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Author: Briar Starr

  • Justin Haley Finishes Eighth at Homestead and Third in Final Standings

    Justin Haley Finishes Eighth at Homestead and Third in Final Standings

    Justin Haley had quite the year with three wins which locked him into the Championship 4 after winning at Texas just a few weeks ago. However, the No. 24 GMS Racing team just couldn’t find the magic Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He finished eighth in the Ford Ecoboost 200 and third in the year-end standings after battling a loose truck all night.

    “When we fired off and just about five laps into the run, we lost all speed. I think Johnny (Sauter) had the same issues,” Haley told MRN Radio. “I think the GMS camp just missed a little bit tonight and we win together, lose together.”

    “Unfortunate night, but really good season. Everyone at Fraternal Order of Eagles and GMS has me an opportunity to run at the championship, definitely means a lot. So, going to hang our heads high and move on to next year.”

    Haley believes they did the best they could trying to win the championship.

    “It obviously could have gone better, but I say we made a solid run at it” he continued. “I’m not the best at running Homestead and I’m not the best running the board, so probably a little lack of driver here tonight as well.”

    Haley finishes the season with three wins, nine top fives and 18 top 10 finishes with 60 laps led.

  • Brett Moffitt Wins Race and Truck Series Championship at Homestead

    Brett Moffitt Wins Race and Truck Series Championship at Homestead

    The Cinderella story came true and the cream rose to the top as Brett Moffitt won the race and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship after a career-high six wins in the series. It’s Moffitt’s first championship of any kind.

    “Well I say, Zippy, and everybody at HRE gave me a really fast tundra and I think we made the bottom work, a helluva lot better than anybody,” the 2018 Truck Series Champion said to MRN Radio. “So that gave me an opportunity to get down there, but doing that is harsh on the tires. I knew we were faster than them, it was just about getting them and getting momentum off (Turn) 2, dive bomb into (Turn) 3.”

    “The first attempt I did at it, I just wasn’t aggressive enough and got the tires hot, and had to go back up to the top to cool them down a few laps and make another charge, but I can’t just speak enough for everyone in this race team and how hard they worked. Our pit crew tonight did an amazing job and man those were a long last 20 laps.”

    Stages of 30/30/74 laps made up the 134 lap race.

    Grant Enfinger and Stewart Friesen started on the front row. Playoff drivers Noah Gragson started third, Justin Haley fourth, Moffitt fifth and Johnny Sauter sixth.

    The first stage went 30 laps caution free and Enfinger led them all to take Stage 1. Gragson was second, Moffitt was third, Haley was sixth, and Sauter was 13th.

    Stage 2 began on lap 37 and went to lap 60, and once again was caution free, but this time with a little more drama. Gragson took the lead on the restart, but Moffitt passed him just a few laps later to win Stage 2. Gragson was second, Haley eighth, and Sauter 10th. The playoff contenders were reporting their trucks were either tight or loose.

    The final stage resumed with 67 laps to go and Moffitt and Gragson were on the front row.

    Gragson led in the beginning but had to fight a hard-charging Moffitt who kept right with him for the lead. There were a couple of close calls, but eventually, Moffitt took the lead with 35 to go, which put Gragson back in second.

    Unfortunately, a tire issue caused Gragson to pit earlier than expected and caused him to lose a ton of ground, which ultimately cost him the championship. After the pit stops, Moffitt recycled as the leader and was unchallenged for the rest of the race, going on to win his first ever Truck Series championship.

    The team came close to shutting down right before the Chicagoland race, and Moffitt emphasized how important it was to have sponsorship or else they wouldn’t be here.

    “It just speaks to how badass our people are, no matter what’s going on whether it’s diverse or not, or troubles or not,” Moffitt told MRN Radio. “They keep working and preparing to go to the racetrack week in and week out, whether they know they’re going or not, and that just says a lot.

    For Moffitt credits his success in the Truck Series to his prior experience in the Cup Series for making him a better driver.

