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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series news and information

  • NASCAR Should Consider XFINITY/Truck Series Regulars In Cup Interference Discussion

    NASCAR Should Consider XFINITY/Truck Series Regulars In Cup Interference Discussion

    The Johnsonville 180 at Road America will go down as the best XFINITY Series race of 2017, if not one of the best races of the NASCAR season, period. There was plenty of on-track action, drama, spinouts, a first-time winner, and nine of the top-15 drivers scoring their season-best finishes.

    One thing that was noticeably absent on a day that saw Jeremy Clements drive a nine-year-old chassis to Victory Lane were Monster Energy Cup drivers, a group that has won more races in the XFINITY Series in 2017 than XFINITY Series regulars. For that matter, it was a rare setting Sunday in which the field actually consisted more of XFINITY teams than Cup teams.

    NASCAR has taken steps to try to remedy this situation for the regulars by limiting the number of XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series races in which Cup drivers can compete. For the 2018 NASCAR season, that number looks to go even lower, a move which frustrated some of the Cup contingent who regularly compete in those divisions such as Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.

    Early in August Harvick spoke on the matter on his SiriusXM NASCAR show Happy Hours.

    “Just let them race,” he said. “Who cares? Why not just let them race. I don’t understand it. That’s what we do. We race cars, we race trucks, we race late models. That’s what we did all our life, we raced. I don’t know why all of a sudden it’s become a problem.’’

    Harvick’s argument centered around the idea that up-and-coming drivers could learn a lot from the Cup drivers moonlighting in the lower divisions. This is an age-old argument used since the early days of “Buschwhacking,” when the series was the Busch Grand National Series, but it’s also an idea that some of the lower division regulars have taken issue with.

    “The way you make it to the bigs in every other sport is to consistently beat everyone else at lower levels,” explained Tommy Joe Martins, Owner/Driver of the No. 44 Martins Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry. “Cup drivers aren’t helping XFINITY/Truck Series drivers develop. At all. They’re hurting them. They’re taking the spotlight off of them in a sport where your ability to compete comes down to your ability to draw fans and sponsors to you.”

    XFINITY Series regular Joey Gase, driver of the No. 52 Jimmy Means Racing entry, is a little more generous regarding learning from the Cup drivers in the lower divisions.

    “We do learn from the Cup drivers when they come down and do the lower series,” Gase said, “although, the drivers that are in equal equipment will learn more from them than the drivers who are not. I think NASCAR limiting [Cup drivers] to seven races is good because that will still mean there is at least one cup driver in majority of the races.”

    However, there are drivers like Truck Series competitor John Hunter Nemechek who do believe in the education value of racing against Cup drivers in the lower divisions.

    Photo by: Simon Scoggins

    “Any time you’re able to race against the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup guys, or even the XFINITY Series guys, they can help you as a driver learning how to race, some of their techniques, what they’re doing better than you, where they’re faster,” said Nemechek. “It definitely helps you overall to be able to race against them and beat them and kind of show your talent.”

    “I definitely think that racing against them every time that you’re on the track, whether it’s practice, qualifying, or the race, you’re always learning and as a driver you want to learn as much as you can to be able to beat them one day.”

    Cup drivers racing in the lower series isn’t a new dilemma that the sport is facing, and granted, it does have its merits for Cup drivers looking for an edge on the weekend. Dale Earnhardt Sr. made 136 starts in the XFINITY Series between 1982 and 1994, winning 21 times. In that same span of years, Harry Gant made 128 starts and also earned 21 wins. Mark Martin made 25 starts in the NCWTS starts between 1996 and 2011, scoring seven wins.

    Although drivers like Busch, Harvick, and Brad Keselowski have all voiced displeasure at being limited in the lower divisions, XFINITY and Truck Series regulars do seem to be happy with the new rule.

