By AMANDA VINCENT
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship favorite John Hunter Nemechek denied NASCAR Xfinity Series title candidates the opportunity to secure playoff advancement Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway, leading 92 laps of the 200-lap Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 and taking his second-career Xfinity win.
“This thing was awesome. It was so fast all day,” Nemechek said. “First, I have to give a shout out to Romco for everything they’ve done. The fans for being here. My wife and Aspen are back home; sad they didn’t make the trip today but, overall, so happy to get back to victory lane. It’s been a little bit in the Truck Series, and with us having an off week, I was glad to be able to win this thing. An amazing car. This thing hauled the mail. I can’t say enough about this group. I’m looking forward to Phoenix, and going to try to win two championships.”
Nemechek took the lead from Daniel Hemric on lap 74 and led most of the remainder of the race, except when he was assessed a pit-road penalty for his pit crew going over the wall too soon during a lap-142 caution for a C.J. McLaughlin spin.
“I was a little frustrated. Chris (Gayle, crew chief) and I have a joke from earlier in the week that we go from zero to the rev chip pretty easy,” Nemechek said. “I got him on the rev chip earlier, and he was on the rev chip there, and I got put on the rev chip a little bit. Just an amazing accomplishment by this team. We had to stay calm. We had to do what we needed to do. We knew what we were here for. We had a fast Toyota Supra. I can’t thank the guys enough and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing for this opportunity.”
Nemechek regained some of the track position lost on the next caution, the 10th and final caution of the race, for a Brandon Brown wreck on lap 173. Nemechek took only two tires on his final stop and retook the lead on lap 182, two laps after the final restart.
Nemechek was one of only two non-playoff drivers in the top-10 at the checkered flag, the other being ninth-place finisher Michael Annett.
Hemric finished second after leading 55 laps. Noah Gragson was third, Justin Allgaier fourth, and Austin Cindric was fifth after 34 laps led.
Cindric won the first 45-lap stage after taking the lead from pole sitter A.J. Allmendinger on lap 14. Nemechek won stage two at lap 90.
All eight playoff drivers finished in the top-10 at Texas. Allmendinger was sixth, Justin Haley seventh, Harrison Burton eighth, snd Brandon Jones finished 10th.