    “Well I kind of blame my Cup career for being so good in the Trucks early on,” the Hattori Racing driver  told MRN Radio.” “When I was Cup racing, I really wasn’t developed and I had to learn really quick, and the hard way essentially. Coming to a racetrack in a Truck, everything is a little bit easier and calmer, you’re not fighting as many handling characteristics as the Cup cars and in the Cup Series, you’re racing the 40 best guys in the world. It helped my learning curve. It wasn’t the ideal way to do it, but these Trucks are a little bit easier for me to adapt to.”

    There were two cautions for 12 laps during the race and 10 lead changes among seven drivers.

    This was Moffitt’s sixth win of the season and the seventh of his career. He led three times for 59 laps including the final 29 laps to become the 2018 Truck Series Champion.

    Playoff drivers:
    Noah Gragson 3rd
    Justin Haley 8th
    Johnny Sauter 12th

  • Nascar Camping World Truck Series Preview-Homestead

    Nascar Camping World Truck Series Preview-Homestead

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series runs for the last time this year as they head to Homestead-Miami Speedway in Southern Florida for the final race of the season and the site where the champion will be decided Friday night.

    While the focus will certainly be on the Championship 4 drivers, there has to be someone who wins the race whether it’s one of the four championship drivers or one of the other 29 drivers who also have a shot at winning. Either way, it’s going to be another exciting race this season and 33 drivers will be looking to end their season on a high note with a victory. But, there can only be one winner.

    For the final time this season, here’s a look at who might just end up in victory lane Friday night following the Ford 200.

    Currently, there are 33 trucks entered on the preliminary entry list.

    Some notables to point out, Jeb Burton in the 30, Robby Lyons in the 33, Brennan Poole back in the 35, Ross Chastain in the 38, Mike Harmon in the 50, Chris Windom in the 54, and Joe Nemechek in the 87.

    1. Matt Crafton – It’s been a long and difficult season for the No. 88 Thorsport team of Matt Crafton, who had many issues that have prevented him from winning and strong finishes. One can only think that despite the difficult season, Crafton wants to end the season with a win and carry the momentum going into 2019, and he could do just that. He’s the most experienced active driver at Homestead with the most starts, 17, plus one win that came in 2015 along with three top fives, nine top 10 finishes, 141 laps led, an average start of 11.2 and an average finish of 11.1. In last year’s race, Crafton finished seventh and eighth in both stages. Homestead is also the site where he has won two back-to-back championships.

    2. Ben Rhodes – While his stats may not be all that great, Rhodes is looking for redemption at the 1.5-mile racetrack. In just two starts, he has an average start of 6.5 and an average finish of 19.5. Rhodes also has 43 laps led and finishes of 20th and 19th. He was strong last year where he finished fourth and won Stage 2 before an issue prevented him from winning the race.

    3. John Hunter Nemechek – Nemechek has the best finish of second in 2015, which was his first race at Homestead Miami. He has 24 laps led with an average start of 7.3 and an average finish of 9.3. Nemechek is job searching for 2019 and winning the race just might help him in many ways, as he has been consistent and strong all season long, even scoring his first Xfinity Series win at Kansas.

    4. Johnny Sauter – If there is one driver who could win the race and the championship, it’s Sauter. He has 11 starts with one back in 2011, four top fives and eight top 10 finishes with 64 laps led and one DNF. Sauter also has an average start of 13.2 and an average finish of 10.1. In the last five races, he has finished third twice, seventh, 10th, and 16th. Sauter won the championship in 2016 and finished eighth and fifth in both stages and has completed 93 percent of laps.

    5. Grant Enfinger – Enfinger fell just short of advancing to the Championship 4 last week at ISM Raceway, but he still has a shot to win the race Friday night at Homestead. What a statement it would be if Enfinger wins Friday night and he might just do that. He finished third in Stage 1 last year to ultimately finish eighth after starting fourth.

    There have been 22 races at Homestead since 1996 with 20 different winners. Only two have been able to repeat, Kyle Busch and Todd Bodine.

    Dave  Rezendes was the first Truck Series race winner at Homestead in 1996. Since then it’s been a list of who’s who ranging from Kenny Irwin Jr, Rick Crawford, Mike Wallace, Andy Houston, Ted Musgrave, Ron Hornaday, Bobby Hamilton, Kasey Kahne, Todd Bodine, Mark Martin, Johnny Benson, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Johnny Sauter, Cale Gale, Darrell Wallace Jr, Matt Crafton, William Byron, and Chase Briscoe.

    So far a driver has not won the race and the championship in the same year. The closet a champion has ever come from to win the race was Christopher Bell who finished second last year.

    The lowest a race winner has come from to win was 18th set by Todd Bodine in 2008 and the highest was from first place, which has happened four times with Briscoe, Byron, Crafton, and Byron.

    Toyota has the most wins with eight followed by Ford with six, Chevy with five and Dodge with three. The closest margin of victory came in 2012, where Kyle Busch and Cale Gale battled to the finish of .014 seconds. Two races finished under caution back in 2011 and 2005.

    The truckers get on track first thing Friday morning at 8:35 a.m. ET for the first practice and final practice at 10:05 a.m. ET with no live TV coverage. Qualifying is slated for 3:45 p.m. ET live on FOX Sports 1.

    Race coverage begins Friday night at 8 p.m. ET with the green flag scheduled to drop at 8:15 p.m. ET live on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Championship Analysis- Noah Gragson

    Championship Analysis- Noah Gragson

    It’s been a long time coming for the Las Vegas native who is competing for his first championship. this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Noah Gragson started racing in the Truck Series in 2016 in the final two races of the year at ISM and Homestead.

    Since then, he’s become a fan favorite among the younger and older fans. Gragson is slowly but surely gaining popularity and a solid fan base every year. He is currently in the top five fan vote for the most popular driver in the Truck Series, which speaks volumes to his rising star status. Certainly, winning a championship could improve the odds of him winning the popular driver award.

    How Gragson Got Here? Gragson won at Kansas in May solidifying a spot in the Playoffs. It wasn’t easy before that, however, as he crashed at Daytona to start the season. He ran second at Atlanta, 12th at Las Vegas in the March race, fifth at Martinsville, and wrecked out at Dover after trying to take the lead from Johnny Sauter in the final laps. Gragson’s moment to shine came at Kansas, where he started first and finished first, after leading 128 laps. Since then, he’s been consistent by winning stages, leading laps, and running up front.  He also has a couple of poles at Chicago and Kentucky, which are Homestead-like tracks.

    When the playoffs began at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Gragson was following close behind teammate Todd Gilliland, who was also seeking his first win. Gragson made a dive bomb move and took both of them out for the win and a decent finish. At Vegas and Talladega, he had finishes of 18th and 13th. Gragson was leading on the final lap before he got taken out at Talladega for the win.

    Coming into ISM, he was 18 points above the cut line, needing a solid points day. After the dismal Texas race, Gragson was determined to win and he almost pulled it off, but it didn’t come without challenges. He started on the pole and finished second, and eighth, respectively in both stages. However, during a caution, Gragson slid through his pit box causing him to lose several spots. He rebounded and was back as the leader on lap 136. Enfinger, who also was fighting for a win the Championship 4, was ahead of Gragson at times in the race. Had Enfinger won, Noah would have been knocked out of the contention for the championship. But the Las Vegas native pulled it off on a late race restart and held off an aggressive Enfinger to claim his spot in the Championship 4.

    Gragson’s Chances? Since he made his debut in 2016, Gragson has two starts at Homestead with finishes of 15th and 18th. In last year’s race, he finished three laps down. That’s not good enough to become champion unless something catastrophic happens to the other three which would be a rare case, but it has happened before.

    Final Analysis – For right now, it would be Gragson’s last truck race for quite a while, as he moves up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series to drive for the No. 1 JR Motorsports team in 2019 replacing the retired Elliott Sadler. It would end on a sweet note for the Kyle Busch Motorsports driver if he’s able to lock up the championship. In 2018, Gragson has one win, four top fives and 13 top 10s, and 187 laps led along with four DNF’s and three poles. Another notable, if he wins the championship, Noah would be the third KBM driver to win it and the second youngest to win the championship in the Truck Series at the age of 20.

  • Championship Analysis-Justin Haley

    Championship Analysis-Justin Haley

    The 2018 season was Justin Haley’s first full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving the No. 24 GMS Racing Chevy. And, what a season it has been for the Indiana native. Haley placed the second GMS truck in the championship race giving the team a 50 percent of winning the championship. Unlike Moffitt, Haley does have one start at Homestead that came last year, where he finished ninth for Maury Gallagher. It’s been a solid season for the 24 GMS Racing team who has been consistent all season. Let’s take a look at how Haley got here.