    “The way I look at it is, of course, the Cup regulars and drivers that are already in top rides are against it because it will limit them from driving or they are already in top equipment so it doesn’t matter to them,” Gase continued. “If you ask a full-time driver in the XFINITY or Truck Series I’m sure at least 80 percent are happy for the rule. Brad [Keselowski] tweeted he thinks if a Cup driver wants to drive in XFINITY or Truck Series they should be in equipment they own and I love that idea. Brad is all about giving back to the sport and helping up and coming drivers and I think that is awesome. I do think Cup drivers should be able to race in the XFINITY and Truck Series but on a limited basis like we are starting to see now.”

    Martins took it one step further saying NASCAR’s theory that letting top tier talent play in the lower division is good for the sport, is, at it’s core, flawed.

    “[You’re] never going to hear that in any other sport,” he said. “Then be audacious enough to defend it by saying they just love to play – and then that it’s good for the whole sport for them to be down there? It’s inconceivable to me.”

    This isn’t to say that Cup drivers should be banned completely from racing in the lower tier divisions. But their dominance isn’t as beneficial to the XFINITY and NCWTS divisions as one would like to believe. In 2017 only four XFINITY regulars have gone to Victory Lane for a total of six wins in 23 events, while in the Truck Series there has been more parity; five regulars have gone to Victory Lane in 14 events and have won nine times.

    What does that tell the other teams looking to grow and earn their place in the sport? What kind of growth does that encourage? NASCAR is a performance-driven sport, where the better a driver is the more guaranteed their growth and longevity is. Yet there are several XFINITY-only and NCWTS-only teams who may have a dream-driver – accessible, charming, a draw for the fans, and extremely talented, only to be hindered by a Cup team stealing the show in a lower-division race.

    When NASCAR announced the further limitations to Cup drivers attempting to partake in racing in the lower divisions, Busch was open in his disdain for the new limitations during an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR.

    “But if we keep continuing to put the limits on it, I’m going to tell you right now, if the limits to the Truck Series go to zero, I’m done,” Keselowski stated. “So you wouldn’t see Kyle Busch Motorsports teams out on the race track. That’s just the way I’m going to make it and we’ll see how that progresses as the years go along. You know, the XFINITY Series side, I’m sure Joe’s [Gibbs] frustrated. I know I’m frustrated. We’ll just continue to race the races we’re allowed to run with the sponsorship that we have. We got great partners.”

    Another popular claim used frequently in this argument is that top-tier drivers like Busch, Harvick, Keselowski, and Larson racing in the lower divisions is that their participation brings funds, sponsorship, and attention to the divisions. However, according to regulars partaking in those divisions, that’s not entirely the case.

    “They do bring funds to the top teams that they are racing for but that is not the case for the smaller teams,” said Gase. “A few of the top drivers say if they couldn’t race in the lower series it would risk the [Cup affiliated teams] and they would have to shut down, but I think that would be okay. That would help equal out the rest of the field and would let smaller teams come into the sport and fill in the gaps.”

    Nemechek echoed Gase’s sentiments, saying, “I think when the Cup stars come down to run Trucks or XFINITY, it does bring funds and sponsorships, but to their own teams. It doesn’t necessarily help out other teams that they don’t own or drive for. I really don’t see those funds or sponsorships from where I’m in the Truck Series, maybe if I was driving for one of them or their teams you would see those funds trickling down to help out the program, help out the team, just to be able to use more resources and funding to make your equipment better.”

    Martins offered a similar, more pointed, take.

    “Funds to where?” he asked. “To their teams? That’s not helping Martins Motorsports. That’s not helping me. Their teams making more money isn’t helping the NASCAR economy. If anything it’s hurting it. They use the money to further develop the trucks and drive the price up for other teams in the series.”

    Considering that the involvement of Cup drivers in lower divisions piloting Cup-funded equipment affects the respective regulars more than NASCAR realizes, they should take them into account more than anything. If a Cup driver threatens to fold their lower division efforts, the sanctioning body should take into consideration that it won’t mean a loss to the sport.

    Instead, all they have to do is just check social media following a race at Iowa, Gateway, Road America, or even Mosport. When a XFINITY or Truck Series event has more regulars than outsiders and has regulars running at the front and winning, it’s a plus for that division. On top of that, it encourages growth in the sport. Any fan or competitor could tell you that that is a good thing.

