WILLIAM BYRON WINS AT LOUDON IN CHASE OPENER

LOUDON, N. H. – William Byron stole a page from his mentor and team owner, Kyle Busch.

Leading 161 of 175 laps in Saturday’s UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – the first race in the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase – Byron cruised to victory, the way Busch has done so many times before, and punched his ticket into the Chase's Round of 6.

Not that runner-up Christopher Bell, Byron’s stablemate at Kyle Busch Motorsports, didn’t make it interesting in the closing laps. As Byron worked traffic in the late going, Bell closed from 1.325 seconds behind with five laps left to .430 seconds down on the next-to-last lap.

But Bell ran out of time and crossed the finish line .446 seconds behind his No. 1-seeded teammate, who won for a series-best sixth time.

"I wore myself out passing some lappers," Byron said. "But with the amount of laps we had left, I thought I'd be OK. I was afraid the 4 (Bell) was going to catch us there at the end. We started to get tight, but that's what happens sometimes when you get out front.

"It was really good – just a great race for us. I can't thank these guys enough. Everyone at KBM, (sponsor) Liberty University – it's just really cool to get a win here in the Chase. It feels awesome."

Two-time series champion Matt Crafton came home third, followed by Tyler Reddick and Timothy Peters.

With the Chase field to be trimmed from eight to six drivers two races hence at Talladega Superspeedway, Ben Kennedy and Daniel Hemric fell below the provisional cut line. Kennedy finished 11th and trails Johnny Sauter (10th on Saturday and sixth in the standings) by one point.

If Kennedy's result was only mildly disappointing, Hemric's was a catastrophe. With his left rear tire cut down to the rim, Hemric spun in Turn 1 on Lap 25 to bring out the third caution of the race. His truck suffered a cut brake line and consequent fire in the left rear wheel well.

Hemric lost 33 laps under repairs, finished 28th and fell to last in the Chase standings, 21 points behind Sauter with two races left in the Round of 8. In all probability, Hemric will have to win one of those two events, at Las Vegas and Talladega, to advance to the Round of 6.

After leading the first 54 laps, Byron lost the top spot briefly when Cody Coughlin stayed out under the fourth caution and Bell, Kennedy, Crafton and Spencer Gallagher leap-frogged ahead of Byron with two-tire and fuel-only calls in the pits.

But Byron regained the lead from Bell on Lap 69 and held it the rest of the way. As Bell gained ground in the final laps, Byron was trying to save his equipment to prepare for a possible late caution.

"I was expecting it, so I didn't push too hard," Byron said. "I was expecting to get a caution, hopefully save something, but we gave it all we had there the whole race, and I just can’t thank these guys enough."

Byron leaves New Hampshire with a 16-point lead in the standings and guaranteed admission to the next round of the Chase. Crafton (+11 points above the cutoff line) is second in the Chase standings, followed by Bell (+10), John Hunter Nemechek (ninth on Saturday, +5), Peters (+3), Sauter (+1), Kennedy (-1) and Hemric (-21).

Note: Nemechek's No. 8 Chevrolet failed the post-race heights inspection. Any potential pnelaties will be announced next week.

Xfinity and Truck Series warning and penalty report

NASCAR has fined Camping World Truck Series driver Spencer Gallagher $5,000 following the series’ race at Michigan International Speedway for approaching the track surface after exiting his wrecked car.

Gallagher left his No. 23 truck after a Lap 76 incident with Christopher Bell, whose truck he approached. Gallagher said he was concerned for Bell’s safety.

NASCAR also issued a written warning to the No. 18 Xfinity series team of Joe Gibbs Racing during the race weekend at Road America.

The No. 18, which was driven by Owen Kelly, failed pre-race laser inspection twice and received its fourth warning. A team loses pit selection after a fourth warning. There was only one inspection period prior to qualifying before cars were impounded.

