.
photo credit: Ron Olds (file)
Under the rain delayed Miami lights Matt Crafton would become the 2019 Gander Outdoors Truck Series Champion. Crafton’s Championship was built on consistency rather than victories just as was Friday night’s Ford EcoBoost 200 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway Crafton would finish in the bridesmaid position to Austin Hill the race winner.
Crafton Championship matches a three-title mark equaled only by Jack Sprague (2001, 1999 and 1997) and exceeded by only NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. Crafton is the only driver to ever win back-to-back truck titles (2013-14). “I guess I finally got out of the wheelchair and got up one the wheel and got it done,” said Crafton, “One step closer to what Hornaday’s done, and they called us the underdog.”
The victory for Hill was bitter sweet after last weeks final elimination race at Phoenix’s ISM Raceway when he finished 13th and Stewart Friesen advanced into the playoff round with a victory. “I’m excited for the win, but at the same time it stings a little bit just because I know that if we would have been a little bit better in the round of six, we could be celebrating a win and a championship,” Hill said. “But like I say, I can’t thank everybody out there enough.
Gander Outdoors Truck Series Race Number 23
Race Results for the 24th Annual Ford EcoBoost 200 – Friday, November 15, 2019
Homestead-Miami Speedway – Homestead, FL – 1.5 – Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 134 Laps – 201. Miles
1 – Austin Hill
2 – Matt Crafton
3 – Christian Eckes
4 – Ross Chastain
5 – Brett Moffitt
6 – Johnny Sauter
7 – Grant Enfinger
8 – Todd Gilliland
9 – Sheldon Creed
10 – Parker Kligerman
11 – Stewart Friesen
12 – Ben Rhodes
13 – Harrison Burton
14 – Joe Nemechek
15 – Gus Dean
16 – Tanner Gray
17 – Jesse Little
18 – Tyler Dippel
19 – Austin Wayne Self
20 – Natalie Decker
21 – Jordan Anderson
22 – Tyler Ankrum
23 – Tyler Hill
24 – Colby Howard
25 – Danny Bohn
26 – Codie Rohrbaugh
27 – Cory Roper
28 – Jennifer Jo Cobb
29 – Angela Ruch
30 – Josh Bilicki
31 – Ray Ciccarelli
32 – Anthony Alfredo
f.2019