    So the next time a rule change affects lower divisions, instead of leaning on what a Cup regular has to say, what the division regulars have to say may have more gravity in regards to competition.

  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview-Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview-Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

    In one of the most unique/wild card races of the year, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is back in action this weekend in Canada after a week off. With two races remaining until playoffs begin, it’s crunch time for drivers who outside looking in. It’s win or bust at this point for those drivers.

    There are currently 33 Trucks entered on the preliminary entry list at a track that’s somewhat relatively new to the series. The first race took place in 2013, with current Monster Energy Cup Series star Chase Elliott winning in a chaotic last lap. Let’s take a look at who might have a chance at the winner circle on Sunday.

    In the past four races, there have been four different winners.

    1. John Hunter Nemechek – Nemechek is the defending winner of this race. Nemechek led twice last year for 20 laps. In fact, Nemechek has three starts at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. He has one top five and two top 10 finishes. His third win of the season might just come this weekend.
    2. Matt Crafton – Crafton is next up as far as experience goes. He has raced in all four races with his best finish of second in 2015. In other track stats for Crafton, he has two top fives and four top 10 finishes, along with five laps led. If experience means anything, which it does, then expect Crafton to be up front and contending for the win.
    3. Johnny Sauter – Sauter’s season could get back on track at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. He has finished in the top 10 three times, with a best finish of sixth in 2015. Sauter might just chip into Christopher Bell’s points lead with a win at Canada.
    4. Christopher Bell – Bell has some experience at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, both good and bad. Bell competed in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series race earlier this year but did not finish after having brake trouble. However, in last year’s Truck Series race, Bell finished in the fifth position.
    5. Austin Cindric – This track might fit into Cindric’s style. In one start, Cindric finished 23rd after starting second. However, he has competed in three races for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series, with the best finish of fifth at Watkins Glen. The weekend kicks-off Saturday morning with two practice sessions. First practice begins at 9:30 a.m. ET, while the final practice is scheduled for 11:35 a.m. ET. Qualifying also takes place later in the day beginning at 5:45 p.m. ET with coverage on FS2.The Chevrolet Silverado 250 is slated for Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and MRN Radio.
  • Alex Tagliani to drive for Young’s Motorsports at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

    Alex Tagliani to drive for Young’s Motorsports at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

    BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – Officials from Young’s Motorsports announced today that road course sensation Alex Tagliani will drive the team’s No. 02 Spectra Premium Chevrolet in Sunday’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).

    Tagliani will make his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start of the season in the series’ annual stop at the 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course just west of Toronto, Canada.

    Tagliani, a native of Quebec, Canada will make his return to CTMP after competing in back-to-back races in 2014 and 2015 driving for Brad Keselowski Racing.

    This weekend, he will aim for his third consecutive pole and look to better a fifth-place performance in August 2015.

    “This is a great opportunity and I’m thankful to Young’s Motorsports for the chance to race in my home country of Canada,” said Tagliani. “With the support of Spectra Premium, I hope we can have a successful weekend where we practice well, qualify strong and contend for the win.

    “It will feel great to get back to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the first time in two years driving a truck and I can’t thank Spectra Premium enough for helping make this opportunity possible.”

    Spectra Premium Industries was founded in 1989 and is based in Boucherville, Quebec, Canada. Employing over 1,500 employees across North America, Spectra Premium is engaged is the design, engineering, manufacturing and distribution of key automotive parts for the aftermarket and original equipment manufacturers.

    Tyler Young, Young’s Motorsports team principal was originally slated to drive the team’s No. 02 Chevrolet in Sunday’s race, but when the opportunity presented itself for Tagliani to make his third career NCWTS start, Young couldn’t say no.

    “This is a monumental opportunity for Young’s Motorsports,” offered Young. “Alex is a gifted road course racer who not only brings a lot of talent and knowledge to the table, but a great fan base for his hometown race. Together, me and crew chief Chad Kendrick are dedicated to providing him with the equipment to have a strong finish.”

    In addition to the Truck Series event in Bowmanville, Tagliani will also compete in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series (formally NASCAR Canadian Tire Series) race from CTMP where he is battling for the championship. After 10 races this season, he has earned one win, four top-five and seven top-10 races.

    Young’s Motorsports long-time partners Young’s Building Systems and Randco Industries Inc. will serve as associate marketing partners for the 15th race of the season.

    Tagliani will make his 11th career NASCAR national series start on Sunday. In his previous 10 races between Trucks and the XFINITY Series, he has earned six poles, five top-five and six top-10 finishes, including a career-best second, three times, most recently at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August 2015.

    Follow Alex Tagliani and his journey back to NASCAR on Twitter @Tagliani.

    For more on Tyler Young, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com or click on his Facebook page. Young is also active on Twitter. You can follow and tweet with him @TylerYoung02.

    The Chevrolet Silverado 250 (64 laps / 157.37 miles) is the 14th of 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2017 schedule. Practice begins on Sat., Sept. 2 from 9:30 a.m. – 10:25 a.m., with a final practice session is set for 11:35 a.m. – 12:55 p.m. Qualifying is set for later in the day beginning at 5:45 p.m. The 32-truck field will take the green flag the following day, Sun., Sept. 3 shortly after 2:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Eastern).

    No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Fast Facts:
    Driver: Alex Tagliani (@tagliani)
    Owner: Randy Young (Young’s Motorsports)
    Crew Chief: Chad Kendrick
    Truck Chief: Andrew Abbott
    Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado
    Engine Builder: Collins Engine Works

  • Wong Set to Make Second Career NCWTS Start with MDM Motorsports

    Wong Set to Make Second Career NCWTS Start with MDM Motorsports

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 30, 2017) – This weekend, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) will travel across the border to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) located in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.  Brian Wong will pilot the No. 99 World Stage Racing Chevrolet in Sunday’s Chevrolet Silverado 250.

    Wong drove the No. 41 World Stage Racing ARCA Racing Series entry for MDM Motorsports last weekend at Road America (Wis.) where he finished 14th after running near the top-10 throughout entire event. The Newport Beach, Calif., driver has one previous NCWTS start. It came at this event two years ago where Wong went on to finish 12th.
    “I’m looking forward to getting back into a NASCAR Camping World Truck this weekend,” Wong said. “It’s been two years since I raced in the truck series, and to have the opportunity to drive for a winning organization like MDM Motorsports is an honor. We had a solid race at Road America together in the ARCA car. We look to build on that and score a solid finish in Sunday’s truck race.”
    Canadian Tire Motorsports Park has hosted the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series annually since 2013. The 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course opened in 1961 and has hosted many different racing series, including the NASCAR Pinty’s Series.
    Sunday’s NCWTS Chevrolet Silverado 250 at CTMP is scheduled for Sunday, September 3 at 2:30 p.m., ET. For more information about MDM Motorsports, please visit www.MDMMotorsports.com.
  • Toyota NASCAR Darlington – CTMP Advance

    Toyota NASCAR Darlington – CTMP Advance

    Toyota NASCAR Darlington and CTMP Advance
    Week of August 28 – September 3

    Camry Wins at Darlington: Toyota has won two-straight Southern 500s at Darlington Raceway and three of the last four with victories by Matt Kenseth (2013), former Camry driver Carl Edwards (2015) and defending race winner Martin Truex Jr. (2016). Toyota has five total Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) wins at Darlington with Kyle Busch claiming the Camry’s first Cup win at the historic track in 2008 and Denny Hamlin winning at the track in 2010. In the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS), Camry drivers have six victories at Darlington, including two by Hamlin, who has four total NXS wins at the 1.366-mile track, and will pilot the No. 18 Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in South Carolina. With nine starts at the track and nine top-10 results, Hamlin has the highest average Darlington finish among active NXS drivers (2.8).