LARSON BOUNCES BACK TO WIN AT ELDORA DIRT TRACK

ROSSBURG, Ohio -- Battling back from all kinds of adversity, Kyle Larson sailed away on a late race restart with 16 laps to go to win Wednesday night's fourth annual Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby 150 at Eldora Speedway.

"It means a lot, especially losing the way I did the two years I ran," said Larson from Victory Lane. "Thanks to everyone on this GMS Racing team, DC Solar for coming on-board for this, this is very special for them. I knew running a blue No. 24 I had to run hard here at Eldora. Rico (Abreu) does a really good job in a Sprint car with that. I had to put on a show.

RELATED: Larson puts on a show

"We got the flat tire there early, I knew we would get a lucky dog, I just didn't know if I could get back to the top-three as quick as I did. It just worked out where I got by (Christopher) Bell when he got in the wall and I think Bobby (Pierce) had a gear issue. He was definitely better than I was for sure.

The win didn't come easy though.

Larson took the lead from last year's runner-up Bobby Pierce following the second caution on Lap 35 and appeared to be in control of the event, but while leading, Larson spun in Turn 4 on Lap 52 to bring out the fourth caution of the night.

Adding fuel to his fire, Larson was docked one lap by NASCAR for intentionally causing the yellow after spinning and stopping on the race track.

Two cautions later, however, Larson found himself back on the lead lap courtesy of the free pass and his mission to rally from the back to the front began.

Chasing down Pierce for the race lead, Larson took advantage of Pierce's transmission being stuck in fourth gear to take the lead with 30 laps to go, Pierce attempted to take the lead back three laps later, but slammed the outside Turn 4 wall, ending his night and bringing out the final caution of the event.

RELATED: Pierce discusses late-race woes

Despite a late race charge from Bell on the restart, Larson pulled away as the laps dwindled away and earned a 0.767-second advantage to win his second NCWTS race in his 12th start.

"I guess I didn't really hold him (Pierce) off, he slid in there and hit the wall and got a flat I think," Larson said. "I hated that I couldn't race with him, but I was happy when he was out. I almost gave it away again after that restart. I went to the middle of three and four in third gear and I missed a shift off Turn 4 and Bell got into my back bumper. Thankfully, he wasn't inside of me, because he would have got the lead there and probably would be standing where I am."

Bell, last year's winner, was disappointed with second but knew he gained crucial points towards his championship chase.

"Tony (Stewart, Eldora Speedway owner) did an awesome job with the race track tonight," said Bell. "It was really technical, it was really tough to get around and it was really fun, too. Kyle's been trying to win this race for a long time and it was cool for him to win tonight. The guys at KBM ( Kyle Busch Motorsports) worked really hard to put me in this position. I was disappointed we couldn't repeat."

Pierce who led a commanding 102 laps finished 25th in likely his final truck race of the season.

"The carburetor was flooded and I couldn't get off the corner at all. Larson drove a great race," Pierce said. "When that happened on the restart, I caught him a little bit, he hit the wall and I tried to slide him. I went in there a little too hard, it was super-slick and I got the wall and knocked the right-rear off the rim and that was that."

Notes: The event was halted for seven minutes, 29 seconds for a nine truck accident in Turn 3 on Lap 38. ... The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to competition at Pocono Raceway on July 30 for the running of the Pocono Mountains 150 (1 p.m., FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Kyle Busch is the defending champion.

Tyler Reddick tops first of two Truck practice sessions at Eldora

The first of two practice sessions for the Camping World Truck Series at Eldora Speedway was led by Tyler Reddick, who put down a top speed of 85.808 mph around the half-mile dirt track.Reddick was followed by Sprint Cup driverKyle Larson (85.800), Christopher Bell(85.062), Rico Abreu (84.790) and Bobby Pierce (84.740).Speed Chart

Christopher Bell leads final Truck practice at Eldora

Christopher Bell, who won last year’s race at Eldora Speedway, paced the field in Tuesday night’s final Camping World Truck Series practice at the half-time dirt track.

