Hocevar hangs on to Nashville Truck win after late restart

Hocevar hangs on to Nashville Truck win after late restart

Hocevar powered past then-leader Corey Heim on a restart with 40 of 150 laps remaining to take the lead for the first time in the race.

A wreck involving Christian Eckes and Stewart Friesen set up a restart with three laps remaining and several challengers lined up behind Hocevar with fresher tires.

Hocevar got a good jump on the restart and held off reigning series champion Zane Smith by 0.271 seconds to earn his second career win, with both coming this season.

Hocevar’s two victories put him in good position with just three races remaining before the start of the series playoffs.

“I’m enjoying this a lot right now,” said Hocevar, who also collected a $50,000 bonus for the win as part of the Triple Truck Challenge. “I’m so excited I get to hold the trophy.”

Nick Sanchez finished third, Heim was fourth and Bayley Currey rounded out the top-five. Sanchez (four) and Currey (two) had taken new tires on the final caution.

Completing the top-10 were Chase Purdy, Matt DiBenedetto, Tyler Ankrum, Ben Rhodes and Jake Garcia.

Stage 1

Smith passed Sanchez with six of 45 laps remaining and held on to take the Stage 1 win, his second stage victory of the season. Currey was third, Hocevar fourth and Heim fifth.

Hailee Deegan triggered a multi-truck wreck in the opening laps that also collected Lawless Alan and Jack Wood. The damage to Alan’s truck knocked him out of the race.

Stage 2

Heim passed DiBenedetto on a restart with five laps remaining and claimed the Stage 2 win when the race was placed under caution with one to go due to a three-truck wreck. Hocevar ended up second and DiBenedetto third.

Stewart Friesen spun out with 10 of 50 laps remaining in the stage to bring out a caution that sent most of lead-lap trucks down pit road. DiBenedetto stayed on the track and inherited the lead.

Stage 3

Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, most of the lead-lap trucks remained on the track with Heim still in the lead on the restart on lap 103.

Two laps later, Dean Thompson and Eckes wrecked to place the race under caution.

On the restart with 40 laps remaining, Hocevar powered past Heim to take the lead for the first time in the race.

Smith also got around Heim 10 laps later to move into second and set his sights on Hocevar for the lead.

Friesen and Eckes wrecked on lap 141 to bring out a late-race caution and send several lead-lap trucks down pit road for new tires. Currey was the first off pit road among those who pit after he took on new right-side tires.

Hocevar remained on the track and in the lead when the race resumed with three laps to go. Currey, the first truck on new tires, lined up seventh.

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