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TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – OCTOBER 04: Tyler Ankrum, driver of the #18 LiUNA! Chevrolet, Stewart Friesen, driver of the #52 Halmar International Toyota, and Ty Majeski, driver of the #98 Road Ranger Ford, spin after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Love’s RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 04, 2024 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A wild, wreck-filled Love’s RV Stop 225 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race was nearly over when chaos erupted on the Talladega Supersopeedway track yet again. It was that kind of day, and the whole thing was caught on FS1 video, as seen below.
Sammy Smith won the Talladega Truck race for his first career victory after a late Thomas Annunziata crash and a final-lap wreck. Smith won a race hit by wrecks before the final restart and again at the white flag, with two races left on the Truck Series schedule.
The 22-year-old claimed the first Truck Series victory of his career, and Kaden Honeycutt now holds a 43-point lead over Layne Riggs, according to NASCAR reporter Jordan Bianchi. Smith won hours after announcing a full-time move to the series for next year, according to reporter Seth Eggert.
No injuries were reported. Annunziata, the reigning ARCA Menards Series champion, climbed out of his No. 5 TRICON Garage Toyota under his own power, according to Bianchi’s earlier report.
“Heartbreak and a big hit for ARCA champion Thomas Annunziata,” NASCAR on FOX reported.
“I took the outside. I knew my teammate was up there,” Annunziata told Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass after the race. “Hard pushes — it’s the end of the race. I got spun left first and went right. That was pretty scary. Yeah, that was it.”
When the white flag flew, multiple trucks wrecked while the field still raced under green, according to NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck. The race stayed green through the checkered flag. Early reports did not name the drivers caught in the final-lap wreck.
Smith drove the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet to the win. Honeycutt finished fifth and Riggs eighth, according to a report from Matt Weaver.
How TRICON Garage’s Thomas Annunziata Crashed at Talladega
Annunziata fought for the lead in the outside lane when a bump draft got his truck loose. He slammed the outside wall entering Turn 1 and bounced off it, according to video posted by NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Grant Enfinger, driving the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet, then plowed into the side of Annunziata’s truck. Caution flew with seven laps remaining. Enfinger’s truck sustained heavy damage, according to reporter Jonathan Fjeld.
Several accounts have Annunziata’s TRICON Garage teammate, Kaden Honeycutt, pushing him through the draft. Honeycutt apologized over the radio and said Austin Green had pushed him too hard, according to an account from Doug Turnbull.
Annunziata began the day at the rear of the field, sent there before the green flag for unapproved adjustments and a flat-tire replacement, according to Jayski‘s Talladega Truck Series reporting. He later worked his way into the lead pack.
Annunziata’s truck caught fire under caution at Lime Rock Park on July 11 while he ran second, and he went to a hospital for evaluation, according to NASCAR.com‘s medical update. Enfinger took the checkered flag that day, according to NASCAR.com.
TRICON Garage cleared and released him later that day.
“I really appreciate all the messages and concern after yesterday,” Annunziata wrote on social media. “Just swallowed a little fire, that’s all,” he added.
Spire Motorsports’ Sammy Smith Wins After Final-Lap Wreck
Stewart Friesen slowed with an issue off Turn 2 on Lap 17 and trucks piled in behind him, with Kris Wright absorbing a heavy blow and Tony Stewart and Cleetus McFarland among those swept up, according to Racing News reporter Shane Walters. The red flag ended Stage 1, which Gio Ruggiero won.
Tanner Gray won Stage 2, and leaders over the afternoon included Honeycutt, Ty Majeski and Riggs, according to NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass’s post on X.