    How Haley Got Here – Haley came out with a bang with a second place finish giving GMS a one-two finish at Daytona. He continued to be consistent with top five and top 10 finishes. Haley’s breakthrough came with his first win at Gateway Motorsports Park in the summer. The team continued to stay strong before the Playoffs began.

    When the Playoffs began at Mosport, Haley won with last lap controversy between Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates that saw Haley in the right spot at the right time to collect win number two. He continued to have finishes of third at Las Vegas, fourth at Talladega, and sixth at Martinsville. Haley was just two points below the cut line coming into Texas, but race leader Todd Gilliland ran out of gas, giving Haley the opportunity to go right on by to win and lock himself into the Championship 4.

    Haley’s Chances – He’s only got one start at Homestead, which came last year where he finished ninth after starting seventh. More importantly, it was a GMS entry. Haley finished ninth and 10th, respectively, in both stages.

    Final Analysis – Should Haley win the championship, it would be deserving for the rising star and helpful in his job search. During the post-race press conference following the ISM race, he said he doesn’t know where he’ll be and doesn’t have anything lined up currently for 2019. However, winning a championship could help his chances of landing a ride. Nonetheless, 2018 has been a consistent season for the Indiana native who has collected three wins, nine top fives and 17 top 10 finishes with 60 laps led. The championship win might just be his most important win yet.

  • Championship Analysis-Brett Moffitt

    Championship Analysis-Brett Moffitt

    Brett Moffitt – Speaking of dream seasons, it sure has been one for Hattori Racing who has faced tons of adversity this year but persevered in the end. The team was uncertain if they would make it this year due to sponsorship woes. At one point, the team came close to shutting down in the summer due to a lack of funding. Even throughout the Playoffs, Hattori was still seeking sponsorship. So much so, that they showed up unsponsored at Talladega, but eventually a sponsor showed up before race day. They were the Cinderella story for most of the year until becoming favorites to win races. Moffitt is known to the Truck Series, but this is his first full time season and you wouldn’t know it with the kind of numbers he has put up.

    How Moffitt Got Here – A win at Atlanta solidified him a spot in the playoffs, but that looked gloomy throughout most of the year, as you never know when the team could shut down. A thrilling victory in his home state of Iowa gave him win number two of the season. Just two races later, he followed up at Chicagoland after John Hunter Nemechek ran out of fuel. Moffitt even passed Johnny Sauter at the finish line in Michigan to win the race. The Playoffs began at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with a finish of third for Moffitt. He had a forgettable finish at Las Vegas and Talladega. However, Hattori Racing came back and finished second at Martinsville and third at Texas. Coming into ISM, Moffitt was 22 points comfortably above the cut line. All he had to do was finish well and avoid anything catastrophic. Moffitt did more than just finish well, he went on to win the race after a late race restart for his fifth win of the season. This gave him an automatic berth for the Championship 4. He was in, regardless, but typically drivers want to win when the opportunity is presented to them and to make a statement to the field.

    Moffitt’s Chances – He has never competed at Homestead in a Truck, but has in a Cup car. In his first two starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, Moffitt has finishes of 36th and 31st. The last time he competed at Homestead was in 2015. However, at 1.5-mile tracks, Moffitt has finishes of first, third, 16th, fourth, 18th, first, first, first, 11th, and third.

    Final Analysis – The road to the Championship race has not been easy for the Grimes, Iowa native. Moffitt’s career started in the Cup Series driving for team owners such as Jay Robinson, Michael Waltrip, Bob Jenkins, and BK Racing. Moffitt’s best finish in a Cup car was eighth in Atlanta in 2015. He has made two Xfinity starts in his career, one in 2012 for Robby Benton Racing and the other for Maury Gallagher in 2017. He’s enjoyed success in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East with 10 career wins, 34 top fives, 45 top 10 finishes and 10 poles. Moffitt’s first ever win came a long time ago back in 2009. He made a total of 11 starts for the now defunct Red Horse Racing including a win back in 2016 at Michigan, before the team shut down in mid-2017. It would be only sweeter after all the adversity Moffitt has faced in his career if he could cap it off with a championship in Southern Florida. He has no 2019 plans, but one would think that winning a championship might just help those plans come together, whether it’s a return with Hattori or driving somewhere else. He would be the series 24th champion and the 15th first time champion in the Truck Series.

