Grant Enfinger and the No. 9 team at CR7 Motorsports were thought as fringe playoff contenders at the beginning of the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, but they might be the series’ championship favorites after Saturday’s race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Enfinger had already locked up his spot in the Championship Four after his win at Talladega on Oct. 4, giving him over a month of extra preparation for the championship race at Phoenix. On Saturday, though, Enfinger and crew chief Jeff Stankiewicz pulled a rabbit out of their hat, executing the perfect strategy to win their second consecutive race.
Enfinger was quick from the opening gun, finishing sixth in Stage One and winning Stage Two, while a gutsy call by Stankiewicz to leave his driver on the racetrack with limited fuel paid off. With nothing to lose by running out of gas, Enfinger nursed his Chevrolet Silverado home, even as Layne Riggs and Nick Sanchez ran out of fuel from the top-five in the final laps.
Enfinger crossed the line ahead of Ty Majeski, Connor Mosack, Corey Heim and Tyler Ankrum. Stewart Friesen, Daniel Dye, Rajah Caruth, Christian Eckes and Taylor Gray rounded out the top-10.
The win was the second of the season for Enfinger and the No. 9 team, and the question has to be asked: Is Enfinger — a 39-year-old driver driving for an underfunded team — the championship favorite?
