NASCAR Truck Series EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS: LiUNA! 175 | 8/25/24 | Motorsports on NBC

it's time for the playoffs you always turn it up when you get to the postseason race one of seven as we determine a champion 2024 in the Craftsman Truck Series front row Tai maesi and Tanner gray off we go from the Milwaukee Mile great start there by majeski and christianus he drives around the outside of gray Tanner rolls up watch Sanchez trying to make that move on the bottom how about Cory Heim going making a three wide for a moment going around the outside that's what we talked about in the opening how many different grooves there are here and if your truck's better you can really take advantage of that he went high in three and four so what's he doing one and two right down to the bottom to make the next pass and you know he he was cruising through the early portion of the summer had a couple of hiccups and you're like whoa whoa whoa is he not going to be able to make it into the postseason but he took care of business down the stretch and here he is running for a championship 38 is Lane rigs another short track ace and I know this is a mile in length but Phil we we liking this to a short track I mean you got to you heard the off throttle time you heard the finesse that it takes to squeeze that gas down or you just or you just move up like Lane did and take that space Big Time loose for Taylor Gray there is going to lose a couple spots that's Matt Crafton the 88 on the inside the blue 41 is bayy curry now looking to fight back through the middle wow I didn't see that coming he he dove in the middle of that mix there that's not going to work contact opens the door for Ben ress drives to the inside of the 17 of Taylor Gray there's our race leader Tom majeski off turn two had a media day this week over the NASCAR building and had all the playoff drivers in and you could tell maesi was feeling so good coming to this RAC track obviously you mentioned the home race for him but probably more experience on this racetrack than any other driver in the field he's won here before in super late models couldn't couldn't wait to get here and like I said coming here hot two in a row for that driver team overcoming troubles on a restart and on Pit Road but yet still getting to Victory Lane the last two hours well he came here hot a year ago too but they had the problems in practice had to start at the rear had a pass through penalty had some issues on Pit Road throughout the race and through all that he still finished seventh in fact in that race a season ago he passed 54 trucks he's made his life life a lot easier today by qualifying on the pole and starting out front but ekas is hanging right there with him I didn't even know there were 54 trucks out there Adam I thought we only started 36 I know how'd that happened that was a Phil Parson stat look at Sanchez going after him for third Taylor Gray fighting along got Dean Thompson right behind him there you see Ben rhs spoke to Ben here before the race started and optimistic I think cautiously optimistic didn't have a great day yesterday but the 99 is rolling right along in the 13th position I would say on a day like today that's where and really as you look at where they are entering the playoffs below the cut line that's where Championship experience really means something when you talk about Ben rhods and I mentioned earlier Daniel Dy maybe the most improved driver 23 to 24 close second right he I'd say Tyler anram what he has done first year driving for M Ali Hamman has been very impressive sure has just piled up the top fives earlier in the season went through a bitable l really not of his making we had some trouble then and then turned it on here at the very end to it's just this abrasive surface I mean this racetrack was built 1903 in the 1800s they started racing here in 1903 guys it's probably not the same pavement though I doubt it especially that stuff on the bottom that's dark listen to Daniel caution uh-oh all right remember I said flippers yep get your flippers ready yeah this is the opportunity we're going to see I think some of our couple of our leaders possibly come to Pit Road I think so to the guys that really aren't that concerned about points it'll be interesting to see because there's so much fall off maybe they decide are going to benefit here that's the first win stage win for Todd Dylan and he's had a fast truck during the course of this race he drove up to the top 10 yeah so a great strategy there played it out it was going to be a terrible strategy if the green flag comes out but it didn't we had this stat before we went to break and that is that Christian AIS has not finished outside the top two in a stage since Charlotte in May Memorial Day weekend he's going to finish third here in stage one that is hard to believe that's unbelievable really hard to believe but that's the it shows the season that ekas and Cory Heim both have had remember we talk about ekas winning the regular season Championship Cory Heim lost 54 points at Charlotte when he was disqualified for having too many missing lug nuts so that that battle would have been a lot closer than it was if he had and here comes on the inside Lane rigs he's going to grab that second spot how about that inside line working for these guys I got two words for you playoff spoiler Lane rigs top five for the last seven races first time he's been to Milwaukee and he is shown out in the 38 tner gray doing well is also running in the fifth spot behind Sanchez yeah Tanner qualified front row drifted back sixth seventh but he's right back up there inside the top five and right behind him his brother Taylor Gray who spent a good portion of stage one out