In a race that ended five laps short of its scheduled distance, polesitter Matt Crafton was declared the winner of Thursday night’s UNOH 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event after Ben Kennedy’s Toyota damaged the catchfence at Kentucky Speedway beyond the track’s capacity to repair it expeditiously. With a shove from the Ford of Ryan Blaney, Crafton had taken the lead from eventual runner-up Erik Jones on Lap 145 moments before Kennedy was launched into the fence from contact with David Gilliland’s Ford.
“I thought I was clear,” Kennedy said on his radio. The driver of the #11 Tundra had moved up the track into Gilliland’s Ford after being cleared by his spotter. “I heard “Clear’ on the radio, so I moved up to the wall and as soon as I went to the wall,” Kennedy said after leaving the infield care center. “I guess Gilliland had a run on the outside and pretty much hit me in the right rear – and I went up. I guess I was on top of the wall. I remember being on top of the wall for quite some time. I didn’t see much – just a bunch of dust and debris flying. Then came down. The ride from the wall to the ground was pretty hard. But I’m OK. Thank God for everything that NASCAR has done to keep this sport safe. “Cause for me to get out of my car on my own power after a hit like that is pretty incredible.”
Two support poles in the catchfence had to be replaced, a process that would consume 90 minutes. Accordingly, NASCAR called the race with five laps left.(NASCAR Wire Service)(7-10-2015)
