TALLADEGA, Ala. — Sammy Smith survived a chaotic Friday night at Talladega Superspeedway to capture the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Love’s RV Stop 225, edging Tyler Ankrum by 0.091 seconds at the checkered flag for his first career Truck Series victory.
Driving the No. 7 Spectrum Chevrolet, Smith led seven laps, including the final lap, in a race that featured 32 lead changes among 15 drivers and was slowed by five caution periods for 26 laps. Austin Green finished third, followed by Ty Majeski and championship leader Kaden Honeycutt.
The race was marked by multiple incidents, including a massive Lap 18 crash that collected several contenders and triggered a red flag. Late-race accidents further shuffled the running order before Smith positioned himself at the front for the final restart and held off Ankrum to secure the victory.
The win was Smith’s first in 11 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts and his first top-10 finish of the 2026 season. It also marked his first career victory at Talladega Superspeedway. Ankrum’s runner-up finish was his fourth top-10 result in eight Truck Series starts at the 2.66-mile Alabama track.
Brenden Queen finished seventh as the highest-finishing rookie, while Honeycutt maintained the series points lead, holding a 43-point advantage over Layne Riggs heading into next weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway.