Smith ran at the front late, holding the lead with roughly 13 laps to go and again with 10 remaining.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES — RACE RESULTS
Love’s RV Stop 225 • Talladega Superspeedway • Friday, October 23, 2026 • 86 Laps / 228.76 Miles
Fin
Str
Trk
Driver
Team
Laps
Pts
Status
Laps Led
1
2
7
Sammy Smith (i) (C)
Spectrum Chevrolet
86
0
Running
21
2
7
18
Tyler Ankrum (C)
LIUNA Chevrolet
86
35
Running
—
3
6
77
Austin Green (i) (C)
Gunk Chevrolet
86
0
Running
14
4
1
88
Ty Majeski (C)
Ideal Door/Menards Ford
86
42
Running
7
5
3
11
Kaden Honeycutt (C)
Safelite Toyota
86
48
Running
8
6
30
45
Landen Lewis (C)
J.F. Eletric/Utilitra Chevrolet
86
36
Running
—
7
36
12
Brenden Queen #
Cummins RAM
86
31
Running
—
8
9
34
Layne Riggs (C)
Love’s Travel Stops/Peak Ford
86
44
Running
6
9
32
76
Spencer Boyd
Desnuda Organic Tequila Chevrolet
86
28
Running
—
10
8
1
Corey Heim (C)
Frontline Enterprises Toyota
86
34
Running
—
11
13
15
Tanner Gray
Place of Hope Toyota
86
40
Running
9
12
31
33
Frankie Muniz
Morgan & Morgan Ford
86
25
Running
—
13
34
2
Jason White
Mum Collective Ford
86
24
Running
—
14
14
38
Chandler Smith (C)
QuickTie/Cole Swindell – Down Home Crew Ford
86
23
Running
—
15
21
95
Clay Greenfield
Backyard Blues Pools Chevrolet
86
22
Running
—
16
35
56
Timmy Hill
Coble Enterprises Toyota
86
21
Running
1
17
17
99
Ben Rhodes (C)
TYM Ford
86
33
Running
3
18
16
62
Cory Roper
Drydene Toyota
85
19
Accident
—
19
26
26
Dawson Sutton
Rackley Roofing Chevrolet
85
23
Running
1
20
17
16
Justin Haley
Grizzly Nicotine Pouches RAM
84
19
Running
2
21
20
91
Christian Eckes (C)
NAPA AccuFit Chevrolet
83
16
Running
—
22
33
22
Josh Reaume
Aerial Titans Ford
82
15
Running
1
23
19
5
Thomas Annunziata
Eat Clean Bro Toyota
78
14
Accident
1
24
18
9
Grant Enfinger (C)
Grant County Mulch Chevrolet
78
13
Accident
4
25
4
17
Giovanni Ruggiero (C)
Panini Flawless Toyota
57
22
Running
5
26
11
98
Jake Garcia
Quanta/Curb Records Ford
56
11
Accident
3
27
28
42
Conner Jones
Niece Equipment Chevrolet
56
10
Accident
—
28
23
14
Mini Tyrrell #
Patriot Mobile RAM
48
10
Radiator
—
29
5
13
Cole Butcher #
Atlantic Tilt Load Ford
43
8
Accident
—
30
5
52
Stewart Friesen
Halmar International Toyota
16
7
Accident
—
31
25
44
Andres Perez De Lara
Acceptance Insurance Chevrolet
16
6
Accident
—
32
12
81
Kris Wright
Warranty Solutions Chevrolet
16
5
Accident
—
33
22
10
Corey LaJoie
Mopar RAM
16
4
Accident
—
34
29
25
Tony Stewart
RAM RAM
16
3
Accident
—
35
27
19
Daniel Hemric (C)
Motion Industries Chevrolet
16
2
Accident
—
36
24
4
Cleetus McFarland (i)
Blues Hog Chevrolet
16
0
Accident
—
Winner: Sammy Smith (i) (C) • Margin of Victory: 0.091 seconds • Avg. Speed: 120.224 MPH • Time of Race: 1 Hr, 54 Min, 10 Sec • Fastest Lap: #26, Lap 16, 49.448 sec • (C) = Championship eligible • # = Rookie • (i) = Ineligible for points. Source: NASCAR Statistics, 10/23/2026.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist who covers MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, boxing, golf, and Olympic sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Newspaper and Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering the Olympics, pro baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin