Practice #1 : Phoenix Raceway

• Phoenix Raceway
• 28th Annual Lucas Oil 150
• Pole Winner: Zane Smith
• Age: 23
• Team : No. 38 - Michael Roberts Construction Ford
• Owner: Front Row Motorsports
• Crew Chief: Chris Lawson
• Zane Smith won the Cometic Gaskets Pole Award for the 28th Annual Lucas Oil 150 with a lap of 26.081 seconds, 138.032 mph.
• This is his first career pole in 69 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
• This is his first pole and 14th top-10 start in 2022.
• This is his first pole in three races at Phoenix Raceway.
• Layne Riggs (second) posted his second top-10 start of 2022 and his first in series track debut at Phoenix Raceway.
• Corey Heim (third) posted his first top-10 start at Phoenix Raceway. It is his 11th in 16 races this season.
• Corey Heim (third) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
• The Championship 4 drivers are starting in the following positions in tonight's race - Zane Smith (1st), Ben Rhodes (6th), Ty Majeski (8th) and Chandler Smith (12th).

• Friday, November 4th, 2022
• NASCAR Wire Service - Reid Spencer

Zane Smith gets breakthrough NASCAR Truck Series title in wild overtime shootout

After two frustrating runner-up finishes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, Zane Smith finally won his first title in a two-lap overtime shootout.

Holding off defending champion Ben Rhodes by .236 seconds at the end of a wild final two laps of Friday night's Lucas Oil 150, Smith put it succinctly after a celebratory burnout at Phoenix Raceway.

"The third time's the charm," exulted an emotional Smith, who said he was crying throughout the final lap after wresting the lead from Rhodes one circuit earlier.

For the final restart, Smith chose to line up behind Rhodes, rather than to his outside. That enabled Smith to shortcut the backstretch dogleg and pull even with Rhodes to the inside. From that position he was able to edge ahead of eventual third-place finisher Chandler Smith to the outside.

"I'm going to win this," Zane Smith said of his mind-set in overtime. "There was no other option. I was either backing it in the fence wrecking, or I was leaving tonight with a championship trophy. There were no other options, and when I saw the 18 (Chandler Smith) get underneath me I was worried that I got him too loose underneath me.

"Fortunately, he stayed off of me. I have a lot of respect for all three of (the other title competitors). It's pretty impressive for some of the racing we've seen lately for us three to go at it that hard and that clean."

Under caution for Hailie Deegan's hard contact with the Turn 3 wall on Lap 134, Rhodes opted for right-side tires only, while the other three Championship 4 drivers-Zane Smith, Chandler Smith and Ty Majeski-took fresh rubber on all four corners.

Rhodes restarted third behind Stewart Friesen and Carson Hocevar on Lap 141 and charged past Friesen into the lead on Lap 144. Rhodes stayed out front with the other Championship 4 drivers in tow until Majeski lost control of his No. 66 Toyota as he tried to move to the inside of Zane Smith.

The subsequent overtime restart enabled the race winner to capitalize on his tire advantage. Rhodes got to Zane Smith's bumper in the final corner and crossed the finish line less than a truck-length behind. Chandler Smith was third, .259 seconds back of the winner.

"I don't know, two tires versus four, that was the name of the game," Rhodes said. "We didn't have the pace all night that we needed to be up there and repeat so it was a great heads-up call by my crew chief (Rich Lushes). Ultimately, we just didn't need that last caution. I think we could have held them off for the final few laps. I was giving him (Zane Smith) all the dirty air he could handle. I think we were going to be fine until that caution got us.

"On that last restart, I tried to get a jump, but two tires versus four, I just didn't have the grip I needed. I did the best I could and threw a move on him but didn't have enough grip to make it stick... We just need to go back and do our homework, and second is not fun. I'm going to mope my way back to Kentucky (his home state)."

The victory was Smith's fourth of the season, and it was a clean sweep. Smith earned the pole position in Friday's time trials and won both stages before claiming the victory and the series title.

He'll return to Front Row Motorsports next season, where he'll defend his championship and compete in selected NASCAR Cup Series races, starting with the Daytona 500.

John Hunter Nemechek ran fourth on Friday night, followed by Friesen. Majeski came home 20th after the spin that sent the race into overtime.

• Drivers Entered: 35
• Laps Scheduled: 150
• Laps Actual: 154 - NASCAR OVERTIME!
• Margin of Victory: 0.236 Seconds
• Time of Race: 1 Hours 43 Minutes 49 Seconds
• Average Speed: 89.003
• Cautions: 7 for 41 laps
• Lead Changes: 15
• Green Flag Passes: 1,157 (10.2 passes per green flag lap)

• Phoenix Raceway
• 28th Annual Lucas Oil 150
• Race Winner: Zane Smith
• Age: 23
• Team : No. 38 - Michael Roberts Construction Ford
• Owner: Bob Jenkins, Front Row Motorsports
• Crew Chief: Chris Lawson
• Zane Smith won the 28th Annual Lucas Oil 150, his seventh victory in 69 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
• This is his fourth victory and 19th top-10 finish in 2022.
• This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in three races at Phoenix Raceway.
• Ben Rhodes (second) posted his fifth top-10 finish in eight races at Phoenix Raceway. It is his 13th top-10 finish in 2022.
• Chandler Smith (third) posted his fourth top-10 finish in four races at Phoenix Raceway.
• Corey Heim (seventh) was the highest finishing rookie.
• Zane Smith has won the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship.
• Corey Heim has won the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award
• Toyota has won the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturers Championship.
• CHAMPIONSHIP FAST FACTS
• Driver Champion: Zane Smith
• Team: No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150
• Zane Smith has won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
• Smith is the 20th different driver to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
• Smith won the NASCAR Camping World Truck season finale at Phoenix Raceway to win the title.
• Smith finished the 2022 season with 23 starts, four wins, 14 top fives and 19 top 10s.
• During the Playoffs this season, Smith has posted one win, five top fives and six top 10s.
• Smith, from Huntington Beach, California, is the fifth different NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion from the state of California; joining Mike Skinner (1995 champion), Ron Hornaday Jr. (1996, 1998, 2007, 2009), Matt Crafton (2013, 2014, 2019) and Sheldon Creed (2020).
• Owner Champion: Bob Jenkins, Front Row Motorsports
• This is Front Row Motorsport’s first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship (Zane Smith, 2022) and first series owners title (2022) as well.
• Front Row Motorsports is the 16th different organizations to win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship, and the 16th different organization to win the owners championship.
• Front Row Motorsports has posted five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins among two drivers – Todd Gilliland (one win) and Zane Smith (four wins).
• In 2020, Front Row Motorsports made its NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut with driver Todd Gilliland in the No. 38 at Daytona International Speedway.
• Crew Chief Champion: Chris Lawson
• This is Chris Lawson’s first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship; his previous best championship finish was seventh with driver Todd Gilliland last season.
• Lawson has become the 24th different crew chief to win a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
• Lawson has five career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victories among two different drivers – Todd Gilliland (one win) and Zane Smith (four wins).