outside the top 10 but here he is in the 17 not a surprise to see that yellow 88 of Matt craft right right against the inside curb there yeah he likes that bottom and man he's making it work too Crafton with a nice run here in Milwaukee if you're going to do it you need to do it on new tires I think as the tires get older and hotter that bottom might not be as good but crafton's making it work right now you know and that opens other drivers and spotters eyes those spotters are saying man Matt making it work on the bottom no that's an option if you if you can make it work they've moved out to about a second half margin over maesi right now running third look how high ekas is that's what I love about this track man you got options oh Lane way out wide off turn two you just wonder if you can jump the cushion here can you get too wide I haven't seen it yet have we I haven't I guess we got to you know you got to think after the way rigs has performed in the last 6 eight races this is a win waiting to happen he hasn't been really in a position like this to grab the lead and drive off in dominating fashion maybe today's his day in finger nine Dean Thompson in the five he's been strong today yeah Dean Thompson doing double duty ran the Arca race earlier had a top 10 finish you know he's been top 10 in three of the last six races so late in the regular season and they had too many rough rides early to overcome try to get in the playoffs but he has had a strong finish to the regular season and opening up the playoffs with a nice performance as well let's go back to Cory Heim had the speeding penalty restarts in the rear but here's the 11 already back to the top 15 and working over Sammy Smith in the seven just got around Matt Mills in the 42 now he's going to heat up Sammy we'll keep it side by side as we go to break Christian eus the race leader over Lane Rigs and Tai M [Music] jestic ahead of them you saw Taylor Tyler anram up there man this is some tight RAC and kateen Honeycut wanting to join this party see if he can make it way his way around the outside of craft M crafton's been running the bottom of the racetrack since we restarted this race and he's going to grab that spot from Tanner gray Spencer void there in the mix trying to give these guys plenty of racing room it's hard to hide at this race track though is it Phil you don't know what Groove a guy's going to want but the good thing is when you catch a lapper like Spencer you get there you can just pick a Lane and go where he isn't these drivers's not getting a break today only one caution lot of of lapse under green got to execute and it was about this point in stage one when we had our only caution Jason Alexander got into the wall final lap stage two at Milwaukee seven seven of our playoff drivers in point paying positions here in this stage Grant infinger just grabbed that last one why was he the regular season champion because he's always at the front for Christian ekis through turns three and four he's going to see that green and white Checkered Flag he is won six of the last 10 stages and he delivers in our second s here at Milwaukee impressive run here for ekis stage from Milwaukee what a jump look at majeski right on the tailgate of ekas he wants to grab that second spot from rigs if not first if not first maesi to the inside 98 jumps out front on the restart and Lane rigs is going to try to follow suit he's inside of ekas in that 19 Taylor Gray getting aggressive how about the effort for Cory Heim on Pit Road he's back in the top five after the penalty gained five spots on Pit Road at about five more it looked like getting into turn one he went way high and made a move there great run for himim Matt Mills had a problem saw him into the wall he's able to keep it straight and we remain green look at Lane rig's going to try to go for the lead on maesi little bump down into turn three for rigs then he tries to flare up to the high side that yeah right down there next to the grass look who's rebounding after a bit of a slow start here Christian ekas says I am back from first to third on the restart but knocking on the door of that runnerup position again and Cory hop says I am back as well knows how to run these short tracks and with an advantage of 1.3 seconds over Tai maesi the last thing he wants to see is a caution let it run out green as we have now hit our Craftsman 20 to go and Lane Riggs is the race leader and there's about nine other Playoff drivers that want to see that c ring Adam they want to see that chance to come to Pit Road get a fresh set of tires make that final adjustment and go roll those sleeves up and get after it 21 trucks on the lead lap four different leaders in this race today mentioned downstairs a minute ago Christian eus has led the most at 71 time of Jesy LED 45 laps from the pole rigs out front now has been in charge of the field for 34 laps and that cycle at the end of stage one put Ty Dylan in front for six circuits I think Lane Riggs right now just holding his breath that we stay green as a comfortable second half lead on this 98 of maesi there's maesi there's rigs coming off of turn four and he'll see the White Flag this time around next flag would end the race got to feel really good right now about what's left but but mainly about what he's accomplished so far wow what a great drive for Lane rigs first race of the postseason in 2024 and we're going to have a playoff spoiler here he comes off of turn four lane Riggs a winner for the first time in his career he gets it done at Milwaukee every Point matters Cory Heim holds off Daniel DY for seven [Music] hi I'm Parker cerman for more access like this from Pit Road be sure to click and subscribe to the Motorsports at NBC YouTube channel