  • Championship Analysis- Johnny Sauter

    Championship Analysis- Johnny Sauter

    Coming into the 2018 season, one thing was on Sauter’s mind and that was to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. In 2017, he had four wins and raced in the championship 4, only to finish one spot short of being a two-time consecutive champion.

    This year, the No. 21 team fired right out of the gate with a win at Daytona, which automatically qualified him for the playoffs. Since then, Sauter has claimed five more wins at Dover, Charlotte, Fort Worth, Bristol, and Martinsville. The lowest Sauter has ever finished this season was 22nd at Talladega when he got caught up in an accident. Otherwise, his stats have been spectacular with 14 top fives, 17 top 10 finishes, 585 laps led and only one DNF. That’s a championship season and contender if you ask me.

    How He Got Here: A dominant performance at Martinsville with a win gave him a championship berth at Homestead for a third consecutive time. The team has had somewhat indifferent finishes the past two weeks, but the focus is now on Homestead.

    Sauter’s Chances: Sauter has been stellar in recent years at Homestead. You could say he’s the championship favorite. His first few outings were not that great with a 33rd and 20th place finish. He began to turn things around in 2009 when he finished ninth and in 2010 with a 10th place finish. In 2011, Sauter won the race and he followed that up with a sixth in 2012 and 16th in 2013 at Homestead. In 2016, Sauter’s championship season, he started 19th and finished third, good enough for him to become champion for the first time ever. He also finished in the same spot last year but he came up short, losing the championship to Christopher Bell.

    Final Analysis: All eyes will be on the No. 21 GMS Racing team as they are the favorites to win again. Should Sauter win at Homestead, it would be his seventh win of the year, the most he’s ever had in a season. If he wins, he’ll also be tied with legends of the series such as Todd Bodine and Matt Crafton. He would become the third two-time champion of the series.

  • Four Takeaways from the Nascar Camping World Truck Series Race at ISM Raceway

    Four Takeaways from the Nascar Camping World Truck Series Race at ISM Raceway

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visited the desert this past weekend for the annual Lucas Oil 150 at the newly renamed and reconfigured ISM Raceway.

    It wasn’t much of a change track wise, as the start/finish line was moved to the backstretch, while the pit road was extended. Mainly, it was the fan experience that was added in the infield where the fans could watch from the garage area and see the cars up front.

    However, as always, the Truck Series provided an action-packed race and provided some playoff drama throughout the race, and toward the end of the race as well.

    Here are four takeaways from the Lucas Oil 150 from ISM Raceway.

    1. Championship 4 Set – The Championship 4 was set this past Friday night with two drivers already locked into the Playoffs. Two more, Brett Moffitt and Noah Gragson, were locked in at ISM Raceway. It’s a competitive Championship 4 this year with a champion in the series and the rest of the field that has run up front and won multiple races throughout the year. It’s been an exciting season for the Truck Series with plenty of thrilling finishes and familiar faces in victory lane. It all ends with the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Southern Florida.

    2. Justin Haley Has No Plans For 2019 – During the post-race press conference following the Lucas Oil 150, Haley said that he currently has no plans for the 2019 racing season. He hopes winning a championship might solidify his chances and maybe bring more offers to the table. Either way, Haley is a great talent and should be able to find something for 2019, but nothing is guaranteed.

    3. Johnny Sauter and Justin Haley Frustrated With Hattori Racing Using Toyota But Not So Fast Says Scott Zipadelli – During the post-race press conference, Sauter and Haley expressed their frustration with Hattori Racing using a Joe Gibbs Racing engine, which gives the team a slight advantage with shifting. Sauter was the biggest critic of them all and is concerned about the race this weekend at Homestead. If Hattori uses the same engine again, Sauter believes it’s not a fair shot for the other Championship 4 drivers and it might be game over. However, Scott Zipadelli believes it’s just an excuse for getting beat.

