ChampTruck Third Race at New Jersey Motorsports Park on May 20-21, 2016

NJ Motorsports Park Lightning Course, May 20-21, 2016

Friday, May 20 (Eastern Daylight Time)

12:30 to 12:50 pm -- ChampTruck Practice

With a warm sunny day the trucks headed out for practice. One truck was brand new and untested (#16). Five of the drivers had never run at this track. Everyone put in some time on the track learning their trucks and race lines.

2:30 to 2:50 pm -- ChampTruck Practice

All trucks were weighed today to determine rules compliance. Black smoke was also monitored. A few were black flagged... but not #88.

4:30 to 4:50 pm -- ChampTruck Qualifying

All trucks were out on the track. Morgan only needed a few laps to secure the pole position with a time of 1:28.712. All teams seem to be busy making adjustments for tomorrows races... in the rain.

Saturday, May 21 (EDT)

9:30 to 9:50 am -- ChampTruck Heat 1 (MyLaps)

Starting from the pole position Morgan was passed by #14 early in the first lap, but quickly took back the lead and held it comfortably for the rest of the race. Finish order after 12 laps was #88 - #14 - #73 - #17 -#16 - #31 - #3 - #23. [#14 was penalized one lap for speeding and his position dropped from second to next to last place.] This proved to be the fastest heat of the day with the track being relatively dry. Morgan bettered his qualifying lap time with a 1:28.586, the fastest lap time for a truck all weekend, and better than most of the race cars!

11:00 to 11:20 am -- ChampTruck Heat 2 (MyLaps)

The start order was inverted from the finish of the previous race, so Morgan started in last place just as the rain began. [#31 started near the back because he lost connection with speed monitor.] The start was ragged with five trucks on the inside and three on the outside when #73 moved out of his position.

Lots of drifting, sliding and agricultural racing as the track got wet. In the sixth lap Morgan passed #3 as Boles fell to the back of the pack. #23 also went off track and fell to the back in the next lap. Morgan passed #31 for fifth place and held there. Morgan managed to avoid those sliding around and finished in fifth place. Finish order after 11 laps: #14 - #17 - #16 - #73 - #88 - #31 - #23 - #3. Start order of the next race will again be inverted.

12:30 to 12:50 pm -- ChampTruck Heat 3 (MyLaps)

Heat 3 began in pouring rain that continued throughout the race. Start order was #3 - #23 - #31 - #88 - #73 - #16 - #17 - #14. Spin outs at the start of the heat changed the order to #3 - #23 - #88 - #16... By the second lap the order was #88 - #14 - #16 - #73. Then #14 passed #88 hitting him in the process. #17 slid and #31 went off track to avoid him. #16 went off track and lost several places. Finish order after 10 laps was #14 - #88 - #73 - #17 - #31 - #16 - #3 - #23.

1:15 to 2:00 pm -- Autograph Session

Free race posters were available in the garage and drivers signed each one for the fans braving the rain.

3:00 to 3:20 pm -- ChampTruck Heat 4 (MyLaps)

Heavy rain continued, so most cameras were put away. Morgan started in seventh, but #3, #17 and #73 went off track early in the first lap allowing Morgan to move up to fourth. Then he moved to second behind #31 and followed by #16. #14 passed #16, then #88, then #31. Morgan held third until the finish despite a fogged up windshield that prevented him from seeing much of the track. After 10 laps the finish order was: #14 - #31 - #88 - #16 - #17 - #73 - #3 - #23.

5:00 to 5:35 pm -- ChampTruck Podium Race (MyLaps)

The start order of the Podium race was an inversion of points totals for the weekend: #23 - #3 - #31 - #16 - #73 - #17 - #88 - #14. #3 went off track during the first lap. Morgan in #88 moved up to fourth in the second lap and passed #23 for third. #14 tried to pass #88 without success, then #3 went off track resulting in a yellow caution.

Once the caution was lifted #14 passed #88 dropping #88 to fourth. Then #14 hit #31 taking second. #31 also collided with #73, then #17 who also went off track. #88 managed to dodge most of the ruckus. #31 was damaged sufficiently that he left the track with the back bumper and right fender rubbing the rear wheels. Under a full course yellow it was determined that #17 had dumped oil the entire length of the track. Trucks were sliding everywhere under caution, so the race was called for safety reasons. Finish order was #16, #14, #73, #88, #23, #17, #31, #3. [#14 was disqualified for repeated avoidable contact and #73 may have received a penalty for passing under caution.] Morgan's #88 finished second [or third? Depends on which official results is correct.].

5:45 pm -- ChampTruck Awards Ceremony

Morgan received a trophy for his first place win in Heat 1, then he received the big first place trophy for highest points total for the weekend! Wow! A nice surprise!

Note: ChampTruck adjusted the awards procedure to match the posted rules after a Jupiter team member pointed out the error in past awards.