Not to be Denied, Enfinger Wins as NASCAR Returns to Milwaukee
Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Nothing like finding out your job is going away to focus your mind.
That’s the situation NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Grant Enfinger found himself in when GMS Racing announced earlier in the week it would be ceasing operations at the end of the season.
Instead of folding their tent, Enfinger and No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet crew took it out on the rest of the 36-truck field, Sunday, winning the Clean Harbors 175 in NASCAR’s first national series race at the Milwaukee Mile since 2009.
“Feels good,” said Enfinger. “I didn't know exactly how this was gonna go. For me, it gives me clarity. Honestly, this week was disappointing, but it was almost a good thing as far as, it's not wishy washy anymore. It's we don't have a job next year. Now all we need to do is focus on right now, winning this championship. So, for me it was a good thing.
“I didn't know how the guys will take it,” Enfinger continued. “But we got some good leaders on the team. I feel like sometimes I've had to calm (crew chief) Jeff (Hensley) down, but Jeff has kept me on the straight and narrow all year. I mean, there's been distractions for months now. And he's got me on the straight and narrow and all that stuff and focused on what's important.
“I feel like this is a sign of what we can do for the rest of the year,” said Enfinger. “I think there's times when Jeff believes in me and I believe in Jeff. And maybe sometimes there's doubts around the rest of everything. But I feel like this is a sign of things to come.”
Enroute to his third win of the season, Enfinger won the pole, led three times for 95 laps, swept all three stages and automatically advanced to the next round in NASCAR’s truck series playoffs.
Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Running an alternate pit strategy, Carson Hocevar led 40 laps of the third stage and nearly stole the win. However, Hocevar was unable to hold off a charging Enfinger on newer tires, surrendering the lead with 16 laps to go.
“it took a while to run down Carson and it was pretty tough to just pass him, his truck was really, really good,” commented Enfinger. “Those 15 laps he had on his tires didn't really hurt him that bad, I don't feel like, so those guys were winging it. It was fun racing with them. We're both sliding around right there. And you know, it was definitely not easy to get around him. But once we were I feel like we're kind of lights out after that.
Enfinger’s margin of victory over Hocevar was 1.533-seconds.
Not having any previous experience at Milwaukee, Enfinger did double duty, Sunday, racing and finishing fifth in the Sprecher 150 ARCA Menards Series race.
“Yeah, it wasn't so much about the finish, it’s just making laps and being able to experiment. There was a few times in the ARCA race when I was struggling. I sailed it off harder than I ever dreamed possible and ended up in the fourth groove and realized, okay, maybe I can do this again but adjust a few things. I can tweak it and I tried that a couple of times today.
“So yeah, I think it was instrumental in that. I wish we could have finished a little bit better, but yeah, I think laps are are always good for race car drivers and I definitely think it helped me.”
Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
The driver with the most experience at Milwaukee had a trying day. After posting the fastest lap in practice on Saturday, local favorite Ty Majeski was forced to start from the back of the field in his No. 98 Road Ranger Ford and serve a drive-thru penalty on the opening lap after NASCAR confiscated the truck’s right rear tire and ejected crew chief Joe Shear, Jr..
“Yeah, we just didn’t really have anything go right. I got to eleventh in the first stage, which was ahead of schedule and had a bad pitstop and had to do it all over again. Just in the Hornet's Nest, I could never get above that hump.
Majeski salvaged a seventh-place finish at the end, but knew he missed an opportunity in front of the home folks.
“Obviously, would have like to start in our starting spot and been able to fight from there, but we just honestly, obviously, started behind the eight ball and then made too many mistakes trying to make the comeback. You can maybe overcome one of those but there's just too much today for us to to ever get over that hump.
“But, we weren't really that great today. We just missed the package here a little bit, but, all in all, a decently salvaged day, had a decent truck and something to build off of.”
Any further penalties NASCAR might hand down to the No. 98 team will be announced in the coming week.
Photo by Patrick McDermott/ARCA Racing
Enfinger wasn’t the only driver to do double duty, Sunday, at The Mile.
Before crashing out of the truck series race, 16-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing development driver William Sawalich dominated the Sprecher 150 ARCA Menards Series race.
Sawalich’s Starkey/Sound Gear Toyota led 145 of the race’s 150 laps. Venturini Motorsports’ Jesse Love finished second, 2.125-seconds behind Sawalich.
“Really good car for today,” said Sawalich. “I really just fought loose in the first half and then they (the crew) made a good adjustment (at the halfway break) and I was a little tight and trying to free on the long run. So it was just a matter of getting my restarts down and passing the 20 (Love) for the lead there at the end.”
Sawalich, who only made the switch to stock cars from quarter midgets and legends cars last season, had to survive two late race restarts to claim his second win of the season and third of the ARCA East Series. His restart battles with Love, an eight-race winner already this season, provided the best racing of the event.
“Yeah, for sure. I didn't expect it to be that hard. I thought I'd get him in maybe two laps, but it took me a little bit longer. It was just a matter of time of when I wanted to complete the pass. And when to do it smartly. I didn't want to do it too early and then I mess up a corner and then he gets back to me. So just wanted to bide my time and be patient.”