    4. Derek Kraus Gets A For Effort In Truck Series Debut/Sheldon Creed Full Time With GMS Racing In 2019 – Derek Kraus made his Truck Series debut this past weekend at ISM Raceway and wound up finishing eighth with a 10th in Stage 2. Not bad for the Bill McAnally team. In other news, Sheldon Creed announced during qualifying that he has signed with the GMS Racing team for a full-time ride in 2019. Number and sponsor is to be announced at a later date.

  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Power Rankings-Phoenix

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Power Rankings-Phoenix

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visited the newly reconfigured ISM Raceway, formerly known as Phoenix International Raceway. It was the final race in the Round of 6 in order to set the stage for the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Southern Florida.

    The race saw some familiar faces up front and it was interesting throughout the race, where drivers who were in a must-win situation were actually leading the race but fell short in the end.

    Here’s a look at this week’s power rankings from ISM Raceway.

    1. Brett Moffitt – After having a couple of weeks of strong finishes, Moffitt and the No. 16 team returned to victory lane this past weekend. He won Stage 1, led 16 laps and finished second in Stage 2. With a late race caution, Moffitt found himself in contention for the win. He made a pass for the lead after the restart and held on to win the final three laps for his fifth victory of the season. It was Moffitt’s first since his thrilling victory at Michigan in the summer. It’s been a dream season for Hattori Racing and Moffitt, who are now locked into the championship race.

    Previous Week Ranking: 2nd

    2. Noah Gragson – From a somewhat dismal finish last week at Texas, Gragson rebounded and followed it up with a dominant performance at ISM, but fell one spot short of winning. He sat on the pole and led the first 32 laps. Gragson overslid his pit stop during a caution early and lost several spots. In Stage 1, he finished second with an eighth-place finish in Stage 2. It took him a little while to get back up front, but Gragson was the leader again on Lap 136.  He had to fend off a hard charging Grant Enfinger who was also fighting for a spot in the championship. At one point, Gragson was out of the championship race, but came back and finished second ahead of Enfinger. It will be his first championship appearance.

    Previous Week Ranking: Fell Out

    3. Stewart Friesen – It was a quiet night for the No. 52 Halmar Racing driver who finished fifth. Friesen finished third in both stages and earned his eighth top ten of the season. Furthermore, he expressed his displeasure with the zones on pit road and NASCAR.

    Previous Week Ranking: Not Ranked

    4. Grant Enfinger – An A for effort for Enfinger. He came into the night in a must must-win situation and he almost pulled it off. After qualifying 12th, Enfinger finished sixth in Stage 2. At times he had a better truck than Gragson as he led twice for 10 laps. With a late race restart, Enfinger found himself in contention for the win. He had the lead for a split second, but Moffitt and Gragson got around him, while Enfinger ultimately finished fourth. It wasn’t enough for the No. 98 Thorsport team as he fell short of advancing to the championship race. Nonetheless, a strong finish and year for Enfinger.

    Previous Week Ranking: Not Ranked

    5. Harrison Burton – Burton qualified third and finished third, making his seventh start of the season this past weekend at ISM Raceway. He topped the speed charts for both practices and it showed during the race. Burton took the lead on Lap 49 and led for 94 laps. Burton finished fourth in Stage 1 and won Stage 2, ending the race in third place.

    Previous Week Ranking: Not Ranked

    Fell Out

    1. Johnny Sauter – Sauter started 14th and finished seventh after finishing eighth in Stage 1. It was another dismal finish and week for the No. 21 team who were strong a couple of weeks ago.

    2. Myatt Snider – Snider has had decent showings a couple of weeks in a row, but he was off this weekend. No top-10 stage finish and he wound up 22nd, three laps down. It was a forgettable week for the No. 13 team.

    3. Todd Gilliland – Like Snider, no top-10 stage finish for Gilliland and he was caught up in an accident early on Lap 28, and could never rebound. Ultimately, Gilliland finished 17th.

    4. Justin Haley – Haley finished sixth and fourth in both stages, but an oil leak prevented him from having a strong finish. He finished 28th after starting in second place.

