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Ross Chastain races to 1st NASCAR Trucks victory

Posted May 11, 2019 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Ross Chastain celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Truck Series auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - Ross Chastain raced to his first NASCAR Trucks victory Friday night after leader Stewart Friesen ran out of gas with three laps to go at Kansas Speedway.

"This is what sports is all about - comebacks man," Chastain said after leading just five laps.

Friesen took the first two stages for the first time this season, but a costly mistake of leaving the pit box early with 42 laps to go left him without enough gas. He held the lead after a restart with 16 laps to go and led a race-high 87 laps on the 1 1/2-mile oval, but ended up 15th.

"We just can't close it," said Friesen, who was seeking his first Trucks win after five runner-up finishes. "I didn't know we were taking four (tires). I thought for sure we were taking two. Just a lot of silence on the radio. That's it."

The winner of a NASCAR Xfinity Series race last year in Vas Vegas, Chastain topped Ben Rhodes by 0.483 seconds.

Todd Gilliland was third, followed by Austin Hill and Brandon Jones and two-time Kansas winner Matt Crafton. Johnny Sauter, coming off a victory at Dover, was forced to the garage after his 20th lap because of mechanical woes and came back to complete 97 laps.

Ross Chastain crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Truck Series auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) The Associated Press

Ross Chastain celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Truck Series auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) The Associated Press

Driver Natalie Decker spins into the infield grass during the NASCAR Truck Series auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley) The Associated Press

Natalie Decker (54) spins into the infield grass during the NASCAR Truck Series auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Friday, May 10, 2019. Harrison Burton (20) gets by on the outside. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley) The Associated Press

Josh Reaume pits during the NASCAR Truck Series auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley) The Associated Press

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