Dillon 'There Was Nowhere I Could Go'

Ty Dillon talks about getting caught up in a late-race incident with Erik Jones and being told to park the No. 3 Chevrolet after the crew worked on the car on pit road and in the garage during a red flag.

First Chase Race For Jones, Dillon Ends In Trouble

Late in the race Erik Jones slips getting into Turn 3 and takes out fellow Chase contender, Ty Dillon, at Kentucky Speedway.

Jones 'I Just Couldn't Hang On To It'

Erik Jones discusses his race-ending mistake in the final laps at Kentucky Speedway, which collected fellow Chase driver, Ty Dillon.

NO. 8 OF NEMECHEK FAILS POST-RACE INSPECTION

LOUDON, N.H. – Following the conclusion of Saturday's UNOH 175 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series inaugural Chase race, NASCAR officials announced that the No. 8 Chevrolet of John Hunter Nemechek failed the post-race heights inspection.

Nemechek brought out the fourth caution of the day, spinning on Lap 53 after slight contact with Kaz Grala, but rallied to finish ninth.

The driver currently sits fourth on the Chase Grid.

Any penalties would be announced later in the week.

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.

Starting grid for Sprint Cup’s Bad Boy Off Road 300 at New Hampshire

For the sixth time this season Carl Edwardswill lead the Sprint Cup field to green after winning the pole for Sunday’s Bad Boy Off Road 300.

The top five for the second race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup is Edwards, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson andDenny Hamlin.

Here is starting grid:

NASCAR’s Saturday schedule at New Hampshire, Kentucky

 Both the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series Chases begin today. Xfinity teams compete at Kentucky Speedway and the Truck series is at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Here’s NASCAR’s full schedule for Saturday.

(All times are Eastern)

AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

7 a.m. — Truck Series garage opens

7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. — Sprint Cup garage open

9 – 9:55 a.m. — Sprint Cup practice (CNBC)

10:10 a.m. — Truck qualifying; multi-vehicle/three rounds (FS1)

11:20 a.m. — Truck driver/crew chief meeting

11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. — Final Sprint Cup practice (CNBC)

12:30 p.m. — Truck driver introductions

1 p.m. — Truck race UNOH 175; 175, laps, 185.15 miles (FS1, Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

AT KENTUCKY

11 a.m. — Xfinity garage opens

4:45 p.m. — Xfinity qualifying; multi-vehicle/three rounds (NBCSN)

6:15 p.m. — Xfinity driver/crew chief meeting

7:30 p.m. — Xfinity driver introductions

8 p.m. — Xfinity race VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300; 200 laps, 300 miles (NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)