    Toyota Triumphs in the Summer Months: Over the last three seasons, Toyota MENCS drivers have hit their stride in the summer months and collected multiple checkered flags each year. In July and August over the last few years, Camry drivers have won 13 races – five in 2015, three in 2016 and five again in 2017 – to give Toyota drivers’ wins in 13-of-24 races (54.17 percent) in the two months preceding the playoffs. This year, Camry drivers have led nearly 80 percent of all MENCS laps run en route to five victories in July and August. The Toyota contingent will look to turn this year’s summer momentum into another winning September for Toyota, as the manufacturer has won three-straight Cup races at Darlington, Richmond Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway each of the last two seasons.

    Playoff Picture: With just two races remaining in the MENCS regular season, three Camry drivers – Busch, Hamlin and Truex – have secured their playoff position for a championship run, while others are fighting to make the postseason. Kenseth currently sits eighth in points and 15th in the MENCS playoff standings – one spot and just three points above 16th place, the last position to make the playoffs – but a victory in South Carolina would lock the former Cup champion into the postseason title hunt. In his last five appearances at Darlington, Kenseth has four top-10 results.  Camry drivers Erik Jones (16th in points) and Daniel Suárez (17th) need a victory to make a playoff run. Jones won his first-career MENCS pole at the last race at Bristol and has four-straight top-10 finishes, while Suarez recently finished a career-best third to cap his own string of four-straight top-10s.

    North of the Border: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) heads north to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park for its lone road course event of the year. Two years ago, Jones drove a Tundra to victory lane in Canada en route to earning the 2015 series championship. Matt Crafton is the only driver to earn two top-five and four top-10 finishes at the 2.459-mile road course. This year, Christopher Bell leads Tundra drivers with four triumphs and looks to earn his first-career road course victory after finishing fifth in last year’s Canada race.

    Staying Connected: You can follow Toyota Racing on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and online at www.toyotaracing.com. For media images, please visit www.toyotaracingmedia.com.

    Toyota at Darlington – Notes & Numbers:

    A few Camrys will feature nostalgic looks for Darlington’s throwback-themed race weekend … Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Camry will pay tribute to ‘Mr. Modified’ Ray Hendrick with a throwback look at Darlington … MENCS rookie Erik Jones’s No. 77 Camry will honor Cup rookies from the 1980s, including Davey Allison, Alan Kulwicki and Rusty Wallace, among others, with a photographic paint scheme … Corey LaJoie’s No. 23 Camry for BK Racing will feature a paint scheme that also honors Allison and his No. 23 NXS Series paint scheme from 1984-85.

    Toyota 2017 Statistics:

    Series Races Starts (Drivers) Wins Stage Wins Top 5s Top 10s Poles Times Led Laps Led
    Cup 24 207 (17) 7 31 39 72 9 179 3,516
    XFINITY 23 159 (27) 9 11 30 42 9 81 1,314
    Truck 14 143 (20) 8 19 36 74 8 72 1,378
  • GMS Racing NCWTS Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Preview

    GMS Racing NCWTS Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Preview

    JOHNNY SAUTER
    No. 21 Allegiant Chevrolet Silverado

    Canada Stats
    4 starts, 3 top-10s

    Season Stats
    14 starts, 1 win, 8 top-fives, 11 top-10s

    Additional Info
    – The No. 21 team will utilize GMS chassis no. 121, the same chassis he raced at CTMP last year to a seventh-place finish.

    – He is second in the NCWTS driver championship point standings, 42 points behind Christopher Bell, with one win and 10 playoff points.

    Quote
    “Canada is one of those tracks that is all about execution. Over the last few years, my focus has been on minimizing my mistakes to make sure I’m around at the end. If we can get the truck set up where I’m comfortable, then I’m confident I’ll be able to do my part and we’ll come out with a good finish.”

     

     

    JUSTIN HALEY
    No. 24 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet Silverado

    Canada Stats
    1 start, finished 29th

    Season Stats
    12 starts, 1 top-five, 9 top-10s

    Additional Info
    – Haley will pilot GMS chassis no. 122. Spencer Gallagher piloted this chassis at CTMP last year. He qualified ninth and was running in the fourth position before being involved in a last lap incident.

