Tyler Reif was just one chicane away from an emotional victory in San Diego, but instead, the 19-year-old is left to wonder what could have been.
Making just his seventh career start with a previous best finish of ninth, Reif suddenly found himself battling for the win when Kaden Honeycutt and Chandler Smith collided in an overtime restart.
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Reif fought off Daniel Hemric in a contact-filled battle, taking the white flag with smoke billowing from his No. 42 Chevrolet. If he held on for just one more lap, he would have been just the third driver ever to deliver Niece Motorsports a Truck Series win, with the other two being Cup stars Ross Chastain and Carson Hocevar.
But he had Layne Riggs all over him, and entering the final chicane on the last lap, Reif missed his entry and had to cut the corner, slamming doors with Riggs as the win slipped away Per NASCAR rules, you have to come to a complete stop after missing the chicane, so his shot the win was over the moment he failed to stay to the left of the tire bundle.
Reif was scored 19th, and the shouts of his family could be heard on the background of the broadcast as the difficult loss played out in real-time.
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“I’m so sorry,” radioed a dejected Reif.
Afterwards, Motorsport.com’s Matt Weaver caught up with him, and the teenager was brutally honest when reflecting on the dramatic finish.
“Obviously, if I could redo that chicane 100 times over, I’d redo it 101 times. I mean, I did it perfectly 49 times, and I missed it once, right? The only lap that mattered, too. So, I don’t know, not a lot of words for it, but I’m just extremely disappointed in myself, and it’s definitely not going to happen again.”
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On what happened in the final seconds of the race, he added: “I think the pressure just got to me, right?”
One of the first people to talk with Reif after climbing from the truck was Hocevar, who offered some advice to the young racer:
“I just had a talk with Carson Hocevar after, and he was like, look, you’re going to run your line, and Layne’s either going to wreck you or he’s not. And I was so worried about him getting into me that I threw my own race away. So, Carson gave me great advice, whether I’m going to win or I’m not, and I just took myself out of it and gave myself a 0% chance of winning it. So, just build on it and be better at the next one.”
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Tyler Reif, No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet
Tyler Reif, No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet
Our very own Matt Weaver later spoke with Hocevar himself, who noted that Reif didn’t need to win the race to turn heads on Friday, and just being that close to the win was enough to get him noticed as he pursues a career at the national level of NASCAR.
“I mean, ultimately, you don’t know this game’s all menta, until you’re there in those moments,” Hocevar told Motorsport.com. “I don’t know how many truck races you even finish, let alone have a shot to win a race. And, you know, it’s a no-brainer. I’ve known him and known him from Quarter-Midgets and everything and his family, and he’s been a good little racer ever since. I’ve gotten to talk to him, and ultimately, his goal is (to) run good enough to have a full-time seat.
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“I just want him to reassure him what he did, you know, everybody’s going to take notice. You don’t have to win these races. The owners are going to see the subject, not the results. The fans (will) see the results and social media will see it, but, the people that hire drivers, they see the subject.”
After two DNFs in his last three starts before arriving in San Diego, the race was still a bright spot even if the 19th-place finish doesn’t reflect that. Even in the raw moments on pit road following the checkered flag, Reif tried to focus on the positives.
“…I feel like I — deep down — always knew I could do it, but after Nashville and just the rough couple of races I’ve had, I think I was low on self-confidence. I knew I could come out here and run up front, and I did exactly that. So, I think that was really good for my mental side of things, and I’m just excited to see how the rest of my race is going.”
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Read Also:
Parker Kligerman blasts Adam Andretti as ‘disgrace’ to his name for “trying to kill me”
Layne Riggs wins frantic San Diego Truck race in unbelievable finish
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