NASCAR Truck Series: Justin Haley takes stunning win at 2018 JAG Metals 350

Justin Haley clinched a berth in the NASCAR Truck Series Championship 4 by winning the second round of 6 race of the 2018 playoffs, the JAG Metals 350, at Texas Motor Speedway.

GMS Racing’s Justin Haley clinched a berth NASCAR Truck Series Championship 4 by earning his third career Truck Series victory and his third victory of the 2018 season. He clinched this berth by winning the second race of the second round, the round of 6, of the 2018 playoffs, the JAG Metals 350, at Texas Motor Speedway, and he won it in stunning fashion.

Haley, who started the 147-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Texas Motor Speedway oval in Fort Worth, Texas in sixth place in his #24 Chevrolet, won it by 8.133 seconds over ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes, who finished in second place in his #41 Ford.

However, an 8.133-second margin of victory does not accurately describe the excitement — and the heartbreak — that came along with Haley’s victory.

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Kyle Busch Motorsports rookie Todd Gilliland, who has appeared to be on his way to earning his first career Truck Series victory on several occasions so far this season but had not yet actually done so heading into the JAG Metals 350, appeared to be on his way to earning his first career victory once again in this race.

Gilliland led 60 of the race’s first 146 laps, which was the highest laps led total among all drivers in the field. He had a comfortable lead over Haley after taking the white flag, a lead that he had had over Haley for several laps, and it appeared to be a foregone conclusion that the driver of the #4 Toyota would finally get the monkey off of his back by earning his first career Truck Series victory.

But as Gilliland made his way down the back straightaway, heartbreak struck him once again as his truck ran out of fuel.

Haley passed Gilliland for the lead before Rhodes passed him for second place. Hattori Racing Enterprises’ Brett Moffitt also passed him for third in his #16 Toyota. Gilliland ultimately ended up finishing in fourth, 13.499 seconds behind Haley. Young’s Motorsports’ Austin Hill finished in fifth in his #02 Chevrolet.

Here is a video of how the race ended.

Kyle Busch Motorsports’ Harrison Burton, JJL Motorsports’ Jesse Little, Halmar Friesen Racing’s Stewart Friesen, ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton and Kyle Busch Motorsports’ Noah Gragson rounded out the top 10 by finishing in sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th place in their #51 Toyota, #97 Ford, #52 Chevrolet, #88 Ford and #18 Toyota, respectively.

The race featured a total of 12 lead changes among eight drivers. Aside of Haley, who led 33 laps, and Gilliland, six drivers led at least one lap of the race. Those drivers were Rhodes, Friesen, Gragson, race polesitter Johnny Sauter, Myatt Snider and Sheldon Creed. Haley won stage one and Snider won stage two.

The race also featured a total of seven caution flag periods for 36 laps. All seven of these caution flag periods took place as a result of on-track incidents, as even the two caution flag periods that took place during the endings of stages one and began as a result of on-track incidents. Of the 32 drivers who started the race, 24 finished it and 11 finished it on the lead lap.

Here are the full race results of the 2018 JAG Metals 350 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Race Results
1st – Justin Haley
2nd – Ben Rhodes
3rd – Brett Moffitt
4th – Todd Gilliland
5th – Austin Hill
6th – Harrison Burton
7th – Jesse Little
8th – Stewart Friesen
9th – Matt Crafton
10th – Noah Gragson
11th – Johnny Sauter
12th – Grant Enfinger
13th – Myatt Snider
14th – Tyler Dippel
15th – Brennan Poole
16th – Austin Wayne Self
17th – Codie Rohrbaugh
18th – Joe Nemechek
19th – Justin Fontaine
20th – Reed Sorenson
21st – Tanner Thorson
22nd – Bayley Currey
23rd – Jennifer Jo Cobb
24th – Jennifer Jo Cobb
25th – Sheldon Creed
26th – Ross Chastain
27th – Tyler Young
28th – Cory Roper
29th – Jordan Anderson
30th – David Gilliland
31st – Timmy Hill
32nd – Bo LeMastus

ISM Raceway is set to host the third and final round of 6 race of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series playoff schedule. This race, the Lucas Oil 150, is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, November 2.