    – The 18-year-old driver has plenty of road course experience going into this weekend’s event at CTMP. He began racing TransAm in 2015 while also competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NCWTS. He has 27 road course starts across all three series, with 15 top-fives, 21 top-10s and 4 poles. He also holds track records at six courses.

    – Last Sunday, he competed in the TransAm TA2 race at Road America, starting fifth and finishing third with Mike Cope Racing.

    – Haley is 11th in the driver championship point standings.

    Quote
    “Canada is the race I’ve been looking forward to the most this year. I started running TransAm a few years ago and it’s something I really enjoy. I’ve always done well on road courses, even coming through K&N (Pro Series East & West). I feel like with my experience we’ll have a good shot at a win this weekend. Our truck is one that Spencer ran well in last year and this is one of the easier courses I’ve run, so I know what I need the truck to do and know the No. 24 team will be on their game.”

     

     

    KAZ GRALA
    No. 33 STEALTH Chevrolet Silverado

    Canada Stats
    1 start, started 4th, finished 26th

    Season Stats
    14 starts, 1 pole, 1 win, 2 top-five, 4 top-10s

    Additional Info
    – Kaz will pilot chassis no.124; Ben Kennedy last ran this chassis last year at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, qualifying 14th and finishing eighth.

    — Kaz will have a new sponsor on board his No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado, STEALTH Body Fitness LLC joins the rookie for the first time this season.

    – After a 28th-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kaz is currently 12th in the driver point standings, with one win to his name.

    Quote
    “This is the race I’ve been most excited for all year long. I know we’re going to be competitive there. All you can ask for as a driver is to have a shot at the win and then the rest of it is up to me to make happen. I think we have a really good chance at that. It’s a very technical track because you need to set up, not only going into the corner, but set up for the corner after that ahead of time all while shifting. I’ve done so many road course races though that I think that’s my slight advantage going into this weekend. It’s just second nature for me.”

    ABOUT GMS RACING
    GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Johnny Sauter, Justin Haley and Kaz Grala, and the NASCAR XFINITY Series with Spencer Gallagher, Ben Kennedy and Brett Moffitt. Since the team’s start in 2014, GMS Racing has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication.

    SOCIAL MEDIA
    To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • Q&A With Matt Crafton

    Q&A With Matt Crafton

    The series of questions and answers series continues this week with two-time Truck Series champion Matt Crafton.

    Crafton is one of the longest active drivers in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Since making his debut in 2000 at Fontana driving for Thorsport Racing, Crafton has notched 14 career wins, 100 top fives, 235 top 10s with 2,241 laps led and he won consecutive championships in 2013 and 2014.

    Every driver has a different story about how they got into racing. For Crafton, though, he’s been interested since he was born. “I’ve gotten into racing since birth,” Crafton said. And with every story, each driver has a favorite win in their career. Currently, Crafton has 14 career wins in the Truck Series, however, his favorite was the first win that came for him at “Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008.” In that race, Crafton had only ten laps to score his first career win.

    “I’ve gotten into racing since birth,” Crafton said. And with every story, each driver has a favorite win in their career. Currently, Crafton has 14 career wins in the Truck Series, however, his favorite was the first win that came for him at “Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008.” In that race, Crafton had only ten laps to score his first career win.

    And with every story, each driver has a favorite win in their career. Currently, Crafton has 14 career wins in the Truck Series, however, his favorite was the first win that came for him at “Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008.” In that race, Crafton led only 10 laps as he scored his first career win.

    Before a race, some drivers have a pre-race ritual and some don’t. In Crafton’s case, it’s entirely different and it may be interesting to people on what his ritual is.

    “Eat a PB&J on wheat bread with Strawberry Jelly,” Crafton said.

    Each racer has someone who they have idolized growing up and would have liked to race with from the past. Crafton says his racing hero growing up was, “Davey Allison.” He said he “would have liked the chance to race with him from the past.”

