The 2019 M&M's 200 is a NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race held on June 16, 2019, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. Contested over 200 laps on the D-shaped oval, it was the 10th race of the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season. The race was postponed from Saturday, June 15 to Sunday, June 16 due to rain.
Background
Track
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile (1.4 km) paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful. It has over 25,000 permanent seats as well as a unique multi-tiered Recreational Vehicle viewing area along the backstretch.
Entry list Driver Team Manufacturer 0 Jennifer Jo Cobb Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Chevrolet 02 Tyler Dippel (R) Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 2 Sheldon Creed (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 3 Jordan Anderson Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet 4 Todd Gilliland Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 6 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet 8 Trey Hutchens NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Juan Manuel González Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Chevrolet 12 Gus Dean (R) Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 13 Johnny Sauter ThorSport Racing Ford 16 Austin Hill Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota 17 Raphaël Lessard DGR-Crosley Toyota 18 Harrison Burton (R) Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 20 Spencer Boyd (R) Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 22 Austin Wayne Self AM Racing Chevrolet 24 Brett Moffitt GMS Racing Chevrolet 30 Brennan Poole (R) On Point Motorsports Toyota 33 C. J. McLaughlin Reaume Brothers Racing Chevrolet 34 Mason Massey Reaume Brothers Racing Chevrolet 42 Chad Finley Chad Finley Racing Chevrolet 44 Ross Chastain Niece Motorsports Chevrolet 45 Kyle Benjamin Niece Motorsports Chevrolet 46 Riley Herbst Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 51 Chandler Smith Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 52 Stewart Friesen Halmar Friesen Racing Chevrolet 54 Natalie Decker (R) DGR-Crosley Toyota 56 Tyler Hill Hill Motorsports Chevrolet 87 Tyler Ankrum (R) NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Matt Crafton ThorSport Racing Ford 97 Jesse Little JJL Motorsports Ford 98 Grant Enfinger ThorSport Racing Ford 99 Ben Rhodes ThorSport Racing Ford
Practice
First practice Chandler Smith was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 23.154 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 51 Chandler Smith Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 23.154 136.046 2 24 Brett Moffitt GMS Racing Chevrolet 23.419 134.506 3 17 Raphaël Lessard DGR-Crosley Toyota 23.441 134.380
Final practice Sheldon Creed was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 23.458 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 2 Sheldon Creed (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 23.458 134.283 2 17 Raphaël Lessard DGR-Crosley Toyota 23.580 133.588 3 16 Austin Hill Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota 23.605 133.446
Qualifying Qualifying was cancelled due to rain. Chandler Smith won the pole based on owner's points.
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 51 Chandler Smith Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 0.000 2 98 Grant Enfinger ThorSport Racing Ford 0.000 3 52 Stewart Friesen Halmar Friesen Racing Chevrolet 0.000 4 88 Matt Crafton ThorSport Racing Ford 0.000 5 45 Kyle Benjamin Niece Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000 6 24 Brett Moffitt GMS Racing Chevrolet 0.000 7 99 Ben Rhodes ThorSport Racing Ford 0.000 8 13 Johnny Sauter ThorSport Racing Ford 0.000 9 16 Austin Hill Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota 0.000 10 18 Harrison Burton (R) Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 0.000 11 4 Todd Gilliland Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 0.000 12 2 Sheldon Creed (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 0.000 13 17 Raphaël Lessard DGR-Crosley Toyota 0.000 14 02 Tyler Dippel (R) Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000 15 30 Brennan Poole (R) On Point Motorsports Toyota 0.000 16 22 Austin Wayne Self AM Racing Chevrolet 0.000 17 3 Jordan Anderson Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet 0.000 18 20 Spencer Boyd (R) Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000 19 44 Ross Chastain Niece Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000 20 8 Trey Hutchens NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000 21 33 C. J. McLaughlin Reaume Brothers Racing Chevrolet 0.000 22 12 Gus Dean (R) Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000 23 54 Natalie Decker (R) DGR-Crosley Toyota 0.000 24 34 Mason Massey Reaume Brothers Racing Chevrolet 0.000 25 97 Jesse Little JJL Motorsports Ford 0.000 26 46 Riley Herbst Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 0.000 27 42 Chad Finley Chad Finley Racing Chevrolet 0.000 28 10 Juan Manuel González Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Chevrolet 0.000 29 6 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet 0.000 30 56 Tyler Hill Hill Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000 31 87 Tyler Ankrum (R) NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000 32 0 Jennifer Jo Cobb Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Chevrolet 0.000
Race
Summary Chandler Smith started on pole and led the race up until a caution shortly before the end of Stage 1, which was won by Ross Chastain after he got off pit road quickly. Chastain continued his dominating lead, also winning Stage 2.
