After how many years did a playoff Truck Series driver win at Talladega? Exploring how Grant Enfinger disrupted the unwanted streak

Grant Enfinger ended a nine-year stretch of no playoff driver winning at Talladega by claiming victory in the latest NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. His win in the Love’s RV Stop 225 also earned him a spot in the championship race at Phoenix in November.

During this Friday's playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway, Enfinger led 34 laps in his No. 9 Chevrolet. He won Stage 2 and stayed in the lead on the last lap when a caution ended the race. In the process, the 39-year-old gained his 11th career victory and his first of the season.

This was the first time that a playoff driver had won at the 2.66-mile track in nine playoff races. Enfinger had previously won at Talladega in 2016, but he was not in the playoffs that year.

A crash between Daniel Dye and Tyler Ankrum triggered yellow and checkered flags just before the finish. The race ended with Enfinger leading Taylor Gray under caution. Enfinger edged out Gray by a mere 0.041 seconds to secure the victory and claim 19 of 20 possible stage points.

The victory was historic as it marked CR7 Motorsports' first win in the Truck Series.

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"Nothing like winning at your home track" - Grant Enfinger on Talladega victory

Grant Enfinger made his debut in the Truck series at the Mountain Dew 250 at Talladega in 2010, and his first race win was the 2016 Fred's 250.

Enfinger also made it to the Championship 4 last year and finished sixth at Phoenix. He won three races at Kansas, Gateway, and Milwaukee and had a strong performance throughout the season.

This year, he returned to CR7 Motorsports for a full-time role in the No. 9 truck. He finished 17th at Daytona and secured five top-five and eight top-10 finishes before his win this Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Following his victory, Enfinger commented that the first race of the Round of 8 was demanding, but his truck possessed the speed necessary to win. He expressed that the win held special significance at his home track with his children present, and he is now eager to compete for the championship in Phoenix.

"We knew stuff was going to get dicey. We didn't make all of the perfect decisions today, but we had a Chevy that was fast enough to get it done today ... Hopefully all of the fans enjoyed it. Nothing like winning at your home track. Got my family here. First win with my daughter and my son here. Looking forward to that, and now we get to race for a championship in Phoenix," the 39-year-old said.

Enfinger also competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series for Sigma Performance Service and won the 2015 championshop for GMS Racing.