    Every racer also has a preference on what type of track they would like to race on. In night races, the track and air temperature is much cooler and not as hot, compared to what it’s like during a race in the day. Crafton enjoys racing at “night.”

    A track Crafton would like to have back on the schedule is “The Milwaukee Mile,” Crafton said. And finally, Crafton says, “The Camping World Truck Series is the most competitive series in NASCAR.”

    You can follow Matt Crafton on Twitter @Matt_Crafton.

  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Power Rankings-Bristol

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Power Rankings-Bristol

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series came to Bristol Motor Speedway after a week off and now the series will be on the road for the next four weeks. And now it’s pressure time for the bubble drivers/drivers who are on the outside looking in. Let’s take a look at who tops this week’s power rankings from Bristol.

    1. Matt Crafton – After a respectable sixth-place finish last weekend at Michigan, Crafton had a career-best night at Bristol by finishing second. He finished third in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2. He also led twice for 90 laps. It was a great points night for Crafton.

    “It was a really, really good race,” Crafton said. “The bottom was definitely a little preferred, but you could move around. You could at least run the second and third groove and weren’t like we were in practice. You were literally a second off the pace if you had to move off the bottom. Props to the track for what they did right there, it made for some great racing, I feel. I just wish we could’ve run that out because we were running him down there at the end, especially when he (Kyle Busch) was in lapped traffic. He picked me in lapped traffic earlier, so it was my turn there at the end, but just couldn’t quite get there whenever the yellow came out.”

    2. John Hunter Nemechek – Nemechek had a quiet night at Bristol, but finished third after starting 14th. He didn’t finish inside the top 10 in Stage 1 but finished 10th in Stage 2. This was Nemechek’s best finish since Pocono after a disappointing weekend at Michigan. He now sits eighth in the points standings but will be racing for the championship due to wins earlier in the year, if sponsorship permits.

    3. Ben Rhodes – Rhodes scored another top-five of the year at Bristol by finishing fifth. In Stage 1, he finished seventh and he finished fourth in Stage 2. He is currently fifth in the point standings but is not locked in with a win yet. He could turn that around in the two races left before the playoffs. It’s time for Rhodes to get a win after being close earlier in the year as wins are important in the playoffs to advance to the next round.

    “Our Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra was fast all night tonight,” Rhodes commented. “We got pretty far back in the field, and I was actually pretty proud of our team, and how good of a Tundra we had to be able to drive from 14th, to I think fourth, all during a green flag run. You know, unfortunately, the balance actually shifted on us. The track changed a lot in that last run. We just got way too free overall. We were able to come in on that last caution and put new tires on it, mostly because we had a vibration again. It seemed to be an issue, we got some bad tires. I don’t know what was going on, but we were having a bad vibration, so we came in to make sure that nothing was corded, and went back out there, and ended up fifth – same place we came in. Overall I’m happy. It was a good solid points night.”

    4. Johnny Sauter – Sauter needed a rebound after a sour finish at Michigan by finishing 18th and he got it at Bristol with a sixth-place finish. It may not sound like much, but a top 10 is better than a top 20. However, he’s lost more ground to points leader Christopher Bell. He now sits 42 behind.

    5. Grant Enfinger – Just like Nemechek, Enfinger also had a quiet night at the “Fastest Half Mile.” In Stages 1 and 2, he finished fifth and ninth, respectively. He didn’t lead any laps, but picked up 41 points and is now seventh in the standings. But he will need to keep up those strong runs and possibly a win to lock himself into the playoffs.

    “We had a decent restart there at the end, and we really had a good Champion Power Equipment Tundra all day,” Enfinger noted. “We weren’t great. The 46 (Kyle Busch) – he’s really good at this racing stuff. He made us all look bad. But a solid run for us. We’ll take it. We need a little bit more but very, very proud of everybody on this ThorSport Racing team. We had to battle through some adversity this week, but we still got some more to come, so we’ll keep fighting strong.”

