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Category: Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series news and information

  • Grant Enfinger claims first Truck Series win of the season at Kansas

    Grant Enfinger claims first Truck Series win of the season at Kansas

    Grant Enfinger led 65 laps in the Heart of America 200 at Kansas Speedway Saturday night to capture his first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win of the season. It was his first victory at the 1.5-mile track and the eighth of his Truck Series career.

    After the race, Enfinger gave much of the credit to his GMR Racing team and crew chief, Jeff Hensley.

    “Kansas has been a good track for us but we haven’t had a dominant truck like this in a long time.” He paused a moment, then said, “But lights out, we had the best Chevy Silverado out here. Thank you to Champion Power Equipment for sticking with me.

    “It’s been a dismal year and a half,” he continued. “I know we came up with a win last year but overall the season was a little sluggish, first seven races this year were a little bit sluggish. I was disappointed in our execution

    “But Jeff talked to me before the race. He gave me some encouragement. He did a heck of a job tonight. So the biggest thing is these guys just brought me an unbelievable Chevy Silverado.”

    Corey Heim finished second followed by Zane Smith, Stewart Friesen, Ross Chastain, Nick Sanchez (highest-finishing rookie), Kyle Busch, Jake Garcia, Taylor Gray and Tyler Ankrum to round out the top 10. Toni Breidinger finished 15th in her series debut.

    Heim thought he had a chance at the win until the final caution.

    “I think that last caution (for Kris Wright’s second spin) put a hole in our strategy a little bit,” he said. “If we had that last run go green and we had the same tires as the 23 (Enfinger), I thought we could beat him straight up.

    “As soon as we got that last caution and we were on uneven tires, I knew it was going to be all track position. I got hung up trying to block the 38 (Smith) and kind of took a step back from there and lost track position.”

    Zane Smith and Ty Majeski are currently leading the driver standings with 323 points each with the advantage going to Smith who has two race wins and one stage win. Ben Rhodes (-41) is third followed by Corey Heim (-47) and Grant Enfinger (-56), Christian Eckes -82, Matt Crafton -88, Tanner Gray (-103), Nick Sanchez (-118) and Matt DiBenedetto (-130) rounding out the top 10 in the driver standings.

    Next up for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is the Buckle Up South Carolina 200, next Friday at Darlington Raceway at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 with radio coverage by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Results:

  • Weekend schedule for Kansas Speedway

    Weekend schedule for Kansas Speedway

    The NASCAR Cup Series and the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series head to Kansas Speedway this week. Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano lead all active Cup Series drivers at Kansas with three wins each.

    So far this season we have crowned eight different Cup Series winners in the first 11 races of the year. Martin Truex Jr. was the most recent driver to visit victory lane with an impressive run at Dover Motor Speedway, breaking a 54-race winless streak.

    Kyle Busch and Matt Crafton will be two drivers to watch when the Truck Series hits the track Saturday night as they lead the series with three wins each at the 1.5-mile track.

    The ARCA Menards Series will start things off Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. with the Dawn 150 race. Toni Breidinger, who has nine top-10 finishes in the ARCA series, will also attempt to qualify and make her debut in the Truck Series race at Kansas in the No. 1 Toyota Tundra for TRICON Garage. If successful, she will be the first Arab American woman to compete in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

    The Xfinity Series is off and will return to competition on May 13 at Darlington Raceway.

    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, May 6

    10:25 a.m.: ARCA Practice – All Entries – No TV

    12:05 p.m.: Truck Series Practice – All Entries – FS1
    12:35 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/ All Entries – FS1
    Post Truck Series Qualifying on Press Pass

    2 p.m.: ARCA Dawn 150 – (100 Laps/150 Miles) FS1/FloRacing/MRN/SiriusXM
    Post ARCA race on Press Pass

    5:05 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – Groups A & B – FS1/MRN
    5:50 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) (Groups A & B) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds – FS1/MRN
    Post Cup Series Qualifying on Press Pass

    8 p.m.: Truck Series Heart Of America 200
    134 Laps = 201 miles
    Stages end on Lap 30, Lap 60, Lap 134
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $734,551
    Post Truck Series race on Press Pass

    Sunday, May 7

    3 p.m.: Cup Series AdventHealth 400
    267 Laps = 400.5 miles
    Stages end Lap 80, Lap 165, Lap 267
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $7,536,752
    Post Cup Series race on Press Pass

  • Corey Heim perseveres to win rain-shortened Truck Series race at Martinsville

    Corey Heim perseveres to win rain-shortened Truck Series race at Martinsville

    Corey Heim held on to win the NASCAR Xfinity Truck Series Long John Silver’s 200 at Martinsville Speedway Friday night in his TRICON Garage No. 11 Toyota, despite persistent race throughout the event. It was his third victory in the Truck Series in only 26 starts and his first trip to victory lane this season.

    “This race was cut short and that’s definitely unfortunate, but this truck was fast all night,” Heim said after the race. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys.”

    The beginning of the race was delayed by almost 2 ½ hours, finally getting underway shortly before 10 p.m. The first 25 laps were run using a weather package specifically designed for driving on a wet track. Then, after the track was deemed dry enough, a competition caution was called to allow the teams to change back to the regular dry weather slick tires.

    An on-track incident with 83 laps remaining brought out the final caution and with it came more rain. At this point, NASCAR called the race official on Lap 124 of the originally scheduled 200 laps.

    Kyle Busch finished a disappointing second and said, “It did not go our way today, unfortunately.”

    “We just didn’t have a good enough short-run truck,” he explained. “Being a little bit loose and free that we were, we were hoping that would pay off in the long run but never had a long run. The longest run of the race was on rain tires.”

    Zane Smith, Ty Majeski and Tanner Gray rounded out the top five with Ben Rhodes, Matt DiBenedetto, Taylor Gray, William Sawalich and Chase Purdy completing the top 10. 

    Majeski remains on top of the Truck Series driver standings by 26 points over Zane Smith, followed by Ben Rhodes (-49), Heim (-71) and Christian Eckes (-72).

    The Truck Series will take some time off with its next race scheduled for Saturday, May 6 at Kansas Speedway.

    Results:

  • Zane Smith scores Truck Series pole at Martinsville

    Zane Smith scores Truck Series pole at Martinsville

    Zane Smith topped the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series leader board in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford after posting a 95.651 mph lap and will lead the field to green at Martinsville Speedway for Friday night’s Long John Silver’s 200 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

    Smith, who won at Martinsville in 2021, said after qualifying, “Excited for tonight, Smith said, really want another clock here, so ready to go after it.”  

    It was the second consecutive pole for the 2022 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion after also qualifying on the pole for last week’s race at Bristol Dirt.  

    Kyle Busch will start on the front row beside Smith followed by Ben Rhodes, Corey Heim and Matt DiBenedetto to complete the top five. Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, Chase Purdy, Tanner Gray, and Grant Enfinger rounded out the top 10 in qualifying.

