AVONDALE, Ariz. — There was plenty of drama during Friday night’s Craftsman 150 at Phoenix Raceway that featured a Twilight Zone conclusion.
Some in the sport even called it an embarrassment.
McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes won the race, which went 25 laps into overtime, while Ben Rhodes won the championship in a most peculiar and bizarre way.
“It’s awesome to win. It’s always awesome to win, especially with our great partners. But to come short of the goal of winning a championship and being able to come and win the final race kind of stinks for sure,” Eckes said.
“It is what it is now, and we can always look back and Monday morning quarterback it and say that we could be champions, but at the end of the day we aren’t, and at the end of the day, I’m also really proud of the whole 99 group.
“That was my team last year at ThorSport for the most part with a few different pieces.”
How It Happened
Zane Smith appeared on his way to victory lane before he missed a shift on the second overtime restart in front of Rhodes, whose truck ran into the back of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports entry, sending the race leader into a crash. The front fender was caved in on Rhodes’ Ford, but his crew radioed him that despite a tire rub, “It’s going to be fine.”
That set up a third overtime restart with Rhodes sixth and championship rival Grant Enfinger 18th.
Ty Majeski and Jesse Love crashed in turn one to trigger the 12th caution of the race, setting up a fourth overtime in a race that ended just before 1 a.m. (ET).
This time, Rhodes was eight positions ahead of Enfinger, but Enfinger had fresher tires.
Rhodes started to fall back, while Enfinger was on a charge. Enfinger went to the bottom and was just ahead of Rhodes, but it wasn’t enough as Rhodes maintained the position to finish fifth, one position of Enfinger.
It was enough for the 26-year-old from Louisville, Ky., to celebrate his second NASCAR Truck Series championship.
“I can’t believe it. Thank you, guys, for everything,” Rhodes said to his crew. “I’m grateful for everything.”
After climbing out of the truck, Rhodes was able to celebrate.
“To go 25 laps into overtime, do you know what that feels like,” Rhodes said. “I didn’t think we were going to make it. I almost popped a tire. Grant (Enfinger) almost got me. I saw him. He went for everything, but he ran me clean, and I thank him for that. Great show.”
Enfinger did his best and spoke about it afterwards.
“It’s a shame when you have 15 overtimes and 30 extra laps of racing,” Enfinger said. “I don’t think I would do anything different; it just wasn’t meant to be.”
Heim Vs. Hocevar
If that wasn’t enough, an on-track payback by championship contender Corey Heim, who settled a score with fellow championship contender Carson Hocevar with three laps to go in regulation, is one of many storylines that will be remembered in Friday night’s race.
With 30 laps to go, Hocevar had ran into the back of the No. 11 TRICON Garage entry, which then spun Heim.
“I did not mean to do that,” Hocevar radioed back to his crew, as he pounded the steering wheel, seemingly upset at the role he played in the incident.
Naturally, Heim did not see it the same way when he radioed to his crew, “(Hocevar) ain’t getting out of here tonight, I promise you that.”
Heim made sure of that with three laps to go in regulation, when he paid Hocevar back. With the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet coming up from behind, Heim slowed down just enough to put Hocevar into the wall, taking out two of the four championship contenders.
“That’s fair,” Hocevar radioed to his crew.
Hocevar was very remorseful afterwards and said Heim, who finished 18th, deserved to win the championship.
“I just feel bad that I robbed him of that,” Hocevar said. “I don’t care about what it does to my reputation. He should have won the championship. I didn’t want to do that with my track record. I just messed up. I’m more mad right now I cost him the championship. I robbed him of that and I feel sorry for that.”
“He wrecked me, got my right rear destroyed,” Heim explained of the original crash. “We had a championship caliber truck; it just didn’t go our way. It was a great year. This is our worst finish in six months. I have a lot of respect for everybody in the field — clearly not him (Hocevar) any more.”
Heim claims what he did to Hocevar was not retaliation.
“He got alongside of me, I didn’t have any side downforce and we wrecked,” Heim explained.
The nature of the championship race, however, proved embarrassing for NASCAR.
In fact, NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin commented over X — formerly known as Twitter.
This is what happens when there’s no rules, no officiating. You get a product like this. “The show” has taken over US Motorsports and why it’s hard to take seriously.
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) November 4, 2023
“This is what happens when there’s no rules, no officiating. You get a product like this. ‘The show’ has taken over US Motorsports and (that’s) why it’s hard to take seriously,” Hamlin wrote.