Ben Rhodes gets his first win in two years at Darlington Raceway

            For the first time since 2011, the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series was at Darlington Raceway for the South Carolina Education Lottery 200 Sunday afternoon. Brett Moffitt won the pole by a metric qualifying system, and his GMS Racing teammate Sheldon Creed was starting next to him. The “Choose Cone Rule” was in effect for this race.

For the first time since March 2011, the Gander Trucks are GREEN at @TooToughToTame! FS1 | #SCEL200 pic.twitter.com/vUxWj4TQ3d — NASCAR Gander Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) September 6, 2020

On the fifth lap, the first caution came out for an accident at turn three by Bryant Barnhill. The race would get back underway on the eleventh lap with Sheldon Creed in the lead. Moffitt would take the lead from the inside lane with Creed settled in at second. Not long after Moffitt took the lead, the competition caution came out at lap 22. During the caution, Timmy Hill stayed out while everyone else came in for four tires.

Moffitt. Creed. Hill. The top three have separated themselves midway through Stage 1 at @TooToughToTame! (📺: FS1) pic.twitter.com/Br6gRSXUDQ — NASCAR Gander Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) September 6, 2020

Timmy Hill chose the inside lane, and Brett Moffitt went to the outside lane as the race resumed on lap 26. Moffitt had no problems retaking the lead, and Austin Hill moved up to second. Hill did not have the second position for long when Creed took the second spot back. With two laps to go until the end of stage one, Austin Hill was able to get the second spot from Creed while Moffitt would go on to take stage one. Christian Eckes would finish ninth in stage one and officially clinch a playoff spot.

STAGE WINNER: @Brett_Moffitt holds off a late charge from @_AustinHill to take the opening stage in the #SCEL200! pic.twitter.com/8UUwLSm4oJ — NASCAR Gander Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) September 6, 2020

During the caution, Brett Moffitt brought the field down to pit road with everyone taking four tires. He would win the race off of pit road. Trevor Bayne came back to pit road with a broken part in the front suspension. This was Bayne’s first race back in the Truck Series in nearly two years. Brett Moffitt would choose the outside lane, and Sheldon Creed chose the inside lane as stage two was underway on lap 52. Creed would get the lead from Moffitt at turn one. He had built himself a 2.5-second lead over Moffitt and would lead 43 laps to win stage two.

STAGE WINNER: @sheldoncreed collects another #NASCARPlayoffs point by taking Stage 2 at @TooToughToTame! FS1 | https://t.co/kd5eqlatOc pic.twitter.com/1OXKf1iApP — NASCAR Gander Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) September 6, 2020

Once again, teams were on pit road during the caution taking four tires as Moffitt would leave pit road first and Austin Hill second. Sheldon Creed would leave pit road in fourth place. Brett Moffitt would choose the inside lane, and Austin Hill went to the outside lane as the final stage was underway on lap 98.

A lone spin by Tyler Ankrum at turn two brought the caution for the fourth time. He was trying to avoid hitting Zane Smith and escaped with no damage. Zane Smith, on the other hand, did suffer some damage at the right rear quarter panel. During the caution, the top five trucks stayed out while everyone else went to pit road. Moffitt would once again choose the inside lane, and Sheldon Creed chose the outside lane as the race resumed on lap 108.

… and around goes the 2️⃣6️⃣! @TylerAnkrum spins in the middle of the corner during the final stage. #SCEL200 pic.twitter.com/ROEG8j7EmM — NASCAR Gander Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) September 6, 2020

Zane Smith would get caught up in another wreck when Tanner Gray got loose at turn one to bring out the caution for the sixth time on lap 124. During the caution, everyone would once again come to pit road with Moffitt maintaining the lead. He would once again choose the inside lane as Sheldon Creed went to the outside for the restart on lap 130.

.@tannergray5 and @zanesmith77 get together in the corner, and the No. 15 spins! pic.twitter.com/AIi7JiNfRy — NASCAR Gander Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) September 6, 2020

Austin Hill dove down to the bottom of the track to get by Moffitt for the lead; however, the outside lane benefited Sheldon Creed, who muscled his way to the lead with Hill taking second.

Creed on the outside! @sheldoncreed powers past @Brett_Moffitt for the top spot with less than 20 to go at @TooToughToTame! FS1 | https://t.co/kd5eqlatOc pic.twitter.com/lfdKZGO0jA — NASCAR Gander Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) September 6, 2020

A late caution for an incident at turn three involving Matt Crafton, David Ragan, and Josh Reaume sent the race into overtime. For the final time under caution, most of the leaders came to pit road while Ben Rhodes, who was running fourth, stayed out. Sheldon Creed was penalized for speeding, taking him out of contention. Ben Rhodes chose the outside lane while Christian Eckes went to the inside for the first attempt at overtime on lap 151.

Derek Kraus took the lead away from Rhodes on the same lap. On the final lap, Rhodes used the outside lane to his advantage and powered his way past Kraus to win his first race in two years by .785 seconds.

A pass on the outside gets it done! Retweet to congratulate @benrhodes on winning today's race at @TooToughToTame! pic.twitter.com/K2xjPr92qS — NASCAR Gander Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) September 6, 2020

The rest of the top ten finishers were Austin Hill third, Grant Enfinger fourth, Christian Eckes fifth, Raphael Lessard sixth, Todd Gilliland seventh, Stewart Friesen eighth, Timmy Hill ninth, and Brett Moffitt tenth. There was a total of seven cautions for 35 laps and eleven lead changes.

Complete playoff standings right now with one race remaining in the regular season are: Sheldon Creed is first (3 wins), Zane Smith second (2 wins), Grant Enfinger third (2 wins), Austin Hill fourth (1 win), Ben Rhodes fifth (1 win), Matt Crafton sixth (1 win), Brett Moffitt seventh, Christian Eckes eighth, Tyler Ankrum ninth, and Todd Gilliland tenth. Drivers who have won this season are already locked in the playoffs. Drivers who are looking on the outside are Derek Kraus eleventh (-10), Raphael Lessard twelfth (-66), Tanner Gray thirteenth (-93), and Stewart Friesen fourteenth (-100). The next race for the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will be next Thursday at Richmond Raceway for the ToyotaCare 250 at 8 pm on FS1.

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