Bell led the way with a lap of 82.369 mph heading into Wednesday night’s Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby 150.

Bell was followed by Cameron Hayley(81.893 mph), Rico Abreu (81.685), Kyle Larson (80.718) and Ben Rhodes (80.645).

Truck series rookie William Byron’s fourth win sets record for Kyle Busch Motorsports

SPARTA, Ky. – William Byron scored his fourth Camping World Truck Series victory through 10 starts this season, capturing the Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 at Kentucky Speedway.

Byron’s No. 9 Toyota held off a charge by John Hunter Nemechek, who finished 0.190 seconds behind in the first NASCAR race on the 1.5-mile oval’s repaved and reconfigured surface. Byron, 18, moved onto the truck circuit this year after winning the 2015 K&N East championship last year as a rookie.

“It just keeps going, man,” Byron told FS1. “I’ve got a great team behind me.”

The win marked a truck series-record 51st for Kyle Busch Motorsports, whose team owner also was racing Thursday. The defending Sprint Cup champion finished 30th after crashing but still reveled in Byron’s win.

“I’ve tried to assemble a great group of guys,” said Busch, who started the team in 2010. “I feel like we have a great group of guys now.

“It’s been a lot of fun, it’s been a lot trying times, it’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears by both my wife and myself and all these guys that are on this team now and all the people that have been a part of Kyle Busch Motorsports in the years past. We wouldn’t be here without all them. This is a special moment.”

Daniel Hemric finished third, followed by Christopher Bell and Johnny Sauter.

HOW BYRON WON: He took first from Timothy Peters on the 82nd of 150 laps and didn’t relinquish the lead over the final 69 laps.

WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD RACE: Nemechek’s runner-up finish was his first top five since a second at Martinsville Speedway three months ago. … Daniel Suarez started from the pole and led 59 laps in an 11th-place finish … Hemric tied his season-best finish with his second consecutive third.

WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Brett Moffitt completed only 26 laps before being finishing 31st with an engine failure. … Rookie Austin Wayne Self suffered a transmission failure just past the halfway mark.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It was self-inflicted, I guess. Got back in traffic, and I don’t know. Going down the backstretch I thought I had enough room on the inside, but I know who I crashed with. That doesn’t surprise me. Now I know how John Wes Townley feels. It’s just a shame. Brand new truck and really good piece. Destroyed..” – Busch after his crash with Spencer Gallagher (who was involved in a memorable wreck and fight with Townley two weeks ago).

WHAT’S NEXT: The series will return Wednesday, July 20 at Eldora Speedway (green flag is 9:16 p.m. ET).

Watch LIVE: NASCAR America at 6 p.m. ET: Kentucky preview, Martin Truex Jr.’s success at 1.5-mile tracks

NASCAR America airs today on NBCSN from 6 – 7 p.m. ET and previews this weekend’s racing from Kentucky Speedway.

Dave Briggs hosts with Kyle Petty from Stamford, Connecticut, and Marty Snider and Ray Evernham join them from NBC Charlotte.

What to expect from today’s episode.

We will look ahead to Kentucky Speedway and discuss how the track’s reconfiguration will affect this weekend’s race. Strategy will be a key factor, as many believe the winner will have the crew chief that takes the most risks.
The NASCAR America team will further discuss Brad Keselowski’s big win at Daytona – the historic 100th Sprint Cup win for Team Penske. We’ll also assess his chances of picking up back-to-back wins this weekend in Kentucky, where he’s won twice in his Cup career.
The Camping World Truck Series returns to action Thursday night. William Byron leads their Chase Grid, but Christopher Bell is coming off a victory in the last Truck race at Gateway Motorsports park. We’ll break down who to watch for.
As we head to Kentucky, Martin Truex Jr. figures to be a threat. He’s especially strong this year on 1.5-mile tracks like Kentucky and aims to boost his playoff standing with a second win.
My Home Track takes a look at two of the Bluegrass State’s finest dirt tracks.
If you’re not near a TV, you can watch online or on the NBC Sports app via at the NASCAR stream on NBC Sports.

