Jesse Iwuji had a major crash in NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series qualifying on Friday, but his No. 34 Reaume Brothers Racing team had locked in the final starting spot due to Owner Points.
However, the team was without a backup truck in the hauler. As a result, Iwuji was sent packing.
The No. 34 sought out a team that didn’t make the field, who would rebrand to the No. 34 truck, and they found one. The No. 08 truck, which is driven by Justin Johnson and missed the show, has now been re-numbered with the No. 34 on the side and Johnson will get a shot to drive in Friday night’s World of Westgate 200, after it appeared he had missed out.
Before and after. @JustinJohnson51 pic.twitter.com/hjdYbbshjr
— Ryan Pistana (@ryanpistana) September 14, 2019
Reamue Brothers Racing will receive the owner points for Johnson’s efforts on Friday night.
It’s a bummer break for Iwuji, but it’s an awesome opportunity for Johnson, who is a Las Vegas native.
Can the hometown boy nab a decent finish? Time will ultimately tell, but Johnson does have one top-10 finish in four previous Truck Series starts.
(h/t to Seth Eggert of MotorsportsTribune for information that helped this story come together)