Byron wins in Kentucky

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Toyota, poses with the winner's decal in Victory Lane

SPARTA, KY. — William Byron didn't have the fastest truck at the end of Thursday night's Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 at Kentucky Speedway.

But Byron had the most important ingredient in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the newly repaved and reconfigured 1.5-mile track. Byron held the top spot for all 42 laps after the final restart of the event on lap 108 of 150.

It was no cakewalk. Byron had to stave off assaults from both runner-up John Hunter Nemechek and third-place finisher Daniel Hemric , who dogged the race winner — and each other — for the entire closing green-flag run.

At the end, after surviving a last-ditch effort from Nemechek, Byron's No. 9 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota crossed the finish line .190 seconds ahead of Nemechek's family-owned No. 8 Chevrolet. Hemric was .291 seconds behind the winner at the finish.

The victory was the fourth in 10 starts this season for the 18-year-old Sunoco Rookie of the Year frontrunner, and it was the 51st win for KBM, most all-time for a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team.

"It's a dream come true to get a fourth win like this," Byron said. "I can't thank the team enough."

With Christopher Bell finishing fourth, KBM grabbed two of the top four spots, but team owner Kyle Busch had to watch the last 93 laps from the sidelines after Spencer Gallagher checked his Chevrolet up in front of him and triggered a wreck that sent Busch's Toyota spinning into the outside wall on Lap 57.

Busch expressed frustration in the aftermath of the crash, but was more upbeat after the race when reflecting on the meteoric rise of the team he launched in 2010.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]"This is a special moment," said Busch, whose drivers have won the last four series races. "It's been really cool. What to me makes it most special, I think, is how we've done it in such a short period of time.

"From 2010 through 2016, we've gotten 51 wins, and many of the teams that we excelled ahead of have been around a lot longer than we have. That's pretty awesome."

Byron felt a vibration in his truck in the closing laps but stayed on the throttle.

"It was tough," he acknowledged. "I honestly felt like I had a right rear tire going down. With the new surface, it's hard to get a tire to last that long. I had quite the vibration the last three or four laps.

"I was just hoping and praying that there would be no cautions. Just a great run for us. Our Liberty University Tundra was really good tonight, and we were able to stay out front that last run and that was the key."

Though they had faster trucks in the closing laps, Nemechek and Hemric couldn't focus solely on Byron because they were battling each other. Hemric lost momentum into Turn 1 on Lap 146 when he closed quickly on Byron's bumper, and he and Nemechek ran side-by-side for the better part of two laps before Nemechek took the second spot on Lap 147.

Though Nemechek was clearly stronger than Byron through high-speed Turns 1 and 2, he wasn't able to get to Byron's rear bumper on the final lap.

"The 19 (Hemric) got down on my right rear a couple of times and got me loose, but that's just racing, I guess," Nemechek said. "It sucks to be disappointed with second, but I guess that's a good thing."

Hemric gave a tip of the hat to Byron, who had to work extremely hard to stay out front.

"The 9 (Byron) was put in a position where he had to run perfectly for the last 40-45 laps, or else he wouldn't have won," Hemric said. "So congratulations to him."

Byron, locked into the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase, extended his series lead to 13 points over second-place Matt Crafton , who ran eighth, and 17 points over Hemric and Timothy Peters (ninth Thursday), who are tied for third.

WILLIAM BYRON, No. 9 Liberty University Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 1st

What does it mean to get your fourth win and for KBM to take over the series win record?

“I can’t say enough about this organization. It’s so awesome to have Kyle (Busch, owner) and Samantha’s support, Toyota’s support with great Toyota Tundras and great JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing Engines) tonight. It’s a dream come true to get a win like this. It just keeps going, I have a great team behind me. I have to thank Liberty University and everyone that puts it together."

How does it feel to win at Kentucky?

“It was tough. I honestly felt like I had a right rear tire going down. With the new surface it’s hard to get a tire to last that long. I had quite the vibration the last three or four laps. I was just hoping and praying that there would be no cautions. Just a great run for us. Our Liberty University Tundra was really good tonight and we were able to stay out front that last run and that was the key."

Were you worried about the competition in the final laps?

“I was probably looking out the rear view mirror on the straightaway and sometimes off the corner. That was all I was doing – trying to block whatever line they were going and with these trucks you get a big draft and was trying to manage that. We have a great race team. I can’t wait for the Chase and I’m just having a blast."

KYLE BUSCH, team owner, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Did you think you’d be breaking series records when you started this organization?

“Yeah, certainly you want to be the best at what you do. I’ve tried to assemble a great group of guys. I feel like we have a great group of guys now. We have in our whole time that we have been in existence at Kyle Busch Motorsports. It’s been a lot of fun, it’s been a lot trying times, it’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears by both my wife and myself and all these guys that are on this team now and all the people that have been a part of Kyle Busch Motorsports in the years past. We wouldn’t be here without all them. This is a special moment. It’s really, really cool. To me, what makes it most special is how we’ve done it in such a short period of time. From 2010 to 2016 we have gotten 51 wins and for the many teams we’ve excelled ahead of that have been around a lot longer than we have. This is pretty awesome."

Is KBM a family?

“It is, it really is. All these guys have worked for us as long as they have like Rudy Fugle (crew chief) and right now on this No. 9 team with William Byron and Jerry (Baxter, No. 4 crew chief) coming over with us the last few years. Starting out with Eric Phillips and Eric being there from day one, helping us build this program to what it is today. Him still being a part of it as well, too. Coming over to the building every once in a while checking in on things and what’s going on. He still feels like he’s a part of the family, too which he is. We just have fun doing what we are doing and obviously it wouldn’t be possible without the support of Toyota, Liberty University, ARRIS and JEGs and all the people that have been there for us at Kyle Busch Motorsports over the years."

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