Trucks: William Byron Kicks off Chase with a Win at NHMS

William Byron proved why he was the top seed in the Truck Chase in 2016, winning the opening race of the playoffs in New Hampshire on Saturday.

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In recent years in the Camping World Truck Series, there may have only been three or four drivers left to contend for the championship. But with the first-ever Chase beginning in 2016, now eight drivers still have a chance to lift the hardware in Homestead. William Byron took a big step on that path on Saturday afternoon, winning the UNOH 175 at New Hampshire.

Byron, who led 161 of 175 laps at the Magic Mile, would hold off teammate and fellow championship contender Christopher Bell for the victory. Byron looked to have the victory easily in hand, but lapped traffic made it more of a race, bringing Bell back into the picture in the closing laps. He would finish 0.446 seconds behind the leader.

Six of the top ten finishers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway were Chase drivers, but not all those in the hunt had good days. Daniel Hemric certainly had the worst day, blowing a tire around Lap 25 that led to a broken brake line and a small fire. He finished 28th on the day, and will have to likely win to advance to the Round of 6.

Here are the full results from the UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Chase drivers in italics):

1. William Byron, Toyota, Kyle Busch Motorsports
2. Christopher Bell, Toyota, Kyle Busch Motorsports
3. Matt Crafton, Toyota, ThorSport Racing
4. Tyler Reddick, Ford, Brad Keselowski Racing
5. Timothy Peters, Toyota, Red Horse Racing
6. Cole Custer, Chevrolet, JR Motorsports
7. Kaz Grala, Chevrolet, GMS Racing
8. Brett Moffitt, Toyota, Red Horse Racing
9. John Hunter Nemechek, Chevrolet, NEMCO Motorsports
10. Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, GMS Racing
11. Ben Kennedy, Chevrolet, GMS Racing
12. John Wes Townley, Chevrolet, Athenian Motorsports
13. Stewart Friesen, Chevrolet, Friesen Racing
14. Spencer Gallagher, Chevrolet, GMS Racing
15. Ben Rhodes, Toyota, ThorSport Racing
16. Ryan Truex, Toyota, Hattori Racing Enterprises
17. Rico Abreu, Toyota, ThorSport Racing
18. Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, MAKE Motorsports
19. Cameron Hayley, Toyota, ThorSport Racing
20. Cody Coughlin, Toyota, Kyle Busch Motorsports
21. Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, Martins Family Racing
22. Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Bolen Motorsports
23. Matt Mills, Chevrolet, SS Green Light Racing
24. Alon Day, Chevrolet, Contreras Motorsports
25. Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, MAKE Motorsports
26. Tim Viens, Chevrolet, Harmon Racing
27. Josh Wise, Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports
28. Daniel Hemric, Ford, Brad Keselowski Racing
29. Austin Wayne Self, Toyota, AM Win-Tron Racing
30. Austin Hill, Ford, Young’s Motorsports
31. Akinori Ogata, Chevrolet, MB Motorsports
32. Caleb Roark, Chevrolet, JJC Racing

Following the opening race of the seven-race Chase for the Truck Series championship, William Byron has locked up his spot in the Round of 6. Here is how the full Chase grid shapes up heading out of the Granite State:

1. William Byron, Advanced to Round of 6
2. Matt Crafton, +11 ahead of Round of 6 Cut-Off
3. Christopher Bell, +10
4. John Hunter Nemechek, +5
5. Timothy Peters, +3
6. Johnny Sauter, +1
7. Ben Kennedy, -1 behind Round of 6 Cut-Off
8. Daniel Hemric, -21

Related Story: Four Predictions for the Chase in the Granite State

The next race for the top truck drivers in the world will come from Sin City. Viva Las Vegas, as the Chase winds into Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the DC Solar 350. Tune in to see all the action next Saturday night, October 1, live on FS1.