  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview-ISM Raceway

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview-ISM Raceway

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads west to the desert this weekend in Phoenix Arizona to ISM Raceway, formally known as Phoenix International Raceway. Two drivers are locked into the Playoffs, while four drivers are fighting for two spots.

    Brett Moffitt and Noah Gragson sit comfortably in right now, but two drivers sit below the cut line,  Grant Enfinger and Matt Crafton, and are more than likely in a must-win situation. Anything can happen, but Enfinger and Crafton will need a lot of help from the other two if they both want to make it in. Something catastrophic will have to happen to Gragson and Moffitt in order to make it in. Moving the start-finish line to the backstretch will make it a little more interesting as well. That could see one driver make a desperation move.

    Currently, there are 32 trucks on the preliminary entry list. Here’s a look at who might wind up in victory lane at ISM Raceway. Some drivers will be back in their seats, while others will be making a debut.

    John Hunter Nemechek is back in the No. 8 Stefan, Parsons returns to the No. 15 and Tyler Akrum will be in the No. 17. Derek Kraus will be making his debut in the No. 19 Bill Macanally entry, Jason White in the No. 33, Landon Huffman in the No. 38, D.J. Kennington in the No. 49, Riley Herbst in the No. 54, Jesse Iwuji in the No. 63, and Chase Purdy in the No. 99.

    1. Johnny Sauter – It’s no surprise that the 2016 champion makes the top of the list once again. It’s hard to beat a man who is on a tear this year with six wins. There are tons of young drivers this weekend, but experience beats inexperience and his stats show that. He has nine starts and is the defending winner at this track. Sauter does have one DNF that occurred in 2015, along with five top fives and seven top 10 finishes with 16 laps led. He has an average start of 9.0 and an average finish of 9.1. Sauter sat on the pole in his first at track start in 2009.

    2. John Hunter Nemechek – Nemechek is back piloting the No. 8 truck. He has five starts with a best finish of second, twice in 2015 and 2017. Nemechek also has two top fives and four top 10 finishes. He has an average start of 10.0 and an average finish of 7.6. During the 2017 race, Nemechek finished fifth and seventh in both stages.

    3. Todd Gilliland – Gilliland will be looking for redemption this weekend after his truck fell short of winning. This week could be the week where he might just get it done. Gilliland only has one start in 2017, where he started fifth and finished seventh. The No. 4 truck previously driven by Christopher Bell won both stages last year. Gilliland won the 2015 K&N Pro Series West race. The Kyle Busch Motorsports team is using a chassis that finished 10th at Dover, crashed at Iowa (29th), and Las Vegas in September (27th). He’ll be a man on a mission this weekend at Phoenix.

    4. Matt Crafton – Crafton is still searching for a victory this season and is in a must-win situation. He could just do it on Friday night and lock himself into the Championship 4 at Homestead. In 17 starts, he has zero wins, but 15 laps led, six top fives and 11 top 10 finishes. Crafton has an average start of 8.0 and an average finish of 9.9. He has a best finish of second in 2014. In 2017, Crafton finished third in both stages.

    5. Justin Haley – Haley is coming off a win last weekend at Texas and he could just do it again this weekend. In two starts in 2015 and 2017, his best finish was seventh in 2015 and he finished 14th in last year’s race due to a crash. Haley has an average start of 9.5 and an average finish of 10.5.

    Playoff drivers –

    Brett Moffitt – Making track debut
    Noah Gragson – Two starts (16th and 15th), did not finish last year after starting second and led 55 laps.
    Grant Enfinger – One start (2017), finished 24th due to a crash.

    There have been 27 races since 1995 with a list of who’s who for winners  –

    Jack Sprague won three in a row from 1996-1997. Kevin Harvick won four times (2002, 2003, 2008, 2009).
    Mike Skinner, Joe Ruttman, Ron Hornaday, Kyle Busch and Erik Jones have all won twice.

    The lowest a race winner has ever come from to win was 16th, set by Skinner in 1995. The race winner has come from the pole six times. The track went to fall races only since 2012. There have been four different winners in the past five races.

    The on-track action starts with the first practice at 10:30 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 2. Final practice takes place at 12:05 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2. Qualifying will begin at 5:35 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

    Race coverage begins at 8:30 p.m. ET with the approximate green flag at 8:40 p.m. ET live on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio.