Capitalizing on a crash between points leader Erik Jones, Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter just over 30 laps from the finish, Timothy Peters beat out John Hunter Nemechek to earn his second Camping World Truck Series win of the year.
Peters won the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway for his second win in four races after also winning at Talladega Superspeedway.
Peter’s credited his spotter Chris Lambert for keeping him “alert” to the wreck between the leaders and the other six cautions that filled the race.
“We were a top-five truck tonight and we earned this one,” Peters told Fox Sports 1, later saying he was shocked when he saw Jones and Crafton crash.
“Knowing the damage the No. 4 had, that kind of put us in the catbird seat,” Peters said. “The main thing was just making sure we take advantage and try to cap off the win tonight and not charging into the corner entry, which I have a bad habit of doing.”
The win is Peter’s 10th of his Truck career and it came after getting ahead of Nemechek on the final restart with 24 laps remaining. It is also his seventh top-10 finish in a row.
“The last two years we’ve had great truck but we’ve been in the right place at the wrong time,” Peters said.
Jones finished ninth and Crafton finished in the garage in 23rd, 20 laps off the lead.
Heading into the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Jones can clinch the title with a finish of 15th or better, 16th with at least one lap led or 17th with the most laps led.
HOW TIMOTHY PETERS WON: Peters avoided multiple wrecks and outran John Hunter Nemechek in the final 24 laps under green to secure the win.
WHO HAD A GOOD RACE: Daniel Suarez started eighth and finished fourth for his seventh top-five finish … John Wes Townley finished third, earning his third top five of the year and just his fifth of his career.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Championship contenders Erik Jones and Matt Crafton were in a three-car wreck with just over 30 laps remaining. Crafton, who entered the weekend 17 points behind Jones, finished 23rd. Jones finished ninth … William Byron, in his first career truck race, found himself in the Turn 3 wall on Lap 6 after contact with Brandon Jones, who spun into Cole Custer. Custer then careened back into Byron. Jones finished 32nd, Byron placed 31st and Custer went on to finish 26th … On Lap 17, Korbin Forrister was spun out on the frontstretch by Timmy Hill. Forrister couldn’t get his truck restarted, which had to be taken to the infield, but not before Forrister chucked his HANS device at Hill’s passing truck … On a Lap 45 restart, Mason Mingus appeared to lock up his brakes, which started a chain reaction as Dalton Sargeant spun to avoid him and collected Rico Abreu and Ben Kennedy. Abreu finished 28th in his first Truck race.
NOTABLE: Toyota has clinched the Camping World Truck Series manufacturer’s championship. It is Toyota’s eighth title, tying Chevrolet for the most in series history … Nemechek has nine top-10 finishes in a season in which he hasn’t run in every race.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: “This is unbelievable. I’m speechless.” – Timothy Peters after earning his second win of 2015.
WHAT’S NEXT: Season finale Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway at 8 pm ET on Nov. 20 on Fox Sports 1.