    The Camping World Truck Series has just two races remaining until the playoffs/race to the championship begins for the series. There are some drivers that are on the bubble who don’t need a bad day and there are some drivers on the outside looking in who need a win to lock themselves in. And with two wildcards remaining, it’s certainly possible we could see a major shakeup in the point standings. It’s win or go home for the Truck Series drivers that are ninth on back.

  • Four Takeaways From The Truck Series At Bristol

    Four Takeaways From The Truck Series At Bristol

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was back in action at Bristol Motor Speedway on a Wednesday night. Here are four takeaways from the UNOH 200 at Bristol.

    1. Kyle Busch rebounds and dominates after speeding penalty – Busch was dominating the race at the end of Stage 2 when he was busted for speeding on pit road. It wasn’t until lap 167, where Busch was back up front and held on from there to score another win at Bristol. Busch led a race high of 109 laps. Now that’s domination.
    2. Matt Crafton gets a solid a second – It’s been an up and down year for Matt Crafton. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t win until a few weeks ago at Eldora for his first win of the year, unusual for the two-time champion. Recently, however, it seems as though Crafton has been on a streak of top 10s since that win. A second place finish certainly helps him get his season back on track. Crafton sits third in points 53 behind.
    3. Credit to NASCAR for getting the race in – It was a challenge, but I have to give NASCAR credit for trying their hardest to get the race in before postponing it to the next day. Sure it created a long night, but it was well worth the wait. Kudos to the officials.
    4. Sharknado 6 featuring Noah Gragson – When there’s a rain delay, it normally creates a lot of downtime for the drivers. This time it was Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Noah Gragson who created Twitter and TV buzz during the rain delay. The 19-year-old, Gragson, happened to have a shark head costume and was having a little fun during the delay. At one point, he was standing behind John Hunter Nemechek, who, at the time, was doing a TV interview and ended up making the driver look behind. In fact, Toyota Racing put up a video of Gragson talking with the costume on, saying his name was “fuzzy.” A funny TV moment for sure. He might just get a casting call for Sharknado 6.

      And here’s the video that @ToyotaRacing put on their twitter page.

       

  • Enfinger’s Eventful Day Ends with Top-Five at Thunder Valley

    Enfinger’s Eventful Day Ends with Top-Five at Thunder Valley

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — NASCAR’s annual midweek day of racing at Bristol Motor Speedway had barely commenced when penalties from Michigan resulted in Grant Enfinger losing points he earned just days earlier. By night’s end, he brought his truck home to a fourth-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 and salvaged some of those lost points.

    Following the LTi Printing 200 at Michigan International Speedway, Enfinger was hit with two penalties, resulting in a double-encumbered finish. The first penalty was the result of a post-race ride-height violation, and the second was a safety violation for crew chief Jeff Hensley for an “improperly affixed” weight. The subsequent 10-point penalty resulted in him going from 14 points back of teammate Ben Rhodes, to 24 behind.

    But his performance through the day and evening at Thunder Valley demonstrated bridging the gap might not be a tall task. He finished 11th and seventh in the day’s practice sessions, and qualified his car seventh for the race.

    While Enfinger didn’t race “under the radar,” as he did finish top-10 (fifth and ninth) in both the first and second stage, he never posed a threat to Kyle Busch’s dominance, as had teammate Matt Crafton. But he drove his way through traffic, both lead and lapped, and drove it to a fourth-place finish as the checkered flag waved.

    “ We had a decent restart there at the end, and we really had a good Champion Power Equipment Tundra all day,” Enfinger said. “We weren’t great. The 46 (Kyle Busch) – he’s really good at this racing stuff. He made us all look bad. But a solid run for us. We’ll take it. We need a little bit more, but very, very proud of everybody on this ThorSport Racing team. We had to battle through some adversity this week, but we still got some more to come, so we’ll keep fighting strong.”

    Enfinger leaves Bristol seventh in points. Unfortunately, teammate Rhodes, who currently occupies the cutoff spot, out-pointed him, in spite of a fifth-place finish. He trails Rhodes by 26 with two races to go in the Truck Series regular season.