If you plan to stream the show on your laptop or portable device, be sure to have your username and password from your cable/satellite/telco provider handy so your subscription can be verified.

Once you enter that information, you’ll have access to the stream.

Click here at 6 p.m. ET to watch live via the stream.

Christopher Bell fastest in final Truck practice at Iowa

The final Camping World Truck Series practice at Iowa Speedway was led by rookieChristopher Bell.

Bell put up a speed of 135.292 mph in the session as he recorded 35 laps around the short track.

The top five was filled out by Cameron Hayley, Ben Kennedy, Kaz Grala and Tyler Reddick.

John Hunter Nemechek had the best 10-lap average at 131.415 mph.

The first session was led by Ben Rhodes. The ThorSport Racing rookie was 19th fastest in the second session.

Speed chart

William Byron chases down Matt Crafton for second Truck of rookie season

FORT WORTH — William Byron chased down two-time champion Matt Crafton and then fended off fellow charging rookie Rico Abreu to win the Rattlesnake 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Bryon was able to cruise the final two laps after Abreu got into the outside wall twice after reaching Byron’s bumper.

Byron has now won twice in the last four Camping World Truck Series races after his victory at Kansas Speedway last month.

The rookie’s win ended a two-race win streak for Crafton, who had also won the last two June races at TMS.

Byron was followed by Crafton, Johnny Sauter, Ben Kennedy and Tyler Reddick. Abreu finished ninth.

MORE: Race results

HOW WILLIAM BYRON WON: After Matt Crafton’s tires wore down, Byron passed him with five laps to go and fended off a charging Rico Abreu to take his second Truck win.

 WHO HAD A GOOD NIGHT: Matt Crafton blew a tire and hit the Turn 3 wall while leading on Lap 11. Crafton then charged back from 25th in 20 laps to lead a race-high 133 laps before finishing second … Johnny Sauter started from his first pole in three years and led nine laps before finishing third, his fourth top-five finish of the season … Ben Kennedy finish fourth after starting 15th for his first top-five result of the season …Tyler Reddick brought out the second caution on Lap 52 after he lost a rear tire and spun exiting Turn 4. Reddick battled back to finish fifth … German Quiroga started second in his first Truck race since 2014 and finished eighth for his 18th top 10 of his career.

WHO HAD A BAD NIGHT: Rookie Christopher Bell pulled up lame on the first lap after a bad shift caused engine problems. Bell went to the garage where he finished last. …Spencer Gallagher lost a tire just passed Lap 30 and had to pit. He finished 27th, 14 laps down … Mike Bliss brought out a caution with 72 laps to go when he smacked the wall out of Turn 4. Bliss finished 28th … John Wes Townley spun in Turn 3 with 48 laps to go, shredding his right-side tires. Townley finished 17th, a lap down.

NOTABLE: William Byron is now the second-youngest driver to win at Texas Motor Speedway behind Chase Elliott … Matt Crafton holds an 18-point lead over Timothy Peters in the season standings

NEXT: Speediatrics 200 at Iowa Speedway on June 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.

Kyle Larson competing in USAC midget race tonight after winning Tuesday

Kyle Larson will go for his second consecutive USAC midget win tonight at Gas City I-69 Speedway in the second night of Indiana Midget Week.

Larson, whose background is in sprint and midget cars, took a break from his Chip Ganassi Racing duties to race Tuesday at the quarter-mile Montpelier Motor Speedway. He scored his first USAC National Midget win since 2013.

Larson held on in a three-lap shootout to earn his fourth career Indiana Midget Week win and his 13th career USAC National Midget Week victory, tying him with Rico Abreu, Steve Knepper, Don Meacham, Ryan Newman and Stevie Reeves for 49th on the all-time list.

Also competing Tuesday was NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Christopher Bell, who finished third. Abreu finished 14th in the 23-car feature.