    Josh Reaume withdrew the No. 34 Reaume Brothers Racing entry from the race and Justin Carroll did not qualify for the 36-driver field.

    The green flag will wave for the Long John Silver’s 200 Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Weekend schedule for Martinsville Speedway

    Weekend schedule for Martinsville Speedway

    This weekend NASCAR heads to Martinsville Speedway for some short-track racing.

    Chase Elliott will also make his much-anticipated return to Cup Series competition after missing the previous six races due to a broken left leg sustained in a snowboarding accident on March 3.

    “We’re looking forward to having Chase back in his race car to pick up where he left off,” Rick Hendrick said in a statement issued by Hendrick Motorsports Wednesday afternoon.

    “Since the injury, he’s worked extremely hard and focused all his time and energy on returning to the No. 9 team. Throughout the last six weeks, he’s stayed fully engaged with everything we’re doing, and we know he’s chomping at the bit to get on the racetrack and compete for wins.”

    Martinsville Speedway has hosted 148 Cup Series races since the first event in 1949. There have been 57 different race winners and this weekend 10 of those drivers will be competing on Sunday.

    Denny Hamlin tops the list with five victories, followed by Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch with two wins each. Christopher Bell, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick have each visited Victory Lane once at the 0.526-mile track.

    The Xfinity Series has hosted 39 races at Martinsville with 25 different race winners. Saturday’s race will host the second segment of the Dash 4 Cash competition. Justin Allgaier won the first segment at Richmond and will compete against Josh Berry, John Hunter Nemechek and Chandler Smith for the $100.000 bonus.

    Friday night the Camping World Truck Series hits the track for the 45th race held at Martinsville. Four of the drivers entered have won previously at ‘The Paperclip” and include Kyle Busch (2016, 2019), Matt Crafton (2014, 2015), Grant Enfinger (2020) and Zane Smith (2021).

    Friday, April 14

    3 p.m.: Truck Series Practice – Group 1 & 2 – FS1
    3:35 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/2 Laps/All Entries) FS1
    5 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – Group 1 & 1 – FS1
    5:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/2 Laps/All Entries) FS1
    7:30 p.m.: Truck Series Long John Silver’s 200
    Stages 50/100/200 Laps = 105.2 Miles
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $693,842
    Post Truck Series Race: Press Pass

    Saturday, April 15

    4:35 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – Group A & B
    FS2/MRN/SiriusXM
    5:20 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) Group A & B – Single Vehicle/2 Laps/2 Rounds) FS2/MRN/SiriusXM
    7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Call811.com Before You Dig. 250
    Stages 60/120/250 Laps = 131.5 Miles
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $1,403,623
    Post Xfinity Series Race: Press Pass

    Sunday, April 16

    3 p.m.: Cup Series NOCO 400
    Stages 80/180/400 Laps = 210.4 Miles
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $7,324,203
    Post Cup Series Race: Press Pass

  • Logano masters Bristol Dirt Course for second Truck career victory

    Logano masters Bristol Dirt Course for second Truck career victory

    Total dominance was the single phrase to summarize Joey Logano’s one-race return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as he proceeded to win the third annual running of the Weather Guard Truck Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course on Saturday, April 8.

    The reigning two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion from Middletown, Connecticut, led two times for a race-high 138 of 150-scheduled laps, including the final 99, and swept both stages en route to a wild victory at Thunder Valley amid 11 caution periods and a series of carnages from start to finish. Amid the carnages, Logano was not to be denied as he executed every restart to his advantage, including the final one with nine laps remaining, to claim his first checkered flag of the weekend and second overall in the Truck circuit.

    The starting lineup for the main event was determined through four 15-lap qualifying races on Saturday, April 8, as the competitors accumulated points for their finishing results and passes to improve their original starting spots during their respective heat events.

    With that, Zane Smith, who accumulated a total of 17 points, nine for finishing second behind Stewart Friesen in the second qualifying event and eight for improving from starting 10th, claimed the pole position for the main event. Joining him on the front row was Ty Majeski, who notched 16 points including nine for finishing second behind Joey Logano in the third qualifying event and seven for improving from his starting position of ninth.

    With 41 competitors vying for 36 spots, the five drivers who did not qualify for the event were Lawless Alan, Josh Reaume, Jessica Friesen, Jerry Bohlman and Andrew Gordon.

    Prior to the event, Ben Rhodes, Kris Wright, rookie Daniel Dye, rookie Taylor Gray, Jonathan Davenport, Colby Howard, Tanner Carrick, Spencer Boyd and Corey Heim dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments that were made to their respective trucks.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Zane Smith rocketed to the lead on the outside lane as the field behind fanned out to multiple lanes while slipping and sliding on the dirt. Through the first two turns, however, Majeski made his move beneath Smith and managed to clear the field and lead the first lap. Then during the second lap, Joey Logano moved his No. 66 Hang 10 Car Wash Ford F-150 into the lead after overtaking teammate Majeski into Turn 3. As Logano pulled away to maintain a steady advantage over the field, Hailie Deegan started to challenge teammate Majeski for second while Zane Smith and Kaden Honeycutt trailed in the top five.

    On the seventh lap, the first caution of the event flew for a multi-truck wreck in Turn 4 that started when Mason Massey slid up the high line entering Turn 4 and spun as Ben Rhodes also spun his No. 99 Campers Inn RV Ford F-150 to avoid hitting Massey. In the process, Massey was then rammed into by Taylor Gray and Stefan Parsons as both tried to avoid Massey while Tyler Carpenter clipped Gray’s damaged No. 17 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro as he sustained damage to his No. 41 Niece Motorsports entry. By then, Logano was the leader over teammates Majeski and Deegan while Zane Smith and Kaden Honeycutt were in the top five. Behind, Christian Eckes was in sixth while Stewart Friesen, Matt Crafton, Grant Enfinger and rookie Rajah Caruth were in the top 10.

    During the following restart on Lap 19, Logano retained the lead following a strong start while Majeski and Zane Smith battled for second. Honeycutt would then battle Smith for third as Deegan remained in the top five despite being challenged by teammate Matt Crafton.

    By Lap 25 and with the field jostling for positions, the caution returned when Tyler Ankrum, who pitted to address a flat tire during the pace laps prior to the event’s start, spun his No. 16 LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro below the track entering Turn 4 and was piled into by Spencer Boyd, Kris Wright and Timmy Hill, igniting a second multi-truck pileup, while Carpenter spun behind the carnage.

    With the event restarting on Lap 33, Logano maintained the lead over teammate Majeski while Honeycutt made his way past Crafton for third. Behind, William Byron muscled his No. 51 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST into the top five while Zane Smith fell back to sixth in front of Deegan, Grant Enfinger, Eckes and Chase Briscoe. As Byron continued to methodically work his way to the front amid a series of on-track battles, Logano was able to pull away and maintain a comfortable advantage over teammate Majeski while Honeycutt was in third as the laps within the first stage continued to dwindle.

