Jake Garcia of ThorSport Racing captured his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory on Thursday, turning a fraught Chase opener into a clean finish for the winning team.
Race Summary, 250 Laps, 104 Lead Laps
The 250‑lap contest saw Garcia dominate 104 laps, edging Bayley Currey by 1.3 seconds after a brief period of caution and a late incident that shuffled track positions.
Currey, in his first 2026 start, completed the run in second place, followed by Stewart Friesen third and Justin Haley fourth—marking RAM’s first top‑five appearance for Kaulig Racing.
16‑year‑old Tristan McKee capped his day in fifth, having already secured the ARCA East championship earlier on the same day at Bristol.
Lower in the order, Gio Ruggiero finished sixth, William Sawalich seventh, Kaden Honeycutt eighth, Ty Majeski ninth and Grant Enfinger tenth.
Front Row Motorsports Collapse
Front Row Motorsports’ Sandford Riggs lead from the pole but suffered a 32nd-place finish after a slow pit stop, a loose wheel repair and a tire issue that ultimately knocked him out of contention.
Smith, Riggs’ teammate, also lost positions due to a speeding penalty and an unscheduled stop for a tire problem, further eroding the team’s control.
Key Incidents and Race Dynamics
The event was marred by a right‑front damage incident involving Eckes, a parking of Jackson Macenko for speed infractions, and a multi‑vehicle collision that prompted a red flag for cleanup.
Despite Riggs’ early stage wins, successive mechanical failures and on‑track collisions lifted Garcia back into the lead when the restart went green.
Garcia’s race win added 94 career starts to his résumé and confirmed ThorSport Racing as a key contender moving forward in the 2026 season.
"