Trackin’ Trucks: Austin Hill Wins at Las Vegas

Credit: Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs

Austin Hill earned his second victory of the Gander RV & Outdoors Trucks season on Friday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 

Hill passed Sheldon Creed, who led 89 laps, on the final restart with 39 laps to go. Hill earned himself a spot inside the next round of the Playoffs with the victory. 

“We didn’t have the best truck tonight, by no means,” Hill added. “We had to fight a lot of adversity in Stages One and Two. We weren’t good at all and [crew chief] Scott [Zipadelli] and the guys kept working on it and got better and better. 

“The pit crew did a hell of a job on that last pit stop getting me in position I needed and I just had to go out there and get it and that’s what we did.”

Creed finished second. He briefly lost momentum after hitting the outside wall, but was able to finish .546 seconds behind the Hattori Racing Enterprises driver.  

“Just frustrating, the best truck I’ve had all year and best truck I’ve had at this race track,” Creed said, disappointed. “We’re all racing hard. We’re in the playoffs, can’t really complain, that’s racing. Fought hard, back to second.”

Tanner Gray finished third, while Stewart Friesen and Chandler Smith rounded out the top five. Grant Enfinger finished sixth, Zane Smith finished seventh, while Christian Eckes, Matt Crafton and Tyler Ankrum finished eighth through 10th, respectively. 

The win was extra special for the No. 16 team as Hill carried the name of his crew chief Scott Zipadelli’s daughter. “Torie Costa” was above the driver’s door during the “Honor a Cancer Hero” weekend benefiting the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation; she was 20 years old at the time of her death in 2015. 

A Look Ahead into the Playoffs 

The Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series head to Talladega Super Speedway, where two drivers will see their Playoff hopes come to a halt. 

Ben Rhodes and Todd Gilliland are outside the Round of 8 bracket heading into the cutoff race in Alabama. Rhodes finished 23rd after spinning late during the World of Westgate 200, while Gilliland finished 13th. 

Eckes holds a six point advantage over Rhodes. He has one start in the ARCA Menard Series at the 2.66-mile track, where he finished 26th. 

Don’t miss the Truck Series at Talladega on October 3rd at 1 p.m./ET on Fox Sports 1.