Wild OT Lifts Chandler Smith To Wilkesboro Truck Win

Chandler Smith only led the final lap after a chaotic finish to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in overtime. (Scotte Sprinkle/Race Face Digital photo)

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – Front Row Motorsports’ Chandler Smith took the win in Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Window World 250 in overtime at North Carolina’s North Wilkesboro Speedway after teammate Layne Riggs and TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim collided in turn one on the final lap.

Contact between ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes and TRICON’s Brent Crews sent the Toyota Racing driver spinning with six laps to go in the scheduled 250-lap race.

Heim lined up on the outside with Smith to the inside after the choose. Riggs opted to restart behind the pole sitter. Heim started from the first starting spot after qualifying was washed out.

Smith ran Heim up the track in turn one while Riggs poked to the outside. Entering turn three, the No. 11 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro broke loose. That opened up just enough of a gap for Riggs to slip to the inside coming to the white flag.

Entering turn one, the No. 34 UNC Charlotte Ford F-150 slid all the way up the track. Although he failed to clear Heim with the slide job, the contact was enough to send the Marietta, Ga. native spinning.

In the chaos Smith snagged the lead as the race-ending caution waved. It was the only lap he led all race after he started from the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments for a brake issue.

“I did everything wrong to be completely honest with you spun the tires, Corey cleared me right off the rip, my teammate cleared me right off of two, and honestly, going down the backstretch, I was like, "I'm going to let these guys race it out,” Smith said.  

“Now, the 34 let me by when I had a tire advantage. They beat me straight up here. If an opportunity presents itself to go win, I'll take it. But if it don't, I'm going to let these guys race it out. The right thing to do. And ended up getting a decent run through three and four and was able to get about half to about a car lengths back and yeah, they went into turn one and raced really hard and the seas parted and here we are.” 

A frustrated Heim, who had dominated the race, leading 162 of the 255 laps, marched up and down pit road looking for Riggs post-race. When he found the FRM driver, he lectured his competitor, venting out his frustration.

“Look in the mirror if you wonder why you don’t have a win this year. You’re a fucking idiot and you need to calm down or else someone is going to take care of you,” Heim directed at Riggs.

Before he found Riggs, Heim was confused and frustrated with the move.

“Just why?,” Heim continued. “More than anything. He tried to do it to the 7 (Carson Hocevar) last week for the win, and mission accomplished for him, I guess, this week – and it cost him one too. We’ve given up so many of them this year, after dominating the race. 

“The 38 (Chandler Smith) was the only other guy that was rightfully good. I felt like he deserved to win over anyone else, not the 34 (Layne Riggs). I got really loose into (turn) three. Just struggled being loose on the short runs, and he had an opportunity, and he wrecked me. Just disappointed.”

The wreck, combined with Smith’s 55-point haul, which included the Xfinity Fastest Lap bonus point, cut Heim’s regular season championship points lead down to 47 points.

In his view, Riggs shot for the gap that he saw. The gap just didn’t work out.

“Coming to the white, we went down to three and four and Heim got really free getting into three and opened the bottom up and drove up and got side by side on the frontstretch and I dove it in there on the bottom and tried to kind of slide job but just didn't make it happen,” Riggs said.

“It's disappointing, I feel like I saw the light opening there at the end of the backstretch, I thought I was going to have it, and I just didn’t. The 38 got me. One-two Front Row Motorsports finished. First time doing that. But a lot of drama from short track racing.”

Next for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams is the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Nick Sanchez is the defending winner.

Broadcast coverage for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 is slated for Friday, May 23rd, at 8:30 p.m. ET live on Fox Sports 1, the NASCAR Radio Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.