In an exciting start to the Chase for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Jake Garcia from the ThorSport Racing team surprised everyone with his first victory in his 94th professional race.
Garcia surpassed Bayley Currey, who achieved his personal best result in the competition, and it was also his first race of the 2026 season. Stewart Friesen finished in a competitive third place, while Justin Haley secured Kaulig RAM’s first top 5 with a fourth place finish.
The first driver in the Chase to cross the finish line was Gio Ruggiero, in sixth place, followed by William Sawalich, Kaden Honeycutt, Ty Majeski, and Grant Enfinger, who completed the top 10.
In contrast, Front Row Motorsports, the dominant team of the season, experienced a disastrous day with Layne Riggs and Chandler Smith, who faced multiple issues that ruined their chances. Riggs, despite leading with authority, finished in 32nd place, his worst ranking of the year.
This result leaves Riggs in the first position of the championship with only three points ahead of Honeycutt, while Smith is positioned 30 points behind.
Summary of Stages 1 and 2
Riggs started from the pole, but the Chase drivers found problems early on. Christian Eckes suffered damage to his right front wheel after hitting the wall, and had to make a stop for repairs, losing several laps.
During the first stage, Riggs dominated, winning the victory over Honeycutt, Smith, Garcia, and Majeski, among others. At the start of the second stage, most drivers chose to pit for tire changes, which benefited the top six who decided to stay out.
Riggs continued to dominate, winning the second stage as well, ahead of Honeycutt, Smith, and Garcia.
Development of the Third Stage
In the next round of pit stops, Front Row Motorsports experienced a nightmare, with Riggs losing five positions due to a slow stop, and Smith penalized for speeding. Garcia led the restart, but Riggs had to pit again due to a wheel issue.
The race was halted for an extended cleanup after Caden Kvapil spilled oil on the track, causing several accidents. Once the race restarted, Garcia maintained the lead over Honeycutt, who could not close the gap.
Despite a vibration report in his vehicle, Garcia benefitted from a yellow flag for debris. In the next restart, Currey attacked the leadership, causing a moment of three-wide in turn 2, but Garcia was able to regain the position and pull away towards victory.
In the end, Garcia crossed the finish line with a 1.3 second advantage over Currey, leading 104 of the 250 laps contested during Thursday’s race.
Final ranking:
| Position | Driver | Team | Laps | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J. Garcia | ThorSport Racing | 250 | 1:33’43.546 |
| 2 | B. Currey | TRICON Garage | 250 | +1.305 |
| 3 | S. Friesen | Halmar Friesen Racing | 250 | +1.807 |
| 4 | J. Haley | Kaulig Racing | 250 | +1.973 |
| 5 | T. McKee | Spire Motorsports | 250 | +2.249 |
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_fed8b031f554577d3fe4468f6235c639107d6205