Erik Jones wins NASCAR Truck Series championship
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Erik Jones is the youngest champion in NASCAR Truck Series history.
The 19-year-old Jones won the title by finishing sixth in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday night, giving Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch his fourth championship as a team owner.
Matt Crafton won the 200-mile race for his sixth victory of the year and 11th in 361 career starts. The 39-year-old Crafton won the last two series championship, but was essentially eliminated once Jones and fellow teenager Tyler Reddick started the race.
Crafton, Jones and Reddick were the only drivers eligible for the championship in Homestead. But Crafton needed lots of help to make it three in a row.
Jones, meanwhile, needed to finish 15th or better in the finale to wrap up the title. He had little trouble getting it done, spending much of the night running in the top 10.
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