In the final stage, Austin Hill and Johnny Sauter tangled several times, causing damage to Sauter's truck. Sauter then purposely drove into Hill under caution in retaliation, causing NASCAR to park him for his actions. Sauter would miss the following week's race due to these actions.
Chastain held a comfortable lead over the rest of the field, winning the race with a two-second lead over Brett Moffitt. After the race, NASCAR disqualified Chastain and stripped him of his race win and both stage wins as his truck failed post-race inspection for being too low. This then gave the win to Moffitt, despite him not leading a single lap of the race.
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 60
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 88 Matt Crafton ThorSport Racing Ford 102 98 Grant Enfinger ThorSport Racing Ford 93 13 Johnny Sauter ThorSport Racing Ford 84 99 Ben Rhodes ThorSport Racing Ford 75 2 Sheldon Creed (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 66 24 Brett Moffitt GMS Racing Chevrolet 57 16 Austin Hill Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota 48 18 Harrison Burton (R) Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 39 97 Jesse Little JJL Motorsports Ford 210 52 Stewart Friesen Halmar Friesen Racing Chevrolet 1
Stage Two Laps: 60
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 99 Ben Rhodes ThorSport Racing Ford 102 24 Brett Moffitt GMS Racing Chevrolet 93 98 Grant Enfinger ThorSport Racing Ford 84 51 Chandler Smith Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 75 18 Harrison Burton (R) Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 66 52 Stewart Friesen Halmar Friesen Racing Chevrolet 57 88 Matt Crafton ThorSport Racing Ford 48 16 Austin Hill Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota 39 2 Sheldon Creed (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 210 13 Johnny Sauter ThorSport Racing Ford 1
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 80
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 6 24 Brett Moffitt GMS Racing Chevrolet 200 542 7 99 Ben Rhodes ThorSport Racing Ford 200 523 10 18 Harrison Burton (R) Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 200 434 2 98 Grant Enfinger ThorSport Racing Ford 200 505 3 52 Stewart Friesen Halmar Friesen Racing Chevrolet 200 386 12 2 Sheldon Creed (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 200 397 4 88 Matt Crafton ThorSport Racing Ford 200 448 1 51 Chandler Smith Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 200 369 13 17 Raphaël Lessard DGR-Crosley Toyota 200 2810 11 4 Todd Gilliland Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 200 2711 15 30 Brennan Poole (R) On Point Motorsports Toyota 200 2612 9 16 Austin Hill Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota 200 3213 5 45 Kyle Benjamin Niece Motorsports Chevrolet 199 2414 16 22 Austin Wayne Self AM Racing Chevrolet 199 2315 26 46 Riley Herbst Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 199 2216 18 20 Spencer Boyd (R) Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 198 2117 23 54 Natalie Decker (R) DGR-Crosley Toyota 198 2018 17 3 Jordan Anderson Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet 198 1919 14 02 Tyler Dippel (R) Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 197 1820 22 12 Gus Dean (R) Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 197 1721 24 34 Mason Massey Reaume Brothers Racing Chevrolet 196 1622 25 97 Jesse Little JJL Motorsports Ford 194 1723 21 33 C. J. McLaughlin Reaume Brothers Racing Chevrolet 189 1424 29 6 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet 186 1325 32 0 Jennifer Jo Cobb Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Chevrolet 183 1226 30 56 Tyler Hill Hill Motorsports Chevrolet 179 1127 8 13 Johnny Sauter ThorSport Racing Ford 137 1928 27 42 Chad Finley Chad Finley Racing Chevrolet 68 929 20 8 Trey Hutchens NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 61 830 28 10 Juan Manuel González Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Chevrolet 40 731 31 87 Tyler Ankrum (R) NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 17 632 19 44 Ross Chastain Niece Motorsports Chevrolet 200 5
After the race Chastain and Niece Motorsports appealed NASCAR's decision to disqualify them, as they stated that the height of Chastain's truck was not an intentional adjustment and it didn't give him an advantage. They also believed the truck's height was the result of minor damage sustained when the race began. The penalty was eventually sustained.
The following week, NASCAR took action against Johnny Sauter for his actions in intentionally wrecking Hill under caution. They issued a 1-race suspension. Under normal circumstances this would mean that Sauter would not compete for the championship that season. However, NASCAR, feeling like stripping playoffs eligibility from Sauter was too harsh, granted Sauter a waiver, allowing him to still make the playoffs if he won a race in the regular season and made the top-30 in driver's points.
References