    When the first stage concluded on Lap 40, Logano claimed the stage victory after beating Byron and teammate Majeski while Honeycutt, Crafton, Deegan, Enfinger, Zane Smith, Stewart Friesen and Parker Kligerman were scored in the top 10. By then, Carson Hocevar, who was battling within the top 20, had smoke coming out of his No. 42 Niece Motorsports entry due to a power steering issue as the field fanned out to conclude the first stage.

    Under the stage break, nearly the entire field led by Logano pitted while Matt DiBenedetto, Bret Holmes and Tanner Gray remained on the track.

    The second stage started on Lap 40 as DiBenedetto and Tanner Gray occupied the front row. At the start, DiBenedetto maintained the lead by a steady margin over Tanner Gray and Bret Holmes while Logano was trying to carve his way back to the lead from fourth. Three laps later, the caution returned when Christian Eckes spun his No. 19 NAPA Chevrolet Silverado RST in Turn 1 after cutting a left-tire tire caused by contact with Rhodes between Turns 3 and 4. By then, DiBenedetto remained as the leader over Holmes while Logano, who put the bumper to move Tanner Gray out his path, was up in third followed by Majeski and Gray.

    With the field restarting under green on Lap 51, DiBenedetto and Logano engaged in a side-by-side battle for the lead for a full lap as Logano managed to pull ahead to lead the following lap. Logano would then lead the proceeding lap on Lap 53 as he started to pull ahead of DiBenedetto and the field.

    Just past the Lap 60 mark, Logano was the leader over teammate Majeski and followed by DiBenedetto, Tanner Gray and Byron while Stewart Friesen, Holmes, Zane Smith, Crafton and Honeycutt were in the top 10. By then, 28 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap. Shortly after, the caution flew when Tyler Carpenter spun in Turn 4.

    While the field restarted on Lap 67, where Logano maintained the lead, the caution returned five laps later for a hard wreck involving Kris Wright on the frontstretch.

    As the field restarted on Lap 79, with the event surpassing its halfway mark, Logano rocketed with the lead over Byron and teammate Majeski while Friesen battled Gray and Crafton for fourth as DiBenedetto eventually joined the battle. As Gray, Friesen and Crafton battled closely for fourth, Logano maintained the lead while teammate Majeski and Byron battled for second. With the laps in the second stage dwindling, Parker Kligerman made contact with the wall, but the event remained under green flag conditions as Logano pulled away by more than a second over a fierce battle for the runner-up spot between Majeski and Byron.

    When the second stage concluded on Lap 90, Logano captured his second consecutive Truck stage victory of the season and of the event. Behind, Majeski fended off Byron to settle in second while Friesen, DiBenedetto, Tanner Gray, Crafton, Zane Smith, Briscoe and Bret Holmes were scored in the top 10. By then, 26 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap.

    Under the stage break, 14 competitors led by Logano remained on the track while the rest pitted. By then, reports of drizzle and rainy conditions were noted around the circuit while the field remained on the track in preparation for the final stage.

    With 60 laps remaining, the final stage started under green as teammates Logano and Majeski occupied the front row. At the start, Logano continued to use the outside lane to his advantage as he retained the lead over Majeski and Byron while Friesen and Crafton battled for fourth. With Crafton fending off Friesen for fourth, he then started to challenge Byron for third while Logano pulled away and increased his advantage to more than a second.

    Following another caution period with 55 laps remaining amid a multi-truck wreck that involved Chase Purdy, Eckes, Zane Smith and Bret Holmes in Turn 3, the event restarted with 48 laps remaining, where Logano took off from Byron and Majeski to retain the lead through the first two turns. With Byron struggling at the start, Majeski assumed full authority on second while Crafton and Friesen battled behind Byron. With Logano extending his advantage beyond half a second during the proceeding laps, Enfinger emerged in the top five in fifth after overtaking Friesen while Ben Rhodes tried to close in for sixth. Byron, meanwhile, remained in third behind Majeski.

    Then with 41 laps remaining, Purdy’s night took another eventful turn as he spun his No. 4 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado RST in Turn 2 and drew a second consecutive caution period involving himself. With the event proceeding under green with 35 laps remaining, Logano rocketed with another strong start to retain the lead. Behind, Majeski carved his way into second while Enfinger challenged Byron for third. In addition, Crafton tried to close in and challenge Enfinger for fourth, which he would succeed past the final 35-lap mark while Friesen and Rhodes trailed behind in sixth and seventh.

    With 30 laps remaining, Logano was leading by more than a second over Majeski and a second and a half over Byron amid a series of on-track late battles ensuing behind. Shortly after, the caution flew for Carpenter and Timmy Hill crashing in Turn 3.

    During the next restart with 21 laps remaining, Logano managed to fend off a brief challenge by Majeski to retain the lead as Byron and Crafton pursued and challenged Majeski for second. A lap later, the caution returned when Rhodes, who was running sixth, got loose and spun below the track entering the frontstretch. He was then piled into by Friesen, Heim and Hocevar as the caution returned while the field scattered to avoid the chaos.

    With the field restarting with nine laps remaining, Logano engaged in another brief battle with teammate Majeski until he managed to pull ahead and retain the lead over the field as the competitors behind jostled for second. With Majeski settling in second, Byron was in third while Enfinger and Crafton battled for fourth. This allowed rookie Jake Garcia to close in for sixth followed by Briscoe, Honeycutt and Rajah Caruth.

    Down to the final five laps of the event, Logano was leading by seven-tenths of a second over teammate Majeski followed by Byron, Crafton and Enfinger while Garcia, Briscoe, Honeycutt, Caruth and Tanner Gray battled within the top 10.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Logano remained as the leader by more than a second over teammate Majeski and over third-place Byron. With a clear racetrack in front of him, Logano was able to slip and slide his way around the circuit for a final time and cycle back to the frontstretch to claim his first checkered flag of the season in the series.

    With the victory, Logano achieved his second career victory in the Craftsman Truck Series in his ninth series start, his first since winning at Martinsville Speedway in March 2015 and his second Bristol Dirt victory after winning the inaugural Cup Series’ Bristol Dirt feature in 2021. He also recorded the third victory of the season for the Ford nameplate and the first of the season for ThorSport Racing.

    “The [ThorSport Racing] guys gave me an amazing race truck,” Logano, who will start 12th in Sunday’s Cup event, said on FS1. “It was a great F-150. [Sponsor] Hang 10 Car Wash came on for a last-minute thing, [saying] ‘Hey, let’s give this a shot’. [They] Called up ThorSport. They had an extra truck with some extra people, and put it together. Obviously, they gave me a really fast truck here today that qualified good in the heat race and able to drive to the lead pretty early in the race and then, just pretty much be able to control it. I’m not sure I learned anything for tomorrow because I didn’t get to race the whole bunch, but it was fun leading all the laps. I had a great spotter with [teammate Ryan] Blaney. He was up there spotting for me…My fun meter was pegged tonight. I had a lot of fun out here racing at Bristol. The dirt’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun in there as a driver, moving around and seeing the lanes move a lot. Hopefully, tomorrow is just as good with the other car.”

    Teammate Ty Majeski finished second for his third consecutive top-five result in recent weeks while William Byron, who was making his first of three Truck starts this season for Kyle Busch Motorsports, finished third.

    Crafton and Enfinger finished fourth and fifth while rookie Jake Garcia, Chase Briscoe, Tanner Gray, Kaden Honeycutt and Matt DiBenedetto finished in the top 10.

    There were four lead changes for three different leaders. The race featured 11 cautions for 64 laps. In total, 24 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.

    Following the sixth event of the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series season, Ty Majeski leads the regular-season standings by 34 points over Zane Smith and 47 over Ben Rhodes.

    Results.

    1. Joey Logano, 138 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

    2. Ty Majeski, one lap led

    3. William Byron

    4. Matt Crafton

    5. Grant Enfinger

    6. Jake Garcia

    7. Chase Briscoe

    8. Tanner Gray

    9. Kaden Honeycutt

    10. Matt DiBenedetto, 11 laps led

    11. Rajah Caruth

    12. Dean Thompson

    13. Hailie Deegan

    14. Jonathan Davenport

    15. Corey Heim

    16. Spencer Boyd

    17. Carson Hocevar

    18. Nick Sanchez

    19. Ben Rhodes

    20. Bret Holmes

    21. Zane Smith

    22. Daniel Dye

    23. Stewart Friesen

    24. Norm Benning

    25. Timmy Hill, two laps down

    26. Tanner Carrick, three laps down

    27. Colby Howard, three laps down

    28. Chase Purdy, three laps down

    29. Tyler Carpenter – OUT, Accident

    30. Christian Eckes – OUT, Accident

    31. Parker Kligerman – OUT, Accident

    32. Kris Wright – OUT, Accident

    33. Tyler Ankrum – OUT, Accident

    34. Taylor Gray – OUT, Accident

    35. Mason Massey – OUT, Accident

    36. Stefan Parsons – OUT, Accident

    Next on the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season is the series’ lone visit of the season to Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. The event is scheduled to occur next Friday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Weekend schedule for Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt

    Weekend schedule for Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt

    The NASCAR Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series head to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend where the 0.533-mile concrete oval has once again been transformed into a dirt track. Kyle Busch (Cup Series) and Ben Rhodes (Truck Series) are the defending race winners.  

    The Xfinity Series is off and returns to competition on Saturday, April 15 at Martinsville Speedway.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, April 7

    5:35 p.m.: Truck Series First Practice – FS1 – Canceled due to rain
    6:35 p.m.: Cup Series First Practice – FS1 – Canceled due to rain
    8:02 p.m.: Truck Series Final Practice – FS1 – Canceled due to rain
    8:32 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – FS1 – Canceled due to rain

    Saturday, April 8

    4:30 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying Heat Race No. 1 (15 laps) FS2/MRN/SiriusXM
    4:45 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying Heat Race No. 2 (15 laps) FS2/MRN/SiriusXM
    5 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying Heat Race No. 3 (15 laps) FS2/MRN/SiriusXM
    5 15 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying Heat Race No. 4 (15 laps) FS2/MRN/SiriusXM

    6 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying Heat Race No. 1 (15 laps) FS2/PRN/SiriusXM
    6:15 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying Heat Race No. 2 (15 laps) FS2/PRN/SiriusXM
    6:30 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying Heat Race No. 3 (15 laps) FS2/PRN/SiriusXM
    6:45 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying Heat Race No. 4 (15 laps) FS2/PRN/SiriusXM

    8 p.m.: Truck Series Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt
    150 laps – 75 miles
    Stages end on laps 40/90/150
    The Purse: $738,461
    FS1/ MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $738,461
    Post Truck Series Race: Press Pass

    Sunday, April 17

    7 p.m.: Cup Series Food City Dirt Race
    250 laps – 125 miles
    Stages end on laps 75/150/250
    FOX/PRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $7,808,640
    Post Cup Series Race: Press Pass

  • Carson Hocevar escapes final lap carnage for first Truck career victory at Texas

    Carson Hocevar escapes final lap carnage for first Truck career victory at Texas

    After finishing in the runner-up spot four times while having numerous opportunities to win slip out of his grasp in his previous 58 starts, Carson Hocevar’s day under the victorious sun arrived as he emerged as a first-time winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career following a wild finish to the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 1.

    The 20-year-old Hocevar from Portage, Michigan, led only the final lap of 172 over-scheduled laps and had appeared to be heading for a top-five finish in an event mired with late caution periods and on-track chaos. During the final lap, however, Hocevar gained a run on a side-by-side battle between Zane Smith and rookie Nick Sanchez on the final lap through the frontstretch when Sanchez got loose after making contact with Smith. While trying to regain his momentum, Sanchez got bumped by Hocevar as he turned back across the track and clipped Smith while wrecking across the outside wall with Christian Eckes. Amid the carnage, Hocevar escaped with the lead and managed to retain it as the caution flew to conclude the event, in which Hocevar was deemed as the leader and awarded his first long-awaited victory in NASCAR.

    With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, rookie Nick Sanchez claimed his second Truck career pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 185.510 mph in 29.109 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Jack Wood, who clocked in the second-fastest qualifying lap at 184.906 mph in 29.204 seconds.

    Prior to the event, Spencer Boyd and Matt DiBenedetto started at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective trucks.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Sanchez pulled ahead with an early advantage followed by Ty Majeski while Wood slipped up the track as he lost a handful of spots and fell out of the top five. Then as the field made its way through the backstretch, the caution flew when Chad Chastain spun and backed his No. 41 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST into the outside wall as he sustained rear-end damage.

    During the following restart on the fifth lap, Sanchez retained the lead followed by a side-by-side battle between Eckes and Majeski through the first two turns. Entering the backstretch, however, Majeski wiggled and was quickly overtaken by teammate Ben Rhodes, Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim amid a three-wide battle while Eckes settled in second while trying to pursue Sanchez. With Majeski dropping back to seventh during the following lap, Jack Wood went up the track in Turn 1 and continued to lose more spots early in the event as he slipped out of the top 10. Amid the battles around the circuit, Sanchez retained the lead in front of Eckes and Rhodes.

    Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Sanchez was leading by three-tenths of a second over Eckes followed by Rhodes, Hocevar, and Corey Heim while Majeski, Friesen, Tanner Gray, Grant Enfinger and rookie Jake Garcia were running in top 10. Behind, Chase Purdy was in 11th followed by Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Dean Thompson and rookie Rajah Caruth while Bret Holmes, Wood, rookie Taylor Gray, Matt Crafton and Colby Howard occupied the top 20.

