Frustrating Night for Boston at Gateway

After a long day at Gateway Motorsports Park, unfortunately Justin Boston had a very short night. After qualifying was rained out earlier in the day and a two-hour rain delay to start the race, Boston was caught in an accident only 54 laps into the race Saturday night.

 

Boston started the race in 19th place based on practice speeds that morning, since rain hit the track during the first round of qualifying. Just before the race was scheduled to begin another fast-moving, yet heavy rain storm passed over the track. It moved out quickly, but the track-drying process took nearly two hours.

 

Once the race began, Boston said the ROK Mobile Tundra was tight in turn two, but he was able to pick up four positions in the first five laps. He maintained 15th place for the first 50 laps of the race despite the tight condition. As the long green-flag run continued he began to catch several of the trucks ahead of him for position.

 

By lap 53 Boston was nearly due to pit for four tires, fuel and adjustments to free up his Tundra, but he never made it to pit road. On the next lap in turn one Boston dove to the bottom, but Mason Mingus did the same thing. Mingus hit the curbing which shot him up into Boston. The ROK Mobile Tundra sustained heavy damage and there was no way the No. 54 team could repair it. Boston was credited with a 27th-place finish.

 

“I haven’t seen the replay yet, but I’m pretty sure I know what happened,” Boston said. “Just racing – you get down in the late part of the run and I’m catching guys that I was trying to pass for position. It’s really unfortunate. We had a pretty fast ROK Mobile Tundra. That was uncalled for. My spotter called clear and I drove down to the bottom and clearly he (Mason Mingus) thought otherwise and ended our night.”

 

Cole Custer won the race, followed by Spencer Gallagher, Johnny Sauter, John Hunter Nemechek and Cameron Hayley rounded out the top-five finishers. Boston’s KBM teammates also had a tough night with Erik Jones finishing 23rd and Matt Tifft 25th, both with damage to their Tundras. Boston fell two positions in the driver championship point standings and is now 12th.

KBM PR