NCWTS Race Recap: Charlotte Motor Speedway

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Wastequip Ford F-150

Start: 35th

Stage 1: 29th

Stage 2: 23th

Finish: 27th

Due to a faulty rear-end seal in practice, Hailie Deegan could not qualify for Friday’s contest at Charlotte Motor Speedway, being relegated to a 35th-place start. The 20-year-old battled a tight car all race long, finding difficulty passing on the bottom. Despite the setbacks, she climbed as high as 23rd in Stage 2 before a right front flat brought her back down pit road for an unscheduled pit stop. Climbing back from 32nd, the Wastequip Ford F-150 made a late surge with less than 30 laps remaining, crossing the finish line in 27th position.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Black’s Tire F-150

Start: 6th

Stage 1: 14th

Stage 2: 13th

Finish: 6th

Tanner Gray was best in class for DGR in qualifying and started sixth for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Gray fought a loose Black’s Tire F-150 on entry to the corners throughout the opening two stages and maintained around the 14th position. A late caution with four laps to go allowed the No. 15 crew to pit for a set of 20 lap old scuff tires. The decision paid dividends and Gray launched from 14th to a sixth-place finish.

Ryan Preece, No. 17 RaceChoice.com Ford F-150

Start: 8th

Stage 1: 3rd

Stage 2: 3rd

Finish: 11th

Ryan Preece qualified in the eighth position for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. The 31-year-old made immediate gains on the initial restart, reaching the third position by the lap 20 mark. After battling throughout the top-three positions in stages one and two, the Berlin, CT native snatched the lead early in stage three before settling into the second position until a caution with four to go would set up a dramatic green-white checkered finish. On the subsequent restart, Preece held steady on the outside row before being pushed up the track and into the outside wall. The caution would fly once again as leader Carson Hocevar proceeded to go around following his contact with Preece. Despite retaining the first position following the caution, Preece would have to pit from the lead in order to fix a flat tire, eventually finishing in 11th after the race’s final restart.

Next event: Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois on June 4 at 1:30 p.m. ET.