Jake Garcia outduels his teammate for final NASCAR Truck Series playoff spot

Very rarely does the student outduel the master, but that's exactly what happened in Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular-season finale at Richmond Raceway. 

20-year-old Jake Garcia entered the eero 250 leading two-time series champion and ThorSport Racing teammate Ben Rhodes by 11 points for the 10th and final spot in the Truck Series playoffs. 

But even with a slim points advantage, Garcia still lacked the experience and championship pedigree of Rhodes. That didn't seem to deter the third-year driver, however, as despite a rash of different strategies and a late-race caution that shook things up, Garcia stood strong and finished seventh, claiming the final playoff spot for himself. 

"I just did my best to run a smart race in the second half," Garcia told Fox Sports. "Even the first half, there were some moments where we were four-wide, and that's not going to work at Richmond. There were some points where I had to bail out. Our truck was really fast; I think we could've finished top-five."