    Ten laps later, Sanchez extended his advantage to more than two seconds over Eckes followed by Rhodes, Hocevar and Heim. A lap later, the caution returned when Chad Chastain wrecked for the second time after spinning and backing his truck into the outside wall in the backstretch.

    When the event restarted under green on Lap 25, Sanchez and Eckes dueled for the lead and remained dead even for a full lap as Eckes managed to lead the following lap. Sanchez, however, would prevail during the following lap and reassume the lead as the field behind jostled for spots.

    When the competition caution flew on Lap 35, Sanchez was leading by more than a second over Eckes while Rhodes, Majeski and Rhodes were scored in the top five. By then, 29 of 34 starters were scored on the lead lap. During the competition caution, the teams were given three minutes to service their respective trucks with the competitors retaining their spots as they entered pit road and during the latest caution period, which kept Sanchez as the leader.

    With the event proceeding under green on Lap 35, Sanchez battled against Eckes on the inside lane before he was able to pull ahead and retain the lead exiting Turn 4 while the field behind jostled for spots around the circuit.

    Four laps later, Sanchez was leading by more than a second over Rhodes followed by Eckes, Zane Smith and Dean Thompson while Heim, Friesen, Purdy, Majeski and Enfinger were in the top 10. Sanchez would continue to lead by more than two seconds over Rhodes as the event reached its Lap 50 mark.

    Just past the Lap 60 mark, Sanchez retained the lead by a second over Rhodes while third-place Eckes trailed by more than a second. Zane Smith and Thompson remained in the top five while 25 of 34 starters were scored on the lead lap.

    When the first stage concluded on Lap 77, Sanchez claimed his first Truck stage victory of the 2023 season. Rhodes settled in second while Eckes, Majeski, Zane Smith, Thompson, Heim, Purdy, Friesen and Enfinger were scored in the top 10.

    Under the stage break, the field led by Sanchez returned to pit road as the teams were given three minutes to service the truck while the competitors retained their respective spots as they entered pit road.

    The second stage started on Lap 77 as Sanchez and Rhodes occupied the front row. At the start, Sanchez and Rhodes dueled dead even for the lead for a full lap as Rhodes prevailed during the following lap to lead by a nose. Sanchez, however, fought back during the following lap on the inside lane as he returned to the lead. Shortly after, the caution returned when Lawless Alan spun his No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST on the backstretch.

    When the event restarted under green on Lap 82, Sanchez retained the lead while Eckes challenged Rhodes for second in front of Zane Smith and Thompson. As the event surpassed its halfway mark a few laps later, Sanchez started to extend his advantage to nearly a second while Eckes retained second over Rhodes. By then, Corey Heim launched his bid for a spot in the top five while more jostling within the field occurred.

    Nearing the Lap 90 mark, Ankrum scrubbed the wall while running within the top 15 while rookie Rajah Caruth made contact with the wall after contact with Hocevar, which prompted Caruth to pit under green for damage repairs.

    At the Lap 100 mark, Sanchez was leading by nine-tenths of a second over Eckes while Rhodes, Thompson, Zane Smith, Heim, Taylor Gray, Friesen, Tanner Gray and Purdy occupied the top 10. With Enfinger back in 11th, Matt Crafton was up in 12th followed by DiBenedetto, Colby Howard and Hocevar while Majeski had fallen back to 16th in front of Jake Garcia, Ankrum, Wood and Hailie Deegan.

    Ten laps later, Sanchez’s advantage decreased to eight-tenths of a second over Eckes while third-place Rhodes trailed by more than a second.

    When the second stage concluded on Lap 122, Sanchez, who used the lapped traffic to his advantage to extend his advantage while Eckes struggled to overtake the lapped competitors, claimed his second Truck consecutive stage victory of the season and of the day. Eckes settled in second as he trailed a second behind while Rhodes, Thompson, Zane Smith, Tanner Gray, Heim, Purdy, Taylor Gray and Crafton were scored in the top 10.

    Following the final three-minute pit stop period, the final stage started on Lap 122 as Sanchez and Eckes shared the front row. At the start, Sanchez jumped ahead with another strong start on the inside lane followed by Zane Smith, who also gave Sanchez a push as he then tried to pursue Sanchez for the lead while Eckes fell back to third. A lap later, Rhodes navigated his way to third while Eckes was being challenged by Hocevar for fourth.

    Not long after, Taylor Gray, who was running in the top 10, made contact against the wall, but the event proceeded under green as Zane Smith started to intimidate Sanchez for the lead. Getting his deficit down to as little as a tenth of a second, Zane Smith, however, continued to settle behind Sanchez while more battles ensued behind.

    Then with less than 35 laps remaining, the battle for the lead intensified as Zane Smith, who kept Sanchez close within his sights, tried to overtake Sanchez in Turn 1 through a slide job. He, however, slid up the track in Turn 1 and could not make the move stick as Sanchez pulled the crossover move to reassume the lead through the backstretch. Rhodes then tried to follow suit in second, but he got loose entering Turn 4, which allowed Zane Smith to reassume second as he tried to reignite his charge on Sanchez for the lead.

    With 31 laps remaining, the caution flew when Jack Wood, who was running in the top 20, plowed his No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST through the frontstretch grass as he kicked up debris and grass on the frontstretch’s pavement.

    During the following restart with 25 laps remaining, Sanchez and Zane Smith dueled for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch until Sanchez managed to use the inside lane to his advantage as he cleared Zane Smith and retained the lead. Behind, Eckes challenged Zane Smith for second, with the latter still prevailing as the field returned to the frontstretch amid a series of battles. Shortly after, the caution flew for a viscous multi-truck wreck on the frontstretch when Thompson, who was having a strong run towards the front, hit the outside wall entering the frontstretch as his damaged truck veered sideways towards the outside wall and came to a stop towards the middle of the frontstretch before he was T-Boned by Matt Mills as Trey Hutchins and Armani Williams also piled into the carnage. Amid the hard carnage, all competitors emerged uninjured, though Thompson was placed on a stretcher and into the ambulance for further evaluation. The wreck, however, was enough to place the event in a red flag period to give the on-track safety crew time to clear the carnage.

    Once the red flag was lifted amid a 15-minute hiatus and the race restarted with 17 laps remaining, Sanchez jumped ahead of Zane Smith despite spinning the tires to retain the lead as Hocevar challenged Zane Smith for second. Smith, however, pulled away and tried to challenge Sanchez for the lead while Friesen battled and overtook Hocevar for third. Shortly after, Friesen nearly got into the wall on the backstretch as he lost third to Hocevar, but he continued to run straight as the event proceeded under green. By then, Sanchez was still leading by a tenth of a second over Zane Smith.

    Following another late caution period with 11 laps remaining due to a multi-truck involving Taylor Gray, rookie Daniel Dye, Mason Massey and Ankrum on the backstretch, the event restarted under green with seven laps remaining. At the start, Sanchez and Zane Smith dueled for the lead through the backstretch until Sanchez managed to fend off Smith once again to retain the lead. The caution, however, shortly returned when Matt Crafton, Tanner Gray and Enfinger wrecked in Turn 4. The incident was enough to send the event into overtime and past its scheduled distance of 167 laps.

    At the start of the first overtime attempt, Sanchez and Zane Smith battled for the lead with neither peeking ahead. Amid the side-by-side battle towards the front, the caution flew and the event was sent into a second overtime attempt for a spin involving Lawless Alan, who rallied to run in the top 10, on the backstretch. At the moment of caution, Sanchez was still scored the leader followed by Zane Smith, Friesen, Eckes and Hocevar.

    During the start of the second overtime attempt, Sanchez and Zane Smith dueled for the lead with Friesen, Eckes and Hocevar following in pursuit. Sanchez and Smith would remain dead even for the lead while Hocevar and Eckes dueled behind for third, all while the field behind battled for spots within the top five and 10.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Sanchez and Zane Smith remained dead even for the lead. They then made contact as Sanchez slipped sideways. Despite regaining control of his truck, he was then hit by Hocevar as Sanchez spun back across the track and clipped Smith’s No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford F-150 before colliding into the outside wall while also collecting Eckes. Amid the carnage, Hocevar escaped with the lead through the first two turns as the caution flew to end the event under the yellow flag. With the lead within his grasp, Hocevar was deemed the leader at the moment of caution and declared the winner as he cycled back to the finish line to claim his first checkered flag in NASCAR competition and in his 59th series start.

    With the victory, Hocevar became the 122nd different competitor to achieve a victory in the Craftsman Truck Series, the first competitor to achieve a first series victory at Texas since Jeb Burton made the last accomplishment in 2013 and he became the first first-time winner in the series of the 2023 season. He also recorded the first victory of the season and the fifth overall for Niece Motorsports.

    “I didn’t think y’all were gonna talk to me [in Victory Lane], to be honest,” Hocevar, who became the fourth different winner of the 2023 season, said on FS1. “I figured I was gonna talk to y’all [on pit road]. I’m just excited. I didn’t mean to get into [Sanchez]. I just wanted to give him a push and they were sideways the second I hit him. He was gone. I apologize to them. I’ll take the fall for it. I wrecked a Chevy, but, Chevy’s in Victory Lane, I’ll go talk to him. He deserved to win, for sure, but all the times we were the fastest car and I don’t win and this team don’t win. They deserve to win more than anything. I finally can stop getting the same question asked so many times. We didn’t deserve to win today. We were just in the right spot at the right time…My whole crew deserves this win more than anything.”

    “I didn’t see anything,” Hocevar, who addressed his involvement of the final lap incident, added. “I was just like, ‘I’ll sit here’. [Sanchez and Smith] hit pretty good. I just tried to push [Sanchez] and he was sideways, so the second he crossed right back up, I mean, I was coming so much faster than him just to help push. He crossed left, crossed right and he’s sideways, so the second I touched him, he went around. I didn’t mean to tear up any race cars. I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting that to happen.”

    With Hocevar scored as the winner, Chase Purdy ended in a career-best second place followed by Friesen and Majeski while rookie Jake Garcia finished in the top five. Hailie Deegan came home in sixth to tie her career-best result in the NASCAR Truck circuit while Heim, Ryan Vargas, Jack Wood and Rhodes completed the top 10 on the track.

    Sanchez, who led a race-high 168 laps, ended up in 16th and with a destroyed race truck after being unable to limp back to the finish line while Zane Smith and Eckes managed to limp their trucks in 14th and 15th, respectively, below the lead lap finishing category.

    “It was, obviously, coming to the last lap,” Sanchez said. “Me and [Zane Smith] were playing aggressive side-drafting game and I feel like I went a little too aggressive on him, got loose, went through the grass, saved it and just got hooked by [Hocevar]. Don’t know what else to say on that after all day just kind of in my own little race and for that to happen, but it is what it is. It’s racing. Thanks to everyone on the No. 2 Gainbridge and Save Chevy team. The truck’s fast. I hate we tore a fast one up, but just got to build another one and come back strong.”

    “The end there, it was just overtime, overtime, overtime restarts,” Smith said. “I don’t know what’s really going on with [Sanchez], but he was just so, so sketchy, especially on the straightaways. He doors me [on the frontstretch], gets off me, drives [his truck] through the grass and then, I just get hooked. We were in great position to get our third win of the year there. We’ll rebound and go to Bristol Dirt and hopefully have a good weekend there.”

    There were seven lead changes for four different leaders. The race featured 12 cautions for 36 laps.

    Following the fifth event of the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series season, Ty Majeski leads the regular-season standings by three points over Zane Smith, 12 over Ben Rhodes, 19 over Christian Eckes and 51 over Matt Crafton.

    Results.

    1. Carson Hocevar, one lap led

    2. Chase Purdy

    3. Stewart Friesen

    4. Ty Majeski

    5. Jake Garcia

    6. Hailie Deegan

    7. Corey Heim

    8. Ryan Vargas

    9. Jack Wood

    10. Ben Rhodes, one lap led

    11. Mason Massey

    12. Kris Wright

    13. Matt Crafton

    14. Zane Smith

    15. Christian Eckes, two laps led

    16. Nick Sanchez – OUT, Accident, 168 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

    17. Grant Enfinger, one lap down

    18. Lawless Alan, two laps down

    19. Rajah Caruth, three laps down

    20. Colby Howard, three laps down

    21. Josh Reaume, four laps down

    22. Spencer Boyd, four laps down

    23. Bret Holmes, five laps down

    24. Taylor Gray, six laps down

    25. Daniel Dye, seven laps down

    26. Tyler Ankrum, eight laps down

    27. Tanner Gray – OUT, Accident

    28. Dean Thompson – OUT, Accident

    29. Armani Williams – OUT, Accident

    30. Trey Hutchins – OUT, Accident

    31. Matt Mills – OUT, Accident

    32. Matt DiBenedetto – OUT, Vibration

    33. Keith McGee – OUT, Vibration

    34. Chad Chastain – OUT, Accident

    Next on the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season is the third annual running of the Weather Guard Truck Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course in Bristol, Tennessee. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, April 8, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Weekend schedule for Richmond and Texas

    Weekend schedule for Richmond and Texas

    This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series head to Richmond Raceway. They will be joined by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour while the Craftsman Truck Series travels to Texas Motor Speedway.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, March 31

    Whelen Modified Tour – Richmond:
    12:45 p.m.: Practice – No TV
    4:15 p.m.: Qualifying – No TV
    6:30 p.m.: Virginia is for Lovers 250 race – FloRacing /MRN – Rescheduled to Saturday, April 1 at 4:30 p.m.

