
4. Matt Crafton
5. Austin Hill
6. Chandler Smith
7. Tanner Gray
8. John Hunter Nemechek
9. Stewart Friesen
10. Bret Holmes

With 37 laps to go, the big one struck when Chase Purdy gave a shove to Todd Gilliland, who shoved Austin Hill up the track and into Zane Smith. Both trucks slammed into the wall going into turn three, collecting several others like Lawless Alan, Parker Kligerman, Tanner Gray, Johnny Sauter, Tyler Ankrum, Chandler Smith, and others. After a red flag, Todd Gilliland was leading the race and with 19 laps to go, Grant Enfinger jumped up to the high line. He and Sheldon Creed went up the track and Creed turned Enfinger down on Stewart Friesen to cause another pileup. Clay Greenfield packed Enfinger and Carson Hocevar spins and hits the inside wall, hurting his hopes of the Championship Four. Chase Purdy was also spun for the lead to bring out a caution and send the race into Overtime.

Gilliland led on the final lap with Ben Rhodes fighting hard on the outside to take the lead. Contact was made, causing Ben Rhodes to lose his spot and drop back. Once he did, everything began to stack up as Bret Holmes bounced off another truck and went into Creed, Crafton, and Rhodes, causing a pileup. As for everyone else, Gilliland lost the lead to John Hunter Nemechek in the tri-oval, then came Tate Fogleman for Youngs Motorsports making the hard charge. Nemechek tried to come back down but ran into Fogleman turning him coming to the line, and Tate Fogleman would get his first career truck series win at Talladega with Tyler Hill finishing second. Fogleman and Hill would both wreck after the checkered flag, taking Fogleman to the infield care center. Fogleman said he didn’t know he had won until hearing it on the broadcast inside the ambulance.

2021 Truck Series at Talladega Top 10:

1. Tate Fogleman
2. Tyler Hill
3. Todd Gilliland
4. John Hunter Nemechek
5. Ryan Truex
6. Cory Roper
7. Spencer Boyd
8. Danny Bohn
9. Chase Purdy
10. Keith McGee