Top 5 Surprising NASCAR Truck Series Winners

Top 5 Surprising NASCAR Truck Series Winners

By Brian Cotnoir

You know the drill by now.  It’s the same as the other two articles, only it is drivers in the NASCAR Truck Series this time.  Let’s not waste any more time than we have too…

5.)  Scott Speed

Many fans of racing consider Scott Speed to be both a Formula 1 & NASCAR Bust.  Speed is actually one of my All-Time favorite drivers.  I think he’s had such a unique and interesting career.  In 2008, while racing in the ARCA Series for owner Eddie Sharp he won 4 races and nearly won the ARCA Series Championship.  That same season he made 16 career starts in the Truck Series for Bill Davis Racing. 

Bill Davis Racing had won races that season with drivers Mike Skinner and Johnny Benson.   Benson would eventually win the Truck Series Championship that year.   Speed was driving for a great team and actually won his only series race at Dover.   Speed would eventually move on to the Cup Series for the 2009 season, and Bill Davis Racing would unfortunately shutdown after winning the championship due to financial hardships.  In all, Speed only made 16 career starts in the Truck Series, but he was driving for one of the best teams in the garage and backed by one of the biggest companies in the world.


4.)  John Wes Townley

I still can’t believe that this guy has won a NASCAR race.   John Wes Townley (or John Wrecks Weekly, as he was also known as) is without a doubt the worst NASCAR driver I have ever seen!  He only had a ride in NASCAR for one reason, and that was his father was the co-founder of Zaxby’s, who sponsored his racing career.  Townley was so bad he drove for 6 different teams in the Truck Series across 6 seasons, he was so bad that he wrecked once at Phoenix before even crossing the start/finish line on his first lap, he was so bad that he and his father had to start their own racing team!

Townley stunned me and the racing world when he won his 1st career Truck Race at Las Vegas on a fuel mileage gamble!   This win was so unbelievable that I thought there was a scoring error when he was announced the winner, I refused to believe that this joke of a driver won a NASCAR Race!  Townleys’ team would shut down a year later, and he hasn’t raced in NASCAR—thankfully—since 2016

3.)  Spencer Boyd

Last year there was a huge surprise at Talladega when Johnny Sauter was penalized handing the victory to Spencer Boyd.   Boyd finished 2nd at the finish line, but Johnny Sauter was penalized for what NASCAR deemed an “illegal block”.  Not only was this the 1st win for Boyd in NASCAR, but it was also the first win for his team, Young’s Motorsports.


2.)  Brandon Whitt

Brandon Whitt’s family started Clean Line Motorsports in 2003, the team had some mediocre success in their first season and a half, before being sold to former Mobil 1 Executive Tom DeLoach and former NASCAR Crew Chief, Jeff Hammond.  The team would be rebranded as Red Horse Racing, and Whitt was retained for the 2004 season.

On the last lap of the MemphisTravel.Com 200 at the Memphis Motorsports Park, Whitt was running in 2nd place on the last lap when race leader Ron Hornaday Jr. slowed down driving through a cloud of smoke caused by the spin of driver Jimmy Spencer.   Whitt wound up—accidentally—driving into the back of Hornaday’s truck, spinning him, out and going on to win the 1st and only race of his career and the 1st win for Red Horse Racing.  Whitt was let go by Red Horse Racing after the 2005 season.  He only ever made 1 more start in the Truck Series.


1.)  John King

Probably the biggest surprise winner in NASCAR Truck Series History, driver John King won the 2012 season opening race at Daytona on a Green-White-Checkered restart!   But only five races later, King would be let go by his team, Red Horse Racing; due to lack of sponsorship.   Since being let go from his ride at Red Horse, King has only made 4 more starts in the NASCAR Truck Series; 15 career starts in total.  He has not raced in the NASCAR in over 5 years, making his lone win in NASCAR even more impressive.


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