Ben Kennedy scores first career Truck Series win at Bristol
Ben Kennedy is now a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner.
Kenny scored his first career victory in Wednesday night's UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The No. 33 GMS Chevrolet driver was able to hold off a hard charge from Brett Moffitt in the final laps to score the win, earning a spot in the inaugural Chase for the championship.
"This is just so cool. These guys deserve it," Kennedy said in Victory Lane after the race. "We put this deal together a couple months ago and I never would have imagined going into this race that we would be here today. To actually be here in Victory Lane, it means the world to me."
Kennedy grabbed the lead from Kyle Busch Motorsports driver William Byron with less than 20 laps to go and never looked back.
Daniel Hemric, Byron and Johnny Sauter rounded out the top five.
After leading 77 laps, Daniel Suarez relinquished the lead to Byron with 21 laps to go. Shortly after, Suarez blew a right-rear tire and crashed hard into the wall with just 13 laps remaining.
Matt Crafton drove his No. 88 ThorSport Racing Toyota behind the wall on Lap 71 for mechanical issues. He would retire from the race a few laps later.
It also wasn't a good night for the rest of Crafton's ThorSport teammates, as Ben Rhodes went behind the wall after suffering mechanical issues as well. Cameron Hayley also blew a left-front tire on Lap 130, but was able to continue in the race.
Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Christopher Bell also ran into some trouble on Lap 142, as his truck got loose fighting for the lead with Suarez following a restart. Bell led a race-high 101 laps and went on to finish seventh.
After steady rain caused a lengthy delay to the start of the race, drivers received the command to start engines shortly after 9:30 p.m. ET.
Byron continues to lead the points standings, as Hemric, Sauter, Timothy Peters and Bell complete the top five.
John Hunter Nemechek holds the eighth and final Chase spot after Bristol, 29 points ahead of ninth-place Cole Custer.
