Chase Elliott rolled to victory in Tuesday night’s return of the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, edging Kyle Busch to collect a $100,000 bounty at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Elliott’s GMS Racing No. 23 Chevrolet was in front for 47 of the 134 laps on the 1.5-mile track. His third career Gander Trucks win came in his first start in the series since 2017.
Busch placed second in the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 51 Toyota. Zane Smith landed third place with Brett Moffitt fourth and Sheldon Creed completing the top five. Four of the top five trucks were from GMS Racing.
Elliott, John Hunter Nemechek and Brennan Poole were vying for a bounty placed on Busch, who was aiming for his eighth straight Gander Trucks victory, a streak dating back to 2018. The $100,000 prize was set by Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick and Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis, who each placed $50,000 in the pot for an eligible Cup Series driver who could best Busch in a Gander Trucks race.
The six-figure payday was to be donated to the COVID-19 relief effort of the winning driver’s choice. Nemechek was sixth, and Poole finished 38th in the 40-truck field after involvement in a pair of wrecks in the final stage.
Tuesday marked the Gander Trucks’ first race since Feb. 21 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The tour’s next race is scheduled June 6 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
