S.M.A.S.H iRacing East Coast Truck Series: Canova Conquers Texas

By S.M.A.S.H — June 5, 2026

The S.M.A.S.H East Coast Truck Series rolled into Texas Motor Speedway with the points battle tightening and the season closing in fast.

With only two weeks left in the championship fight, Friday night was not just about winning a race.

It was about execution.

It was about discipline.

It was about taking care of the truck, managing the run, and making every lap count.

When the checkered flag fell after 90 laps, Dillon Canova stood on top.

Canova drove the No. 70 Chevrolet Silverado to victory in the East Coast Truck Series at Texas, putting together a strong run after starting seventh and working his way to the front. In a race that stayed green from start to finish, track position had to be earned the hard way.

No cheap breaks.

No caution resets.

No free chances to recover.

Just 90 laps of racing, pressure, and execution.

Canova Gets It Done

Dillon Canova did not start from the pole.

He did not control the entire race from the drop of the green.

He had to race his way into position and make the most of the speed underneath him.

Canova started seventh, but once the No. 70 found clean air and rhythm, he became the driver everyone had to deal with. He led 39 laps, recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 30.0868, and brought home the win in one of the cleanest East Coast Truck Series races of the season.

That kind of result matters at this point in the year.

With the season winding down, a win is more than a trophy.

It is momentum.

It is points.

It is a statement.

And Canova made one at Texas.

Hernandez Comes Home Second

Patrick Hernandez brought the No. 91 Toyota Tundra home in second after starting fifth.

Hernandez stayed in the fight all night and finished just over six seconds behind Canova. In a caution-free race, that kind of result speaks to consistency. There were no late restarts to bunch the field back together, no yellow flag strategy to reset the order, and no easy way to close a gap once it opened.

Hernandez had to keep the truck under him, hit his marks, and stay within reach.

He did exactly that and left Texas with a strong runner-up finish.

Marcum Adds Another Strong Run

Shane Marcum finished third in the No. 47 Chevrolet Silverado, giving him another strong result on the night.

Marcum started third and finished third, keeping himself in podium position from start to finish. That may not sound flashy, but in a clean 90-lap race, holding position near the front is not easy. Drivers still have to manage traffic, tires, and long-run speed while avoiding mistakes.

Marcum stayed steady and brought home another top-three finish.

That is the kind of run that keeps a driver in the conversation when the points battle gets serious.

O'Connor and Drost Round Out the Top Five

Cody O'Connor finished fourth in the No. 57 Chevrolet Silverado after starting eighth.

O'Connor moved forward four spots and gave himself a strong finish inside the top five. At Texas, especially without cautions, passing takes work. Drivers have to build runs, finish moves, and keep the truck clean long enough to make the next one happen.

O'Connor did that and came away with a solid fourth-place run.

Rounding out the top five was Scott Drost in the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado.

Drost started eleventh and climbed to fifth, gaining six positions by the end of the race. That was one of the better drives of the night and another example of how patience can pay off when the race stays green.

Trammell Makes the Biggest Move

One of the standout runs of the race belonged to Chris Trammell.

Trammell started seventeenth and finished sixth, gaining 11 positions by the time the race was over.

In a caution-free race, that is not easy.

There were no restarts to stack the field up and give him an easy chance to jump spots. He had to pass trucks under green, avoid trouble, and keep moving forward while the race pace stayed up.

That kind of drive deserves attention.

It was not the win, but it was one of the strongest recovery runs of the night.

DeWeese Controls Early but Finishes Eighth

Braxton DeWeese started from the pole in the No. 15 Ford F-150 and showed serious speed early.

DeWeese led a race-high 46 laps, the most of any driver in the field. For much of the night, he looked like one of the trucks to beat.

But Texas can change over a long green-flag run.

As the race played out, DeWeese slipped back to eighth by the finish. Still, leading 46 laps in the East Coast Truck Series is no small thing. The speed was there. The pace was there. The front-running ability was there.

The finish may not have matched the early control, but DeWeese made his presence known.

A Clean Texas Race

The biggest story of the night may have been how clean the race was.

The East Coast Truck Series went 90 laps with zero cautions.

That matters.

It shows the field was able to race hard without constantly tearing itself apart. It shows drivers were patient enough to manage the race and disciplined enough to keep it green. At a track like Texas, with speed, dirty air, and late-season pressure, that is worth noting.

There were three lead changes during the race, with four drivers leading laps.

Braxton DeWeese led 46 laps.

Dillon Canova led 39 laps.

Brian Smith64 led 3 laps.

Lee Richardson IV led 2 laps.

That gave the race movement at the front, but the overall tone was clean and controlled.

For a series built around competition and respect, this was the kind of race that shows what the East Coast Truck Series can be when the field settles in and races the right way.

Official Top 10 Finishers

1. Dillon Canova — No. 70

2. Patrick Hernandez — No. 91

3. Shane Marcum — No. 47

4. Cody Oconnor — No. 57

5. Scott Drost — No. 2

6. Chris Trammell — No. 9

7. Austin Gum — No. 6

8. Braxton DeWeese — No. 15

9. Brian Smith64 — No. 26

10. Adrian De Leon — No. 12

Final Stretch Pressure

The East Coast Truck Series is now deep into the final push of the season.

Every race means more.

Every spot means more.

Every mistake costs more.

Texas gave drivers a chance to show speed, but it also rewarded the ones who could stay clean and think long-term. With no cautions, the race was not about surviving restarts or dodging repeated chaos. It was about pace, control, and consistency.

That kind of race can expose the field quickly.

Drivers who had long-run speed showed it.

Drivers who could save the truck showed it.

Drivers who overextended had nowhere to hide.

As the points battle continues, nights like this could make a major difference.

Final Word

Dillon Canova leaves Texas Motor Speedway with a strong East Coast Truck Series victory after starting seventh, leading 39 laps, and setting the fastest lap of the race.

Patrick Hernandez finished second with a steady run from fifth.

Shane Marcum added another podium finish in third.

Cody O'Connor and Scott Drost rounded out the top five.

Chris Trammell charged from seventeenth to sixth.

And Braxton DeWeese showed early control by leading 46 laps from the pole.

The race went caution-free for 90 laps, giving the East Coast Truck Series one of its cleanest and most disciplined runs of the season.

Now the points battle moves one step closer to the finish.

The pressure is not going away.

The margin for mistakes is getting smaller.

And every driver still has something to prove.

Integrity • Respect • Competition