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Category: Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series news and information

  • Weekend schedule for Talladega

    Weekend schedule for Talladega

    NASCAR travels to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend as the Playoffs continue for all three national series. There will be no practice or qualifying and the lineups will be set by NASCAR’s metric format.

    Saturday will feature a doubleheader with the Camping World Truck Series race at 1 p.m. followed by the Xfinity Series Sparks 300 at 4:30 p.m.

    Sunday’s Cup Series YellaWood 500 will begin with Dale Earnhardt Jr., a six-time winner at the track, taking a ceremonial lap before the start of the race in Ron Bouchard’s No. 47 Buick. The lap will pay tribute to Bouchard’s 1981 upset win when he passed Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte on the final lap and won by a margin of only two feet to claim the checkered flag in the 11th start of his rookie season.

    All times are Eastern

    Saturday, October 2

    1 p.m.: Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado 250
    Stages 20/40/94 Laps/250.04 Miles
    Pole: Ben Rhodes
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    4:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Sparks 300
    Stages 25/50/113) Laps/300.58 Miles
    Pole: Justin Allgaier
    NBCSN/TSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Sunday, October 3

    2 p.m.: Cup Series YellaWood 500
    Stages 60/120/188 Laps/500 Miles
    Pole: Denny Hamlin
    NBC/TSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    The NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega has been rescheduled to Monday at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Talladega Superspeedway Data

    Season Race #: 31 of 36 (10-03-21)
    Track Size: 2.66-miles
    Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 33 degrees
    Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 33 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 16.5 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  4,300 feet
    Backstretch Length:  4,000 feet
    Race Length: 188 laps / 500 miles
    Stage 1 & 2 Length: 60 laps (each)
    Final Stage Length: 68 laps

    Talladega Superspeedway Qualifying Data

    -Track qualifying record: Bill Elliott, Melling Racing Ford (212.809 mph, 44.998 secs.) on April 30, 1987.
    -2020 Playoff pole winner: Metric Qualifying – Denny Hamlin (Toyota) started in the first position.
    -2019 Playoff pole winner: Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (192.707 mph, 49.692 secs.) on October 12, 2019.

    • Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active Cup drivers in starts at Talladega with 41 each.
    • Chase Elliott leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega with a 6.000 in 11 starts.
    • Six of the 44 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at Talladega Superspeedway are active this weekend.  Chase Elliott (2), Kevin Harvick (2), Austin Dillon (1), Kurt Busch (1), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1), and Martin Truex Jr. (1).
    • Kevin Harvick (2005, 2018) and Chase Elliott (2016, 2019) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Talladega with two each.
    • The youngest series Talladega pole winner: Chase Elliott (May 1, 2016 – 20 years, 5 months, 3 days).
    • Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in poles at Talladega Superspeedway with 13 among eight different drivers.
    • Eight different manufacturers have won at least one pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway; led by Chevrolet with 37 and followed by Ford (29), Dodge (12), Mercury (five), Oldsmobile (five), Pontiac (three), Toyota (three) and Buick (two).

    Talladega Superspeedway Race Data

    -Track race record: Mark Martin, Roush Fenway Racing Ford (188.354 mph, 02:39:18) on May 10, 1997.
    -2020 Playoff race winner: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (129.774 mph, 04:05:58) on October 4, 2020.
    -2019 Playoff race winner: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford (136.644 mph, 03:39:35) on October 14, 2019.

    • Nine of the 49 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Talladega Superspeedway are active this weekend.  Brad Keselowski (6), Joey Logano (3), Denny Hamlin (2), Ryan Blaney (2), Chase Elliott (1), Aric Almirola (1), Ricky Stenhouse Jr (1), Kevin Harvick (1), and Kyle Busch (1).
    • Brad Keselowski leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at Talladega Superspeedway with six victories (2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021).
    • 15 of the 104 NASCAR Cup Series races (14.4%) at Talladega Superspeedway have been won from the pole or first starting position.
    • The outside front row (second starting position) is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.
    • The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Talladega is 34th, by Denny Hamlin in the 2014 spring race.

    From OddsChecker: Denny Hamlin a slight favorite to win YellaWood 500’

    Hamlin is given +900 odds to win the YellaWood 500. That’s an implied 10% chance to win the race. He’s quickly followed by Joey Logano who’s given +1000 odds, or a 9.1% chance. Chase Elliot and Ryan Blaney aren’t far behind either as both are given +1100 odds, or an 8.3% chance.

    YELLAWOOD 500 WINNER ODDS 

    Driver Odds Implied chance 
    Denny Hamlin +900 10% 
    Joey Logano +1000 9.1% 
    Chase Elliot +1100 8.3% 
    Ryan Blaney +1100 8.3% 
    Kevin Harvick +1600 5.9% 
    William Byron +1600 5.9% 
    Kyle Larson +1800 5.3% 
    Alec Almirola +2000 4.8% 
    Alex Bowman +2200 4.3% 
    Martin Truex Jr. +2800 3.4% 

  • Christian Eckes secures first Truck Series win at Las Vegas

    Christian Eckes secures first Truck Series win at Las Vegas

    Former ARCA Menards Series champion Christian Eckes took home his first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday night. He did so with help from his ThorSport Racing teammates and after passing Todd Gilliland on a late-race restart.  

    “I knew we had a shot on that restart,” Eckes said about the victory. “For whatever reason, our restarts have been stellar. The last one all we had to do was go forward one spot and we were able to do that. The 16 (Austin Hill) was able to give me a great push and my teammate (Ben Rhodes) gave me a good push too. My Curb Records Tundra was really damn good.

    “Just proud of my whole team, this is a brand new truck we brought here. Our team did well finishing 1-2-3-4. My crew chief’s (Jeriod Prince) first win and my first win, it was a great night.”

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series headed west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to begin the Round of 6 in the Truck Series Playoffs, a race that took an interesting turn Friday night. Stages of 30/30/74 laps made up the 134-lap event. John Hunter Nemechek was on the pole by virtue of NASCAR’s metric system.

    There was only one caution in Stage 1 and it happened only three laps into the event. The No. 45 of Chris Hacker crashed off Turn 4 and brought out the only yellow of the stage. Nemechek had a dominant truck early and led every lap of Stage 1 to take the stage victory. Gilliland, Chandler Smith, Ben Rhodes, Stewart Friesen, Zane Smith, Eckes, Sheldon Creed, Austin Hill and Tyler Ankrum were the top 10 finishers.

    During Stage 2, the action picked up with two cautions and a major incident that impacted two of the playoff drivers, John Hunter Nemechek and Zane Smith. On Lap 38, Zane Smith went three-wide with Nemechek and Friesen, only to cut down a left-rear tire and bring out the yellow. Under the yellow, his No. 21 truck eventually lost power, but the team replaced the battery with a new one.