    Saturday, April 1

    Xfinity Series – Richmond:
    8:05 a.m.: Practice – FS1 – Canceled
    8:35 a.m.: Qualifying – FS1 – Canceled – Justin Allgaier on Pole
    Post Qualifying on Press Pass
    1 p.m.: ToyotaCare 250 race
    Distance: 187.5 miles (250 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 75, Stage 2 ends on Lap 150, Final Stage ends on Lap 250
    The Purse: $1,721,030
    Post Race on Press Pass

    Cup Series – Richmond:
    10:05 a.m.: Practice – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM – Canceled
    10:50 a.m.: Qualifying – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM – Canceled – Alex Bowman on Pole
    Post Qualifying on Press Pass

    Truck Series – Texas:
    10:35 a.m.: Practice – No TV
    11:05 a.m.: Qualifying – No TV
    4:30 p.m.: SpeedyCash.com 250 – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    Distance: 250.2 miles (167 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 77, Stage 2 ends on Lap 122), Final Stage ends on Lap 167
    The Purse: $710,218

    Sunday, April 2

    Cup Series – Richmond:
    3:30 p.m.: Toyota Owners 400 – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    Distance: 300 miles (400 laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 70, Stage 2 ends Lap 230, Final Stage ends on Lap 400
    The Purse: $7,529,485
    Post Race on Press Pass

  • Zane Smith capitalizes on pit strategy for second consecutive Truck victory at COTA

    Zane Smith capitalizes on pit strategy for second consecutive Truck victory at COTA

    Zane Smith executed a well-timed pit strategy followed by a late caution period to cycle to the lead and motor away in the final stage to win the third annual running of the XPEL 225 at Circuit of the Americas on Saturday, March 25.

    The reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Smith from Huntington Beach, California, led two times for a race-high 16 of 42-scheduled laps as he spent the majority of the event running towards the front and jostling for the lead with a host of front-runners, among which included Kyle Busch.

    The key moment for Smith occurred at the conclusion of the second stage, which was won by Busch, when the Californian pitted under green for four fresh tires and fuel. Once the caution flew immediately afterward due to Parker Kligerman’s mechanical issue, a host of names led by Busch pitted and surrendered track position, which enabled Smith to cycle to the lead.

    Then during a 13-lap dash to the finish, Smith was able to retain the lead and capture the victory from Busch who was trying to cycle his way back to the front from starting 16th but ran out of time as he was unable to narrow the deficit.  

    With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Ross Chastain secured the pole position for the main event after posting a pole-winning lap at 91.877 mph in 133.613 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Kyle Busch, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 91.490 mph in 134.178 seconds.

    Prior to the event, names that included Daniel Dye, Kris Wright, Matt Crafton, Parker Kligerman, Matt DiBenedetto, Kaden Honeycutt, Taylor Gray, Bret Holmes, Colin Garrett, Chase Purdy and Spencer Boyd (driver change) dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective entries.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Chastain jumped ahead with an early advantage approaching the uphill climb towards the first turn as the field fanned out. As the field approached a series of left and right-hand turns from Turns 2 to 9, Chastain remained ahead of Kyle Busch with Christian Eckes and Ty Majeski battling for third. With rookie Bret Holmes spinning behind in the field, the event remained under green flag conditions as the leaders approached Turns 10 and 11 before entering a long straightaway to Turn 12.

    Towards the rear of the field, however, early troubles ignited for open-wheel competitor Ed Jones, who fell off the pace in Turn 8 with a flat left-rear tire and a potential broken rear suspension to his No. 20 Little Caesars Chevrolet Silverado RST. As the event remained under green, Chastain navigated his way through the next round of left and right-hand turns from Turns 12 to 19 before entering the final turn in Turn 20 and returning to the frontstretch as he led the first lap in front of Kyle Busch, Eckes, Majeski and Zane Smith. Not long after, the first caution of the event flew when Ed Jones pulled his truck off the course in Turn 13 with a flat tire and retired. During the caution period, names like Kris Wright, Colin Garrett, Jake Garcia, Spencer Boyd, Holmes and Jones pitted while the rest led by Chastain remained on the track.

    When the event proceeded under green on the third lap in Austin, the field fanned out as wide as five lanes entering the first turn with Eckes igniting his charge for the lead, which he succeeded over Chastain and Kyle Busch. Following Turns 2 to 10, however, Chastain drew his No. 41 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado RST beneath Eckes’ No. 19 NAPA Chevrolet Silverado RST in Turn 11 as both engaged for the lead while Zane Smith, Kyle Busch and Hocevar battled for third. Then entering Turn 12, Chastain cleared Eckes to reassume the lead as the field behind continued to jostle for positions.

    Through the first five scheduled laps, Chastain was leading by more than a second over Eckes followed by Zane Smith, Kyle Busch and Carson Hocevar while Majeski, Kaz Grala, rookie Nick Sanchez, Corey Heim and Tyler Ankrum were in the top 10. By then, Tanner Gray was in 11th ahead of Ben Rhodes, Grant Enfinger, Logan Bearden and Lawless Alan while Matt DiBenedetto, Matt Crafton, Hailie Deegan, Parker Kligerman and Stewart Friesen occupied the top 20. Meanwhile, rookie Rajah Caruth was assessed a pass-through penalty for cutting the course.

    Not long after, Deegan pitted under green as scheduled while running in the top 20 while driver Dale Quarterley was penalized for cutting the corner. Back at the front, Chastain continued to lead by more than a second over Eckes as Zane Smith, Kyle Busch and Hocevar were in the top five.

    Then on the seventh lap, the caution returned when Hocevar, who was running towards the top 10, got loose due to brake pressure issues and spun as he got his No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado RST stuck in the gravel trap in Turn 11. Hocevar’s incident occurred as Kris Wright also spun toward the midfield. During the caution period, a host of names led by Zane Smith, Busch and Chastain pitted while the rest led by Eckes remained on the track. During the caution period, Logan Bearden was penalized for speeding on pit road.

    During the following restart on the 10th lap, the field fanned out entering the first turn as Eckes pulled ahead with the lead while Sanchez and Majeski battled for second. Entering the second turn, contact from Majeski got Sanchez loose as he lost a handful of spots while Eckes pulled away through the first round of left and right turns. Behind, trouble ignited for Crafton as he spun in Turn 4 and got his No. 88 Menards Ford F-150 stuck in the gravel trap. With the event proceeding under green, Eckes retained the lead in front of Majeski while Grala moved up to third in front of teammate Heim, Tyler Ankrum and Ben Rhodes.

    At the conclusion of the first stage on Lap 12, Eckes, winner of last weekend’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, captured his third stage victory of the 2023 Truck season with Majeski, Corey Heim, Grala, Kyle Busch, Chastain, Tyler Ankrum, Zane Smith, Rhodes and Matt DiBenedetto scored in the top 10. Compared to the first three events on the schedule, the caution flag did not display and the competitors proceeded under green as part of NASCAR’s new rules for this season, which highlighted that no caution periods would be mandated at the conclusion of stage breaks on road course venues that hold Cup Series events.

