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Bubba Wallace’s Spotter Sympathises with NASCAR Driver After Missed Opportunity at Bristol

Published 04/18/2022, 7:30 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

At the Bristol Motor Speedway, Derek Kraus endured a torrid time. The #19 NASCAR Truck Series driver was gunning for a Top 10, but circumstances did not do him any favors. As a result, he was forced to settle for a lowly 29th place, rueing what could have been. Apparently, he got caught up in a late incident, 10 laps away from the chequered flag and that cost him dearly. In light of this, Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, commiserated with the distraught driver. According to him, Kraus ‘drove his a** off’ and deserved a Top 10 for his efforts.

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While all that was going on, Ben Rhodes seized victory, ahead of Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek. Admittedly, he did not have it easy, as there were multiple wrecks that he had to navigate. Additionally, he also had to fend off repeated attacks from Hocevar, who is hunting for his first win.

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Eventually, Rhodes hit the front and went on to win the race, extending his championship lead.

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What kicked off during the NASCAR Truck Race at Bristol?

It is also worth mentioning that Rhodes, and his team experienced some miscommunication during the race. As a result, he missed his entrance into the pit road and was forced to pit at the end of Stage 2. Despite the setback, he put his head down and charged to the front.

USA Today via Reuters

The ThorSport driver pulled off some incredible overtakes after the final restart on Lap 146. Starting third, the defending champion drifted around the outside of Nemechek. Immediately after that, he switched down the inside of Hocevar to snatch the lead for good. Without a doubt, it more than made up for his early blunder at the end of the first stage.

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Around that time, he restarted all the way down in 13th place after Stage 2. Since then, he steadily worked his way up to the leaders, with four cautions coming to his aid. Nevertheless, he and Hocevar dueled for the lead before the former won the battle. Now, the paddock will look ahead to the coming race weekend at the Darlington Raceway.

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Motorsports author for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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Edited by:

Ranvijay Singh