    Nemechek’s issues began on Lap 48. The Mooresville, North Carolina native slowed on the backstretch and brought out the yellow on Lap 52 as he had no ignition fire. He did, however, get the truck refired.

    Meanwhile, Todd Gilliland turned the page and scored the stage victory. Rhodes, Carson Hocevar, Friesen, Creed, Tanner Gray, Austin Hill, Matt Crafton, Eckes, and Chandler Smith rounded out the top 10.

    Stage 3 was even more intriguing. A major crash occurred on Lap 70 with multiple trucks involved, including playoff drivers Chandler Smith and Creed. Creed’s teammate, Ankrum, spun off Turn 2 which caused a chain of events. Creed went to the bottom to miss the accident but was not clear and he plowed into the back of Smith’s truck. The accident ended the night for both drivers. Creed and Smith were treated and released from the infield care center following the incident.

    Later on in the stage, Nemechek’s problems continued to worsen. He once again brought out the yellow flag with 54 to go after stalling on the backstretch. Due to his mechanical problems, Nemechek was relegated to 33rd place finish, 49 laps down.

    The final caution of the night came inside 10 laps to go when the No. 42 of Carson Hocevar spun prior to pit road. The Niece Motorsports driver was penalized one lap for bringing out the yellow intentionally.

    With a four-lap restart, Gilliland hoped to gain his second win since Circuit of Americus back in May. However, Eckes powered right on by and eventually grabbed his first Truck Series victory with his ThorSport teammates Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter taking the top four spots. It was the first time in series history that one team has accomplished the feat.

    “It’s tough to begin with but at this track it’s even crazier,” Rhodes said about finishing second. “We all saw at this track the restarts were wild all night long. I think I’m just happy with the night. Come in from Bristol, barely getting in, and now I hear we are the points leader. But I couldn’t be more proud of ThorSport Racing. Heck, we were one-through-four. I heard that was the first time in series history.”

    “I’m super proud of Christian Eckes. I gave him as big of a shove as I could down the backstretch and when that happened, he got the lead. I thought I could challenge him. We needed one more corner before that caution came out and maybe I could have challenged him for the win, but super proud of him. He deserves it. He’s been working hard on it, and with his part-time schedule, it’s really good to see. ThorSport Racing is on fire tonight.”

    Meanwhile, playoff driver Matt Crafton continued his consistency by finishing third. With the exception of Watkins Glen (finishing 22nd), Crafton has finished inside the Top 10 or five since Nashville back in June.

    “These guys behind pit wall. Junior (Carl Joiner, crew chief) and them making all of the right adjustments,” Crafton said. “We’ve never ever made as many adjustments as we did tonight. The Menards Toyota Tundra was good on long runs, but our short run speed – we were pathetic. We weren’t wanting that last restart but we did. I thought I had a good run off turn four and was going to try to do something with the 98 (Christian Eckes) and then the 99 (Ben Rhodes) turned underneath me and drove on by me. All-in-all, I’m really happy for Duke and Rhonda Thorson. 1-2-3-4, I don’t think that has ever been done. Thanks to Menards and everybody.”

    Eckes led once for four laps en route to victory.

    There were 10 cautions for 39 laps and 14 lead changes among 11 different leaders.

    Updated Truck Series Playoff standings following Race 1 in the Round of 6:

    1. Ben Rhodes, +34
    2. John Hunter Nemechek, +28
    3. Stewart Friesen, +9
    4. Matt Crafton, +5
      Below the cut line
    5. Sheldon Creed, -5
    6. Carson Hocevar, -16
    7. Zane Smith, -19
    8. Chandler Smith, -24

    Official Results following Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    1. Christian Eckes, led four laps
    2. Ben Rhodes, led five laps
    3. Matt Crafton
    4. Johnny Sauter, led two laps
    5. Todd Gilliland, won Stage 2, led 66 laps
    6. Stewart Friesen, led one lap
    7. Grant Enfinger
    8. Austin Wayne Self
    9. Ryan Truex
    10. Austin Hill, led 12 laps
    11. Bret Holmes, led one lap
    12. Derek Kraus
    13. Chase Purdy
    14. Tate Fogleman, led one lap
    15. Spencer Davis
    16. Kris Wright
    17. Tyler Hill, 1 lap down
    18. Danny Bohn, 1 lap down
    19. Spencer Boyd, 1 lap down
    20. CJ McLaughlin, 1 lap down
    21. Dylan Lupton, 1 lap down
    22. Carson Hocevar, 2 laps down, led 8 laps
    23. Tanner Gray, 2 laps down
    24. Drew Dollar, 2 laps down
    25. Brett Moffitt, 3 laps down, led one lap
    26. Howie DiSavino III, 4 laps down
    27. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 5 laps down
    28. Cory Roper, 13 laps down
    29. Zane Smith, 19 laps down
    30. Jack Wood, OUT, Accident
    31. Hailie Deegan, OUT, Accident
    32. Keith McGee, OUT, Too slow
    33. John Hunter Nemechek, 49 laps down, won Stage 1, led 33 laps
    34. Tyler Ankrum, OUT, Accident
    35. Chandler Smith, OUT, Accident
    36. Sheldon Creed, OUT, Accident
    37. Chris Hacker, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will head back east to Talladega Superspeedway Saturday, October 2, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 1 p.m. ET.

  • Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    NASCAR travels to Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the Playoffs continue after an exciting weekend at Bristol where four drivers in the Cup Series were eliminated from championship contention.

    It will be the first race in the Cup Series Round of 12.

    The Xfinity Series will begin its Playoffs at Las Vegas as 12 drivers compete for the title. The post-season title contenders include AJ Allmendinger, the Xfinity Series Regular Season Champion, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Justin Haley, Jeb Burton, Daniel Hemric, Harrison Burton, Myatt Snider, Jeremy Clements, Riley Herbst, Noah Gragson and Brandon Jones.

    Friday night, the Camping World Truck Series will begin its Round of 8. John Hunter Nemechek leads the way with 3050 points followed by Sheldon Creed, Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Matt Crafton, Carson Hocevar and Stewart Friesen.

    There will be no qualifying or practice this weekend and starting lineups will be determined by the metrics formula established by NASCAR.

    Thursday, Sept. 23

    11 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series West Star Nursery 150
    TV: Trackpass

    Friday, Sept. 24

    9 p.m.: Truck Series Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate Resorts
    Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 30, Stage 2 ends on Lap 60, Final Stage ends on Lap 134
    Pole: John Hunter Nemechek
    TV: FS1 – Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR

    Saturday, Sept. 25

    7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Alsco Uniforms 302
    Distance: 302 miles (201 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 45, Stage 2 ends on Lap 90, Final Stage ends on Lap 201
    Pole: Austin Cindric
    TV: NBCSN – Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR

    Sunday, Sept. 26

    7 p.m.: Cup Series South Point 400
    Distance: 400.5 miles (267 Laps)
    Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80),
    Stage 2 ends on Lap 160, Final Stage ends on Lap 267
    Pole: Kyle Larson
    TV: NBCSN – Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR

    Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data

    Season Race #: 30 of 36 (09-26-21)
    Track Size: 1.5-miles
    Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 20 degrees
    Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 20 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  2,275 feet
    Backstretch Length:  1,572 feet
    Race Length: 267 laps (400.5 miles)
    Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 laps (each)
    Final Stage Length: 107 laps

    Las Vegas Motor Speedway Qualifying Data

    Track Qualifying Record: Kurt Busch, Chevrolet (196.328 mph. 27.505 secs.) on March 4, 2016.
    2020 Playoff Race Pole Winner: Metric Qualifying, Kevin Harvick started from the first position.

    • Kevin Harvick leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 24 starts.
    • Daniel Hemric leads the series in average starting position at Las Vegas a 5.5 in two starts.
    • Chase Elliott leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at Las Vegas an 8.778 in nine starts.
    • Kyle Busch (2008, 2009) and Kurt Busch (2010, 2016) lead all active drivers in poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with two each.
    • Kyle Busch is the only driver to win consecutive Cup Series poles at Las Vegas from 2008-2009.
    • Five different manufacturers have won a pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series led by Ford (11), and followed by Chevrolet (four), Dodge (four), Toyota (three) and Pontiac (one).

    Las Vegas Motor Speedway Race Data

    Track Race Record: Brad Keselowski, Ford (154.633 mph, 2:35:24) on March 9, 2014.
    2020 Playoff Race Winner: Kurt Busch, Chevrolet (131.420 mph, 03:03:32) on September 27, 2020.

    • Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series wins at Las Vegas with three (2014, 2016, 2018).
    • The youngest LVMS winner: Kyle Busch (March 01, 2009 – 23 years, 9 months, 27 days).
    • Kyle Busch became the first and only driver to win from the pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series on March 1, 2009.
    • Five of the 27 Las Vegas races (18.52%) have been won from the front row.
    • The second starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field producing more winners (four) than any other starting position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (14.81%).
    • Roush Fenway Racing leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas with seven victories: Mark Martin (1998), Jeff Burton (1999, 2000), Matt Kenseth (2003, 2004), Carl Edwards (2008, 2011).
    • Four manufacturers have visited Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas, led by Ford (13 wins), Chevrolet (nine), Toyota (four) and Dodge (one).

    From OddsChecker: Kyle Larson favorite to win South Point 400

    Larson is given +350 odds, or an implied 22.2% chance to win the race. He’s followed by Kyle Busch, who is given +650 odds or an implied 13.3% chance. Denny Hamlin is given +700 odds, Chase Elliot +800, and Martin Truex Jr. +900. Those are the 5 favorites. Even among them, it’s clear that oddsmakers are separating Larson from the pack.

    SOUTH POINT 400 WINNER ODDS 

    Driver Odds Implied chance 
    Kyle Larson +350 22.2% 
    Kyle Busch +650 13.3% 
    Denny Hamlin +700 12.5% 
    Chase Elliot +800 11.1% 
    Martin Truex Jr. +900 10% 
    Kevin Harvick +1000 9.1% 
    Joey Logano +1100 8.3% 
    William Byron +1200 7.7% 
    Ryan Blaney +1400 6.7% 
    Brad Keselowski +1500 6.3% 
  • Chandler Smith powers through to next round of Playoffs with Bristol victory

    Chandler Smith powers through to next round of Playoffs with Bristol victory

    In a must-win situation, 19-year-old Chandler Smith made a power move on Sheldon Creed with three laps to go, moving Creed out of the way. He hung on to win the Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway and locked the No. 18 team into the Playoffs Round of 6.

    “All week, I’ve been talking about 2019 when I finished second to Brett Moffitt and what I would have done different to win that race and these things are so hard now to win,” Smith said about the victory. “I haven’t done anything different since 2019. I’ve been doing a lot of sim time and watching film to get this win. My faith has been tested plenty of times.”

    Creed, who was dominant most of the night, led a race-high 189 laps before spinning with three laps to go due to a left-rear tire. He finished in the 19th spot, two laps down.

    “I knew I was going to get hit at some point, but it hurts nonetheless,” Creed said. “We’ve had three really fast trucks to open up the Playoffs and and it’s been really fun to go out there and dominate races. I’m having a lot of fun right now and I’m looking forward to heading to Vegas and setting our team up to make it to Phoenix.”

    Bristol Motor Speedway served as the final race in the Round of 8 Thursday night. Already a two-time winner in the playoffs, Creed was on the pole due to the qualifying metric system. Stages of 55/55/90 made up the 200-lap race in what would be a wild night of action.

    In the first stage, the caution was flown as early as Lap 3 for the No. 32 of Sam Mayer and the No. 3 of Howie DiSavino III for spinning in Turns 1 and 2. Following the accident, there were two more yellow flags, one at Lap 22 for Tanner Gray and on Lap 49 for Spencer Boyd. Prior to the Lap 49 caution, Smith was concerned as he had a left-front tire rub after making contact with another playoff driver, Todd Gilliland.

    With a one-lap dash set up for the first stage, Creed and Matt Crafton were on the front row, but Creed took off first with the faster truck and went on to take the first stage win. Austin Hill, Crafton, Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger, Carson Hocevar, Stewart Friesen, Todd Gilliland, Tyler Ankrum and Johnny Sauter rounded out the Top 10.

    Stage 2 began on Lap 66 and was one of the calmer stages of the night. There was only one yellow flag that slowed the field on Lap 70 when the No. 51 of Drew Dollar spun on the backstretch and collected Tate Fogleman, Dawson Cram, Howie DiSavino and Danny Bohn. The caution prompted the first red flag of the night, lasting six minutes and 23 seconds in length.

    Despite the red flag stoppage, Creed was once again dominant, and collected another stage victory. Ankrum, Austin Hill, Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Nemechek, Friesen, Enfinger, Parker Kligerman and Crafton completed the Top 10. During the stage break caution, Zane Smith was penalized for throwing a fuel can, while Ankrum and Austin Hill were penalized for being too fast on pit road.

    The third and final stage had five cautions and the second red flag of the night. Most notably, when the fourth yellow came out with 11 to go, playoff contender, Austin Hill, came down on the No. 25 of Josh Berry on the frontstretch and wrecked in Turn 1. Hill then went up the track and collected Hailie Deegan, Derek Kraus, Lawless Alan and Austin Wayne Self.

    The major accident brought out the second red flag of the race and the field was halted for seven minutes and 37 seconds. Unfortunately, for the Georgia native Austin Hill, his playoff chances came to a close as he was eliminated from the next round.

    The final restart came with five laps to go with Creed and Chandler Smith on the front row. Smith’s teammate Nemechek was close behind in third. As both Creed and Smith fired off, the two raced side-by-side before Smith got the better of Creed by moving him up the track.

    Creed went high on the outside and fell back in the running order and eventually made contact with another driver and spun due to a left-rear flat tire.

    Even though Creed spun, no caution was called and Chandler Smith drove away with the victory. Enfinger, John Hunter Nemechek, Friesen, Sauter, Hocevar, Crafton, Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes, and Gilliland completed the top 10 finishers.

    Despite their best efforts, Austin Hill and Gilliland were eliminated from the Playoffs. Gilliland missed the next round by just two points.

    Smith led one time for five laps and gained five playoff points.

    There were 11 cautions for 85 laps and three lead changes among three different leaders.

    Playoff Standings for the Round of 8 beginning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

    1. John Hunter Nemechek, +44
    2. Sheldon Creed, +20
    3. Ben Rhodes, +13
    4. Zane Smith, +3
      Below the cut line
    5. Chandler Smith, -3
    6. Matt Crafton, -5
    7. Carson Hocevar, -7
    8. Stewart Friesen, -8

    Official Results following the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway:

    1. Chandler Smith, led five laps
    2. Grant Enfinger
    3. John Hunter Nemechek
    4. Stewart Friesen
    5. Johnny Sauter
    6. Carson Hocevar, led six laps
    7. Matt Crafton
    8. Zane Smith
    9. Ben Rhodes
    10. Todd Gilliland
    11. Josh Berry
    12. Doug Coby
    13. Derek Kraus
    14. Austin Wayne Self
    15. Colby Howard
    16. Ryan Truex
    17. Timmy Hill
    18. Lawless Alan
    19. Sheldon Creed, won both stages, led 189 laps, 2 laps down
    20. Cory Roper, 2 laps down
    21. Parker Kligerman, 3 laps down
    22. Sam Mayer, 7 laps down
    23. Clay Greenfield, 7 laps down
    24. Austin Hill, OUT, Accident
    25. Hailie Deegan, OUT, Accident
    26. CJ McLaughlin, 12 laps down
    27. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 12 laps down
    28. Howie DiSavino III, OUT, Electrical
    29. Taylor Gray, OUT, Accident
    30. Chase Purdy, OUT, Accident
    31. Spencer Boyd, OUT, Overheating
    32. Tyler Ankrum, OUT, Accident
    33. Danny Bohn, OUT, Accident
    34. Drew Dollar, OUT, Accident
    35. Dawson Cram, OUT, Accident
    36. Kris Wright, OUT, Engine
    37. Tate Fogleman, OUT, Accident
    38. Tanner Gray, OUT, Accident
    39. Ray Ciccarelli, OUT, Rear Gear
    40. Josh Reaume, OUT, Accident

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will head west to begin the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday night, September 24, live on Fox Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET with radio coverage on MRN Radio.

  • Weekend schedule for Bristol

    Weekend schedule for Bristol

    NASCAR travels to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend for some short-track racing with playoff implications.

    It will be the last race in Round 1 of the Cup Series Playoffs. Four drivers will be eliminated from championship contention at the conclusion of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

    Three drivers have clinched a spot in the Round of 12. Denny Hamlin won at Darlington, Martin Truex Jr. won at Richmond and Kyle Larson secured his place in the next round on points.

    The Camping World Truck Series will also compete in the final race of Round 1 of its playoffs. Sheldon Creed won the first two races at Gateway and Darlington. If he can sweep all three races, he would become the first driver to do so in the series history. John Hunter Nemechek has also earned a place in the upcoming Round of 8 on points, leaving six open spots.  

    Bristol is the last race of the Xfinity Series regular season. Nine drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver opening round of their playoffs – AJ Allmendinger, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Daniel Hemric, Harrison Burton, Justin Haley, Noah Gragson, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider. Jeremy Clements, Brandon Jones and Riley Herbst are currently 10th, 11th and 12th, respectively, in the driver standings.

    The Xfinity Series regular-season championship will also be decided at Bristol, with Cindric and Allmendinger as the top contenders.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, Sept. 16

    6:30 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200
    6:40 p.m.: Green Flag
    200 Laps, 106.6 Miles
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    9 p.m. Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics
    9:18 p.m.: Green Flag
    Stages 55/110/200 Laps (106.6 Miles)
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR

    Friday, September 17

    7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Food City 300
    7:47: Green Flag
    Stages 85/170/300 Laps (159.9 Miles)
    NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN2

    Saturday, September 18

    7:30 p.m.: Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race
    7:47 p.m.: Green Flag
    Stages 125/250/500 Laps (266.5 Miles)
    NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN

    Bristol Motor Speedway Data

    Season Race #: 29 of 36 (09-18-21)
    Track Size: 0.533-miles
    Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24-28 degrees
    Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24-28 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 4-8 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 4-8 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  650 feet
    Backstretch Length:  650 feet
    Race Length: 500 laps / 266.5 miles
    Stages 1 & 2 Length: 125 laps (each)
    Final Stage Length: 250 laps

    Bristol Motor Speedway Qualifying Data

    Track Qualifying Record: Chase Elliott, Chevrolet (131.713 mph, 14.568 secs.) on April 5, 2019.
    2020 Playoff Race Pole Winner: Qualifying was canceled, Metric Qualifying, Brad Keselowski started in the first position.

    • Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in starts at Bristol with 40 starts each.
    • Chase Elliott leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in average starting position at Bristol with a 6.800 in 10 starts.
    • Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Bristol with four (2013, 2014, 2015, 2019).
    • The youngest Bristol pole winner: Joey Logano (March 21, 2010 – 19 years, 9 months, 25 days).
    • A total of nine different manufacturers have won pols at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; led by Chevrolet (39) and followed by Ford (36), Toyota (11), Dodge (8), Pontiac (7), Buick (4), Plymouth (4), Oldsmobile (3) and Mercury (2).

    Bristol Motor Speedway Race Data

    Track Race Record: Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet (101.074 mph, 2:38:12) on July 11, 1971.
    2020 Bristol Playoff Race Winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (95.911 mph, 2:46:43) on September 19, 2020.

    • Kyle Busch leads the series among active drivers in wins at Bristol with eight victories in 31 starts (Spring 2007, 2009 sweep, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019).
    • The youngest Bristol winner: Kyle Busch (March 25, 2007 – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days).
    • The race winner has started from the pole or first starting position 27 times (22.6%), the most productive starting position in the field. The most recent driver to win from the pole or first starting position was Brad Keselowski last season (March 31, 2020).
    • The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started is 27th, by Kurt Busch in 2002.
    • Eight different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series 120 races at Bristol; led by Chevrolet with 45 victories (37.5% winning percentage); followed by Ford (39 wins), Toyota (12), Dodge (8), Pontiac (8), Buick (4), Plymouth (3) and Oldsmobile (1).

    From OddsChecker: Kyle Busch slight favorite to win Bass Pro Shops Night Race

    Busch stands tall at +440 to win the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. He’s quickly followed by Kyle Larson at +520. Then it’s Denny Hamlin at +675. After that the odds fall off to Chase Elliot at +900. So, it’s clear that oddsmakers have a top 3 in this race.

    BASS PRO SHOPS NIGHT RACE WINNER ODDS 

    Racer Odds Implied chance 
    Kyle Busch +440 18.5% 
    Kyle Larson +520 16.1% 
    Denny Hamlin +675 12.9% 
    Chase Elliot +900 10% 
    Joey Logano +1000 9.1% 
    Kevin Harvick +1200 7.7% 
    Ryan Blaney +1500 6.3% 
    Brad Keselowski +1600 5.9% 
    Martin Truex Jr. +1800 5.3% 
    Kurt Busch  +2200 4.3% 
  • Sheldon Creed goes back to back with Truck Series playoff win at Darlington

    Sheldon Creed goes back to back with Truck Series playoff win at Darlington

    Sheldon Creed made it two for two, winning the second race in Round 1 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs at Darlington Raceway Sunday afternoon.

    Creed, the series’ current champion, started on the pole for the In It To Win It 200 and led 104 of the 147 laps to claim the checkered flag for his third victory and ninth top-10 finish of the year.

    “We’ve had a tough season, but we’re finding it at the right time,” Creed said. “It feels so good to go back-to-back wins … Got to put the pressure on the other guys. I had really nothing to lose coming in, and we’ve got fast trucks.”

    It was a repeat of the first race in the series Playoffs on August 31 at World Wide Technology of Racing, with the same result – Creed celebrating in victory lane.  

    John Hunter Nemechek won Stage 1, led 39 laps and earned a second-place finish. It was his 13th top-10 result this season. He also scored enough points to lock him into the next round of the Playoffs.

    “Overall, a solid performance, Nemechek said. “Our Toyota Tundra was fast. Just needed a little bit more. It definitely stings knowing we had the dominant truck here in the spring, gave that one away. Then to come back and run second, it hurts. We’ll take the momentum, not going to dwell on this. Just one race of the Playoffs and now we’re focused on the next round.”

    Stewart Friesen, Todd Gilliland and Parker Kligerman rounded out the top-five finishers as Grant Enfinger placed sixth followed by Chandler Smith, Johnny Sauter, Zane Smith and Matt Crafton, in sixth – 10th.

    “Great day for the Halmar team – thanks to Chris Larson for everything. He’s always been there for me in my career. It was cool –- our best run for HFR, proud of that. Another good day for us,” said Friesen.

    The series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16th for the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at 9 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Number 17
    Race Results for the 2nd Annual In It To Win It 200 – Sunday, September 5, 2021
    Darlington Raceway – Darlington, SC – 1.366 – Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 147 Laps – 200.802 Miles

    FinStrNoDriverLapsS1PosS2PosS3PosPtsStatus
    112Sheldon Creed (P)14741057Running
    264John Hunter Nemechek (P)14713053Running
    3452Stewart Friesen (P)14758043Running
    4838Todd Gilliland (P)14767042Running
    53475Parker Kligerman14799036Running
    61298Grant Enfinger14700031Running
    7918Chandler Smith # (P)14782042Running
    81313Johnny Sauter14700029Running
    91021Zane Smith (P)14736041Running
    10288Matt Crafton (P)14724043Running
    11542Carson Hocevar # (P)14775036Running
    12716Austin Hill (P)14700025Running
    13299Colby Howard(i)1470000Running
    141622Austin Wayne Self14700023Running
    151723Chase Purdy #14700022Running
    161819Derek Kraus14700021Running
    172025Josh Berry(i)1470000Running
    182526Tyler Ankrum14700019Running
    193868Clay Greenfield14600018Running
    202730Danny Bohn14600017Running
    212620Spencer Boyd14600016Running
    223611Spencer Davis14600015Running
    232841Dawson Cram14600014Running
    242215Tanner Gray146010014Running
    253034Josh Reaume14600012Running
    26333Jordan Anderson14500011Running
    273145Lawless Alan14500010Running
    28232Kris Wright #1440009Running
    29141Hailie Deegan #1440008Running
    301524Jack Wood1430007Running
    311151Dylan Lupton1430006Running
    322156Tyler Hill1410005Accident
    331940Ryan Truex1410004Running
    34399Ben Rhodes (P)14010004Running
    35376Norm Benning860002Too Slow
    363510Jennifer Jo Cobb750001Too Slow
    373233Ryan Ellis(i)280000Transmission
    382412Tate Fogleman220001Rear Gear

  • Weekend schedule for Darlington Raceway

    Weekend schedule for Darlington Raceway

    This weekend NASCAR travels to Darlington Raceway for a Labor Day celebration of racing. The Xfinity Series will take center stage Saturday afternoon and Sunday will feature a doubleheader with the Camping World Truck Series race at 1:30 p.m. followed by the Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at 6 p.m.

    It’s the first of 10 races in the Cup Series Playoffs. Darlington starts off the Round of 16 as the drivers compete for the coveted championship title.

    Sheldon Creed won the first race in Round 1 of the Truck Series Playoffs. The upcoming race at Darlington is the second post-season race and the final race of Round 1 will be held at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    There are three races remaining in the Xfinity Series regular-season at Darlington Raceway, Richmond Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Their post-season begins on Sept. 25 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, September 4

    3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros
    3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
    Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles
    Pole: Daniel Hemric
    NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Sunday, September 5

    1 p.m.: Truck Series Driver Intros
    1:30 p.m.: Truck Series In It To Win It 200
    Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles
    Pole: Sheldon Creed
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    5:30 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros
    6 p.m.: Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500
    Stages 115/230/367 Laps = 501.3 Miles
    Pole: Ryan Blaney
    NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Cup Series Playoff Grid – Round of 16 – Race 1 at Darlington

    1.Kyle Larson2052
    2.  Ryan Blaney2024
    3.   Martin Truex Jr.2024
    4.   Kyle Busch2022
    5.   Chase Elliott2021
    6.   Alex Bowman2015
    7.   Denny Hamlin2015
    8.  William Byron2014
    9.   Joey Logano2013
    10.Brad Keselowski2008
    11.Kurt Busch2008
    12.Michael McDowell2005
    13.Christopher Bell2005
    14.Aric Almirola2005
    15.Tyler Reddick2003
    16.Kevin Harvick2002

    Truck Series Playoff Grid  – Round of 12 – Race 2 at Darlington

    1.John H. Nemechek2073
    2.Sheldon Creed 2071
    3.Ben Rhodes2070
    4.Matt Crafton2051
    5.Stewart Friesen2049
    6.Austin Hill2039
    7.Carson Hocevar2031
    8.Todd Gilliland2028
    9.Zane Smith2018
    10.Chandler Smith2010

    (Sheldon Creed – One playoff win – World Wide Technology at Gateway)

    Darlington Raceway Data

    Season Race #: 27 of 36 (09-05-21)
    Playoff Race #: 1 of 10
    Track Size: 1.366-miles
    Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 25 degrees
    Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 23 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 6 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 6 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  1,229 feet
    Backstretch Length:  1,229 feet
    Race Length: 367 laps / 501.3 miles
    Stage 1 Length: 115 laps
    Stage 2 Length: 115 laps
    Final Stage Length: 137 laps

    Top 12 Driver Ratings at Darlington

    Kyle Larson ……………………….. 111.5
    Denny Hamlin……………………… 107.3
    Kevin Harvick……………………… 104.4
    Martin Truex Jr……………………. 103.9
    Kyle Busch…………………………. 103.1
    Erik Jones………………………….. 100.0
    Brad Keselowski……………………. 96.1
    Joey Logano………………………… 91.1
    Chase Elliott…………………………. 90.3
    William Byron……………………….. 87.1
    Ryan Newman………………………. 87.0
    Kurt Busch…………………………… 86.4

    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2021 races (19 total) among active drivers at Darlington Raceway.

    Darlington Raceway Qualifying Data

    2020 Darlington #1 pole winner: Brad Keselowski – Qualifying by Random Draw.
    2020 Darlington #2 pole winner: Ryan Preece – Qualifying by Inverting Field.
    2020 Southern 500 pole winner: Chase Elliott – Qualifying by Metric Qualifying.
    Track qualifying record: Aric Almirola, Ford (184.145 mph, 26.705 secs.) on April, 11, 2014.

    • Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in starts at Darlington with 27 each.
    • Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at Darlington with a 8.778 in 18 starts.
    • Kurt Busch (2001, 2013) and Kevin Harvick (2014, 2017) lead all active drivers in poles at Darlington with two each.
    • The youngest Darlington pole winner is William Byron (09/01/2019 – 21 years, 9 months, 3 days).
    • Ford leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Darlington Raceway with 43 poles; followed by Chevrolet (22), Mercury (13), Pontiac (10), Dodge (8), Buick (3), Oldsmobile (3), Plymouth (3), Toyota (2), Chrysler (1), Hudson (1) and Studebaker (1).

    Darlington Raceway Race Data

    2020 Darlington #1 race winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (115.815 mph, 03:27:21) on May 17, 2020.
    2020 Darlington #2 race winner: Denny Hamlin, Toyota (104.984 mph, 02:42:23) on May 20, 2020.
    2020 Southern 500 winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (132.256 mph, 03:47:26) on Sept. 6, 2020.
    Track race record (500 miles): Matt Kenseth, Toyota (141.383 mph, 03:32:45) on 05-11-13.

    • Denny Hamlin (2010, 2017, 2020-2) and Kevin Harvick (2014, 2020-1, 2020-3) lead all active drivers with three wins each.
    • The youngest series Darlington winner is Kyle Busch (5/10/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 8 days).
    • Kevin Harvick is the only active driver to win from the pole (2014) at Darlington.
    • The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20 of 120, 16.667%) than any other starting position at Darlington.
    • Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins by an organization at Darlington in the NASCAR Cup Series with 14 victories.
    • A total of 11 different manufacturers have won in the series at Darlington; led by Chevrolet with 41 victories; followed by Ford (31), Mercury (10), Oldsmobile (six), Toyota (eight), Dodge (five), Pontiac (five), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Hudson (three) and American Motor Company (two).

    From OddsChecker:

    Kyle Larson is coming off one of his worst races of the season, but oddsmakers expect a bounce back performance from the Cup Series leader. In fact, they expect him to win the race.  Larson is given +325 odds, or an implied 23.5% chance to win the Cook Out Southern 500. Next best is Martin Truex Jr, who is given +600 odds to win the race. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are both given +700 odds.

    COOK OUT SOUTHER 500 WINNER ODDS 

    Driver Odds Implied chance 
    Kyle Larson +325 23.5% 
    Martin Truex Jr. +600 14.3% 
    Denny Hamlin +700 12.5% 
    Kyle Busch +700 12.5% 
    Chase Elliot +1000 9.1% 
    Kevin Harvick +1200 7.7% 
    William Byron +1400 6.7% 
    Joey Logano +1600 5.9% 
    Brad Keslowski +1800 5.3% 
    Alex Bowman +2000 4.8% 
  • Darlington – A Labor Day tradition of racing, family and fun

    Darlington – A Labor Day tradition of racing, family and fun

    NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway to celebrate Labor Day with a full weekend of racing competition and fun for the entire family.

    As track president Kerry Tharp discussed several of the planned events, one thing was quickly apparent; there will be something for everyone.

    “We’re going to have a fan zone. We’ve got a kid zone. We’ve got live entertainment Friday and Saturday night,” he said. “We’ve got a Playoffs party Saturday night and a doubleheader on Sunday.”

    But, when the racing begins, tensions will be high as all three series focus on the Playoffs.

    Turn 2 of the track was recently repaved in preparation for the Labor Day weekend. It was, however, a necessity rather than an enhancement.

    “It was a much better long-term solution than the piecemeal we had been doing for the last three to four years,” Tharp explained. “They finished up about three weeks ago and NASCAR sent some people down from the manufacturers to check out the work. They felt very good about it. It didn’t change any of the banking or any of the geometry of that turn. I think it’s going to have a minimal if any, effect on the racing. It’s something that we had to do.”

    The Cook Out Southern 500 is the first race in Round 1 of the Cup Series Playoffs.

    The 1.366-mile track presents a unique challenge in the upcoming races. A win will automatically advance a driver through the Playoffs to the next round but there is a delicate balance between aggressiveness and patience.

    “Darlington is a race where you need to be patient. It’s 500 miles so it’s 100 miles further than most races. Someone can be leading it on the 100-mile mark and then all of a sudden you look and say, ‘where did that guy go?’

    “So I think the (playoff) drivers would certainly want to secure a win here but they also don’t want to forego any chance of advancing with a poor performance here. So, I think they are going to have to be very, very patient, take care of their tires and just be the best they can be.”

    Tharp is looking forward to having the Camping World Truck Series back this weekend as they compete in the second race of their postseason playoffs.

    “I love having the Trucks here. They put on great racing. I think for fans that have never come to a NASCAR race, the Truck Series is one to start out with. It’s an opportunity to let the fans see some of the younger drivers that are working themselves up into the ranks and there are also some veterans in the mix.”

    The Xfinity Series regular season is winding down and with only three races remaining the competition at Darlington will be intense as the drivers contend for the remaining spots.

    Although the 2022 schedule has not been released, Tharp is “cautiously optimistic” that the track will have the opportunity to host two race weekends again next year.

    “We feel that the fans like coming here, the teams like coming here and it puts on a great show. It’s just a short drive down from where most of the team shops are in the Charlotte area.

    “There are a lot of things to do here in South Carolina. It’s a beautiful part of the state and we would certainly welcome two race dates and hope to have two race dates for many, many more years to come.”

    This will be the first time since September 2019 that the track is fully open with no seating restrictions in the grandstands and no limits in the camping areas.

    “Ticket sales are going well,” Tharp confirmed. “There are really no limitations on our ticket sales or camping. We’re going to have a lot of fans in the grandstands and a lot of campers in the infield and the exterior of the facility.”

    There are no specific COVID-19 protocols for fans in outdoor areas but they advise fans to wear masks in any enclosed spaces.

    “We just ask fans to be smart and to be accountable for their own health.”

    Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/.

  • Sheldon Creed dominates wild playoff-opener at Gateway

    Sheldon Creed dominates wild playoff-opener at Gateway

    Despite a late-race overtime restart and a 48-minute red flag due to a power outage at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, the 2020 Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed held onto the lead and navigated to his second win of the 2021 Truck Series season.

    “My guys put together such a great truck,” Creed told Fox Sports 1 in victory lane. “My guys have been working hard all year. Obviously, we haven’t had the speed at times and I’ve made mistakes. We just built this brand new truck and I felt like we’ve taken everything we learned this year and applied it. My teammate showed me a couple of things when he got to the lead. The bottom was good on restarts, but the top started coming in there at the end. I love late-race restarts,” he joked. “I didn’t want it but thought to myself, just focus and execute.”

    World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway served as the first race of the 2021 Truck Series Playoffs Friday evening. Austin Hill received the pole via the qualifying metric system.

    Throughout the first stage, there were three cautions that occurred on Lap 26, 33 and 42. Most notably, the caution on Lap 26 flew for playoff contender Chandler Smith. The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver brought the No. 18 to pit road as he had a right-rear hub issue.

    Creed showed his dominance early and won Stage 1, his second stage win of the season. Stewart Friesen, Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith, Ty Majeski, Todd Gilliland, Matt Crafton, Austin Hill, John Hunter Nemechek and Derek Kraus were the Top 10.

    During Stage 2, on Lap 60, a power outage occurred at the track knocking out the power, including the electronic timing and scoring and brought out the red flag. This caused a delay that lasted 48 minutes and 38 seconds before the race could resume with backup power and temporary lighting.

    Following the lengthy delay, the race went back green on Lap 67. Playoff drivers experienced more trouble as the race continued. Zane Smith was on pit road inside 10 laps to go in the second stage. Eventually, Smith drove the No. 21 truck behind the wall and was done for the night.

    Creed once again went on to win the second stage and was followed by Rhodes, Crafton, Nemechek, Friesen, Majeski, Kraus, Ankrum Eckes and Austin Hill.

    Stage 3 went green on Lap 111, but shortly thereafter, there was a huge wreck on the frontstretch. Playoff contender and regular-season champion, John Hunter Nemechek, had an issue as his truck shut off coming off Turn 4, which caused a huge stack up behind him. Multiple drivers were involved including Austin Hill, Todd Gilliland, Tyler Ankrum, Carson Hocevar, Chandler Smith and others.

    Unfortunately, more problems arose for Nemechek with 32 laps to go, as the North Carolina driver had a brake rotor that broke in half. He was able to resume the race but in the 34th position.

    The final stage was relatively calm in nature compared to the first two stages. However, a caution with four laps to go for the No. 15 of Tanner Gray who crashed in Turn(s) 3 and 4 brought out an overtime finish.

    Creed, Rhodes, Crafton, Friesen and Sauter were in the top five for the restart.

    Even with the late-race restart, there was no stopping Creed as he took the checkered flag for the seventh time of his career, and his first since Darlington earlier this year.

    2019 Truck Series champion Matt Crafton finished second and earned his third top-five finish of the season and the first since Darlington as well.

    “Definitely, a good points night, all in all, they knew we were here,” Crafton said about his runner-up finish to Fox Sports 1. “We drove from 10th to get to second, we just needed a little bit more since the 2 (Creed) was a little better. These guys (ThorSport) have worked hard lately. They’ve worked their butts off. Went back and threw all the notebooks away from 2019 and 2018. We went back to the old school stuff and I guess it still worked.”

    There were eight cautions for 37 laps and one red flag that lasted 48 minutes and 38 seconds. There were five lead changes among three different leaders.

    Race winner Creed led three times for 142 laps and gained seven playoff points and locked himself into the next round of the Playoffs.