Results, stats for Truck Series’ JACOB Companies 200 at Dover

With his victory in the JACOB Companies 200 at Dover International Speedway, Matt Crafton became the fifth different winner through the series’ first five races of the year.

Crafton led the last 78 laps, outrunning Daniel Suarez to the win.

Filling out the top five was Christopher Bell, Johnny Sauter and Cole Custer.

Matt Crafton takes first win of year in first Dover victory

With a Daniel Suarez behind him and hungry for his first-career win, Matt Crafton stayed perfect in the final 78 laps of the JACOB Companies 200 to win his first Camping World Truck Series race of 2016.

Crafton, a two-time series champion, hadn’t won at Dover International Speedway in his first 15 starts at the 1-mile track. Now Crafton is eligible for the Truck series’ Chase playoff.

“I always wanted Miles (Dover’s trophy),” Crafton told Fox Sports 1. “We’ve came close and ran second (in 2013). This Menards Toyota Tundra was fast today. It’s all about these guys behind me, I can’t say enough about them – they never give up because we were not very good in the last practice.”

Crafton started fifth after Friday’s qualifying session was rained out.

“Last night (crew chief) Junior (Joiner) sat down and they worked on it all day and made a little headway and finally made progress,” said Crafton, who took the lead on Lap 123. His closest challenger was Suarez, who wasn’t able to get close enough to Crafton’s rear-bumper during the last 27 lap green-flag run.

“I was trying to run the wheels off this thing to try and complete the pass,” Suarez told Fox Sports 1. “We were a little faster than (Crafton) but clean air is a big difference here.”

Suarez’ runner-up result was his best finish in four Truck starts this season. He had failed to finish in the top 15 in his first three races.

HOW MATT CRAFTON WON: After taking the lead on Lap 123, Crafton held off all challengers through two restarts to lead the final 78 laps.

WHO HAD A GOOD RACE: Daniel Suarez was in the top five all afternoon, but couldn’t catch Crafton in the final stretch, finishing second for the fourth time in his Truck career … A week after crashing on the last lap at Kansas, Johnny Sauter kept his truck out of trouble, finishing fourth for his second top five of the year … Cole Custer bounced back from a penalty for jumping a restart to finish fifth, his best finish of the year.

WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Pole-sitter William Byron led the first 80 laps, but lost the lead during pit stops. The rookie pit under caution with 30 to go and was penalized for his crew going over the wall too soon before finishing 11th … ThorSport teammates Ben Rhodes and Rico Abreu were in the top 10 on a Lap 61 restart when Rhodes got loose in Turn 3 and made contact with Abreu, sending them both into the wall. It was the second accident in as many races for both drivers… With 69 laps left and right after making a green-flag stop, John Wes Townley got loose in Turn 3, overcorrected and hit the outside wall in Turn 4. Townley finished 29th.

NOTABLE: All five races this season have been won by a different driver, four of them by series regulars.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’ve been telling Junior (Joiner) all year, to get out of the box and he said we have to win a race first. Now we can get out of the box.” – Matt Crafton after his first win of 2016.

NEXT: N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway; May 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.

Timothy Peters assumes Truck series points lead after Kansas

After finishing eighth in the Toyota Tundra 250, Timothy Peters leaves Kansas Speedway holding the points lead in the Camping World Truck Series.

Peters gained two spots after earning his third top-10 finish of the season. Peters’ move into the points lead comes when his No. 17 truck for Red Horse Racing hasn’t had primary sponsorship for three of the season’s first four races.

Filling out the top five is Daniel Hemric (-8), Ryan Truex (-10), Tyler Young (-14) and John Hunter Nemechek (-15). Nemecheck had entered the weekend leading the standings.

Hemric, Crafton and race winner William Byron all gained five spots in the standings. Byron is now seventh behind Crafton.

The biggest gain in the standings was eight spots to 14th by Christopher Bell. Bell earned his best finish in four starts this season and his first top-five finish.