    As the event remained under green with the start of the second stage, a host of names that included Chastain, Kyle Busch and Zane Smith pitted under green. Eckes would pit under green during the following lap as Majeski assumed the lead. During the 14th lap, Kyle Busch, who managed to pass Chastain following the pit stops, overtook Majeski to assume the lead while Chastain followed through for second. Not long after, Colby Howard was penalized for cutting the course while Heim and DiBenedetto pitted under green.

    As the event surpassed the Lap 20 mark, names that included Sanchez, Eckes, Majeski, Rhodes and Grala pitted under green, with Eckes dealing with a potential mechanical issue to his truck and knocking himself out of contention for a second consecutive win. By then, Chastain was leading ahead of Kyle Busch. Chastain would then pit on Lap 22 in light of a fuel pressure issue for the Floridian while Busch cycled his No. 51 Zariz Transport Chevrolet Silverado RST into the lead.

    When the second stage concluded on Lap 26 and the event surpassed its halfway mark, Kyle Busch captured the stage victory. Zane Smith, who pitted to cap off the second stage, was scored second followed by Lawless Alan, Stewart Friesen, Parker Kligerman, Hailie Deegan, Chastain, Kaden Honeycutt, Rhodes and Nick Sanchez. Not long after, the caution returned when Kligerman, who was off the pace through the frontstretch, came to a stop towards the frontstretch’s uphill venue with smoke billowing out of his No. 75 Food Country USA Chevrolet Silverado RST. By then, names like Chase Purdy, Majeski, Tanner Gray and Ankrum had also pitted along with Zane Smith. In the midst of the pit stops and prior to Kligerman’s issues, Hailie Deegan and Kaden Honeycutt made contact entering Turn 19, which resulted in both spinning off the track.

    During the caution period, some led by Kyle Busch, who opted to remain on the track during the second stage’s conclusion instead of pitting per crew chief Brian Pattie’s orders, pitted while the rest that included Zane Smith, Rhodes, Taylor Gray, Grala, Rajah Caruth, Majeski, Tanner Gray, Ankrum and Chase Purdy remained on the track.

    With 13 laps remaining, the event restarted under green as Zane Smith and Rhodes occupied the front row. At the start, Zane Smith maintained the lead in front of Rhodes as the field fanned out and scrambled for late positions. As the field continued to navigate through the series of turns, Logan Bearden spun in Turn 15, but the field remained under green while Kyle Busch commenced his charge to the front on fresh tires.

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Zane Smith was leading by more than three seconds over Rhodes while third-place Kyle Busch, who continued to his charge to the front, was trailing by more than six seconds. Majeski and Grala were in the top five while Caruth, Taylor Gray, Ankrum, Tanner Gray and Heim occupied the top 10 with 29 of 36 starters scored on the lead lap.

    Four laps later, Kyle Busch overtook Rhodes for the runner-up spot. Busch, however, found himself trailing the leader Zane Smith by more than six seconds. As the laps continued to dwindle and the battles around the circuit continued, Busch could only get the gap between himself and Zane Smith down to four and five seconds, but he could not get closer to Smith’s No. 38 Speedco Ford F-150 as the Californian continued to lead.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Zane Smith remained as the leader by more than five seconds over Kyle Busch and by more than seven seconds over third-place Rhodes. With clean air in front of him and a clear advantage with no challenges lurking behind, Smith was able to navigate his way through the 20-turn circuit for a final time before cycling back to the frontstretch and claiming his second consecutive checkered flag in Austin.

    With the victory, Smith became the first repeat winner of this year’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season and notched his ninth series career victory. Smith’s win also marked the third consecutive victory for Front Row Motorsports No. 38 entry, which remains the only team to win every Truck event at Circuit of the Americas.

    “Besides catching on fire in Victory Lane, that’s a first for me,” Smith, whose truck caught on fire while performing his burnout on the frontstretch, said on FS1. “Man, that’s a bummer right there, but man, just a shoutout to everyone at Team [Front Row Motorsports], [crew chief] Chris Lawson for that amazing strategy right there. That worked out for us good with that caution, advancing us in front of [Chastain]. Shoutout to my pit crew, man. They’ve been awesome all this year. It’s been so awesome having them and then, the strategy, putting Kyle [Busch] back there and us starting on the front row was just so perfect. The Speedco F-150 was fast there when it mattered. I just enjoy so much coming to all the road courses, especially here. It’s so cool [that Front Row Motorsports] is undefeated here. Just a true testament to this team. That was probably the most hectic Victory Lane celebration I’ve ever had.”

    Kyle Busch, who was seeking the 100th Truck career victory for his organization, settled in second place and five seconds behind Smith while Majeski, Ankrum and Chastain finished in the top five.

    “We were playing the long game and unfortunately, the long game didn’t work,” Busch said. “[Smith] got lucky today and beat us.”

    Heim, Sanchez, Tanner Gray and Grala finished sixth through ninth while Rhodes, who had a drive shaft issue and had fallen off the pace approaching the finish line, ended up in 10th.

    There were nine lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured three cautions for five laps. In total, 28 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.

    Following the fourth event of the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series season, Zane Smith leads the regular-season standings by two points over Ty Majeski, 18 over Ben Rhodes, 20 over Christian Eckes, 37 over Grant Enfinger and 38 over Matt Crafton.

    Results.

    1. Zane Smith, 16 laps led

    2. Kyle Busch, 12 laps led, Stage 2 winner

    3. Ty Majeski, one lap led

    4. Tyler Ankrum

    5. Ross Chastain, 10 laps led

    6. Corey Heim

    7. Nick Sanchez

    8. Tanner Gray

    9. Kaz Grala

    10. Ben Rhodes

    11. Taylor Gray

    12. Grant Enfinger

    13. Rajah Caruth

    14. Stewart Friesen

    15. Kaden Honeycutt

    16. Hailie Deegan

    17. Lawless Alan

    18. Daniel Dye

    19. Jake Garcia

    20. Colin Garrett

    21. Kris Wright

    22. Logan Bearden

    23. Bret Holmes

    24. Colby Howard

    25. Timmy Hill

    26. Mason Filippi

    27. Chase Purdy

    28. Dale Quarterley

    29. Matt DiBenedetto, one lap down

    30. Christian Eckes – OUT, Suspension, three laps led, Stage 1 winner

    31. Parker Kligerman – OUT, Electrical

    32. Spencer Boyd – OUT, Electrical

    33. Matt Crafton – OUT, Accident

    34. Carson Hocevar – OUT, Axle

    35. Dean Thompson – OUT, Accident

    36. Ed Jones – OUT, Suspension

    Next on the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season is another Texas event as the series will travel north from Austin to Fort Worth to compete at Texas Motor Speedway. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, April 1, at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1.