STATESVILLE, N.C. – Justin Haley proudly proclaimed following his win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park that the dark horse had made it into the Round of 6.

With no pressure now for the next two races, Haley is hoping that dark horse mantra will continue and carry him all the way to the championship finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in November.

The 19-year-old from Winimac, Ind., snuck through a last-corner melee that saw Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson get together and spin racing for the victory, allowing Haley to slip through from third and steal the Chevrolet Silverado 250 trophy from the Toyota duo.

It was a moment that carried with it plenty of emotion in victory lane, especially considering it was Haley’s first road-course win since starting his NASCAR career.

“Obviously, the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park race was thrilling for everyone, but especially for us with how we took the win,” noted Haley. “The seas parted for me and I saw my dreams come true coming out of that last corner. I didn’t think it was going to be meant to be for us on Sunday, but it was really cool to capture that win and check off a box that I’ve been waiting to fill ever since I came into NASCAR.”

Not only did Haley’s win secure his berth in the Round of 6, it also elevated him from seventh to fourth in the provisional playoff seeding with two races left before the reset at the end of the first round.

That’s a stark change from one year ago, when Haley had to sit out two races early in the season due to age restrictions and missed the playoffs as a result.

“It’s really cool to be in the position that we’re in right now,” said Haley. “Last year, I was in the position of not even making the playoffs, so having the opportunity to win and advance and know that we’re already in the next round with a shot to push through to Homestead is huge for our group and a weight off our shoulders, certainly.

“When we went up there, our mission was to win, but first and foremost we just wanted to have a good points day,” Haley added. “We knew that if we ran around the front (of the field) all day that we could accomplish that goal, and by focusing on ourselves we actually scored the most points out of anyone during the race. It was a round of opportunity for us, and being able to lock ourselves into the Round of 6 this early is definitely a big sigh of relief for me and for my entire team. I said before the race that I hoped we won it because then I wouldn’t overthink the whole playoff thing, and we accomplished that.”

Now in his second season working with crew chief Kevin Bellicourt, Haley feels that he and his squad are hitting their stride at the perfect time.

He’s also thankful that they don’t have to lose sleep over the first elimination race in the playoffs, which comes at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October. The 2.66-mile behemoth is often regarded as the ultimate wild card race due to the restrictor-plate racing that takes place there.

“My crew chief, Kevin Bellicourt, he’s young … and I’ve got a pretty young crew and we’re all pretty feisty, with a lot of fight in us,” Haley said. “It’s just awesome. We’re locked into the next round. We don’t have to worry about Talladega. That’s big for us and lets us focus our fight deeper in the playoffs.”

However, despite their big statement early in the championship fight, Haley is hoping that he and his No. 24 team continue to fly under the radar until it’s time to do battle for the title in Miami.

“The tables have turned, I feel like, but I hope we don’t shed the dark horse label because I actually really like it,” Haley laughed. “I’m the dark horse and it’s what I’m going to continue saying.

“I went up to the graphics department at GMS this week and we have these little black horses that we’re going to put by my name on the truck, and it’s going to be on there the rest of the year. It’s pretty cool. I like being the underdog and even if we go out and win the next two races, I’m still going to say that’s what we are because it’s where we came from.”