    Playoff Standings following Round 1 at Gateway:

    1. Sheldon Creed, 1 win, Advanced
    2. John Hunter Nemechek, +55
    3. Ben Rhodes, +52
    4. Matt Crafton, +33
    5. Stewart Friesen, +31
    6. Austin Hill, +21
    7. Carson Hocevar, +13
    8. Todd Gilliland, +10
      Below the cut line
    9. Zane Smith, -10
    10. Chandler Smith, -18

    Official Results for the Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway:

    1. Sheldon Creed, won both stages, led 142 laps
    2. Matt Crafton
    3. Ben Rhodes
    4. Stewart Friesen
    5. Johnny Sauter
    6. Chase Purdy
    7. Hailie Deegan
    8. Carson Hocevar
    9. Austin Wayne Self
    10. Jack Wood
    11. Tyler Hill
    12. Taylor Gray
    13. Ryan Truex, 1 lap down
    14. Tate Fogleman, 1 lap down
    15. Josh Berry, 1 lap down
    16. Spencer Boyd, 2 laps down
    17. Cory Roper, 2 laps down
    18. Kris Wright, 2 laps down
    19. Tanner Gray, 2 laps down
    20. Derek Kraus, 3 laps down
    21. Armani Williams, 4 laps down
    22. John Hunter Nemechek, 5 laps down
    23. Austin Hill, led two laps, 6 laps down
    24. Roger Reuse, 6 laps down
    25. Grant Enfinger, 9 laps down
    26. Derek Griffith, 9 laps down
    27. Chris Hacker, 23 laps down
    28. Chandler Smith, 40 laps down
    29. Todd Gilliland, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    30. Dawson Cram, OUT, Accident
    31. Christian Eckes, OUT, Accident
    32. Tyler Ankrum, OUT, Accident
    33. Ty Majeski, OUT, Accident
    34. Jake Griffin, OUT, Accident
    35. Zane Smith, led 19 laps, OUT, Rear Gear
    36. Danny Bohn, OUT, Engine
    37. Jordan Anderson, OUT, Engine
    38. Jennifer Jo Cobb, OUT, Engine

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will head to Darlington Raceway Sunday, September 5, to continue their Round of 10 playoffs run, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Weekend schedule for Michigan and Gateway

    Weekend schedule for Michigan and Gateway

    This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Michigan International Speedway. The Camping World Truck Series will compete at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway for the first race in their Playoffs.

    There are five regular-season races left in the Xfinity Series.

    Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider have already clinched a spot in the Xfinity postseason 12-driver field.

    Xfinity Series drivers who can secure their spot with a win include Brandon Brown, Harrison Burton, Jeremy Clements, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Riley Herbst, Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones and Ryan Sieg.

    Landon Cassill, Alex Labbe, Tommy Joe Martins and Josh Williams could clinch a spot in the Xfinity Playoffs with a win and some help.

    There are only two open spots in the Cup Series postseason. Aric Almirola, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell and Martin Truex Jr. have each qualified for the Playoffs.

    Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Darrell Wallace Jr., Chase Briscoe, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, Cole Custer, Corey Lajoie, Anthony Alfredo can clinch with a win.

    Harvick, the defending race winner, can also earn a spot in the Playoffs with 44 points.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 20 – Michigan

    4 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series practice – No TV
    6 p.m.: ARCA Series Henry Ford Health System 200 at Michigan
    100 Laps/200 Miles
    Trackpass/MRN

    Friday, August 20 – WWT Raceway at Gateway

    8:50 p.m.: Driver Intros
    9 p.m.: Truck Series Toyota 200 presented by CK Power at Gateway
    Stages 55/110/160 laps = 200 Miles
    Pole: Austin Hill
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Saturday, August 21 – Michigan

    3:05 p.m.: Driver Intros
    3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series New Holland 250 at Michigan
    Stages 30/60/125 Laps = 250 Miles
    Pole: Austin Cindric
    NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN

    Sunday, August 22 – Michigan

    2:30: Driver Intros
    3 p.m.: Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan
    Stages 60/120/200 Laps = 400 miles
    Pole: Kyle Larson
    NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN

    Michigan Intl. Speedway Data

    Track Size: 2-miles
    Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 18 degrees
    Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 18 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  3,600 feet
    Backstretch Length:  2,242 feet

    Michigan Qualifying Data

    Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet (206.558 mph, 34.857 secs.) on August 17, 2014.
    2020 Michigan pole winner: Qualifying canceled due to COVID-19.  The starting lineup was decided by a random draw.

    • Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active NCS drivers in Michigan starts with 40 each.
    • Tyler Reddick leads all active NCS drivers in average starting position at with an 8.500 in two starts.
    • Seven of the 50 NCS Michigan pole winners are active this weekend.  Joey Logano (4), Kurt Busch (3), Brad Keselowski (2), Denny Hamlin (1), Kevin Harvick (1), Kyle Larson (1), and Ryan Newman (1).
    • Joey Logano (2013, 2016 sweep, 2019) leads all active NCS drivers in poles at Michigan with four; followed by Kurt Busch (2010, 2011 and 2018) with three.
    • The youngest series Michigan pole winner is Joey Logano (August 16, 2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 23 days).
    • Nine different manufacturers have won a pole at Michigan in the NCS.  Ford leads the series in poles at Michigan with 31, followed by Chevrolet (27), Mercury (10), Dodge (nine), Pontiac (eight), Toyota (six), Buick (three), Plymouth (two) and Oldsmobile (one).

    Michigan Race Data

    Track race record: Dale Jarrett, Ford (173.997 mph, 2:17:56) on June 13, 1999.
    2020 Michigan race winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (124.712 mph, (02:34:55) on August 8, 2020.

    • A total of 38 different drivers have won in the NCS at Michigan with seven of the 38 race winners are active this weekend.  Kevin Harvick (5), Joey Logano (3), Kurt Busch (3), Kyle Larson (3), Denny Hamlin (2), Ryan Newman (2), and Kyle Busch (1).
    • Kurt Busch (2003, 2007, 2015), Matt Kenseth (2002, 2006, 2015), Joey Logano (2013, 2016, 2019) and Kevin Harvick (2010, 2018, 2019) lead all active series drivers in wins at Michigan with three each.
    • The youngest series Michigan winner id Joey Logano (August 18, 2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 25 days).
    • Martin Truex Jr. (30), and Michigan native Brad Keselowski (23) lead all active drivers in the series in starts without a win at Michigan.
    • The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (22 of 103, 21.36%) than any other starting position at Michigan.
    • The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Michigan is 24th, by Kurt Busch in the June of 2015.
    • Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Michigan with 13.  Mark Martin (four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one).
    • Eight different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Michigan.  It’s led by Ford with 41 victories, followed by Chevrolet with 26, Mercury (12), Dodge (nine), Toyota (five), Buick (four) Pontiac (four) and Oldsmobile (two).

    Top 12 Michigan Driver Ratings

    Kevin Harvick……………………… 102.5
    Joey Logano………………………… 99.1
    Chase Elliott…………………………. 99.1
    Brad Keselowski……………………. 97.3
    Kyle Larson………………………….. 96.1
    Denny Hamlin……………………….. 92.6
    Ryan Blaney…………………………. 92.5
    Kurt Busch…………………………… 91.8
    Kyle Busch…………………………… 90.7
    Christopher Bell…………………….. 89.6
    Martin Truex Jr……………………… 89.3
    Erik Jones……………………………. 86.6
    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (32 total) among active drivers at Michigan International Speedway.