HAMPTON, Ga. (Feb. 23, 2019) – The first time NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series drivers will take to Atlanta Motor Speedway’s challenging, high-speed 1.5-mile oval on Saturday will be when the green flag drops on the Ultimate Tailgating 200.
Due to inclement weather, qualifying for Saturday’s race been canceled, leaving the first 25 trucks set by 2018 owners points, the next two by combined practice speeds and the final five by provisionals. Georgia native Austin Hill – who won the Truck Series’ season opener last week at Daytona – will start first, as his Hattori Racing Enterprises team won last year’s championship.
Based on their owner points from 2018, defending Truck Series championship team Hattori Racing Enterprises and driver Austin Hill will start from the pole position. Hill enters his hometown track of Atlanta on the heels of his first career NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series victory last weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Harrison Burton for Kyle Busch Motorsports will start second.
The truck field was set per the NASCAR rule book which gives the first 25 starters a lock based on their owner points position from last season. 26 and 27th filled by Parker Kligerman and Anthony Alfredo respectively were based on their practice speeds from Friday.
The trucks of Corey Roper, Brennan Poole and Chad Finley made the race due to their owner points acquired this season. The final three trucks for the remaining two spots were based on a random draw.
Only one truck did not make the starting grid as B.J. McLeod did not make the 32-truck field after his team was last of the those in the draw.
The Ultimate Tailgating 200 – the second event in Atlanta’s action-packed Saturday of speed, following the NASCAR Xfinity Series Rinnai 250 – will go green at approximately 4:30 p.m.
• Ultimate Tailgating 200 Starting Grid
Source: Atlanta Motor Speedway
