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  • Johnny Sauter Salvages 11th Place Finish At Texas

    Johnny Sauter Salvages 11th Place Finish At Texas

    After a week removed from being locked into the Championship 4 with his win at Martinsville Speedway, Johnny Sauter took on the Lone Star State at Texas Motor Speedway in hopes of carrying the momentum with him.

    It started out well in qualifying as he ended up winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole for the seventh time in his career. Unfortunately, his night went sour as soon as the race started.

    His truck was loose from the get-go and he slipped back several spots. Sauter ended up bringing out the caution on Lap 7 due to a right rear flat going down. Throughout Stage 1, he continued to report on his truck, saying it was “loose center off 1 and 2” and pitting for chassis adjustments.

    Sauter continued to fight his truck as it continued to get loose and made his way up to 19th after a caution. Ultimately, this is where he would finish for Stage 1. Sauter made adjustments for his loose handling truck during the pit stop.

    On Lap 40, he was involved in the multi-truck crash that occurred and Sauter collected damage. His night continued to go south as he had another tire go down, this time occurring with a flat left rear. He continued to battle an ill-handling truck for the rest of Stage 2, and wound up 17th.

    Even with the truck Sauter had, he managed to make it into the top five and ran in the top 10 for part of the final stage. The No. 21 GMS Racing team and Johnny Sauter did the best they could, and he salvaged an 11th place finish.

    After the race, Sauter told MRN Radio, “That’s why last week was so important. Just proud of everybody at GMS on our ISM Connect Chevy. I got a flat rear tire right there at the beginning of the race and got a lap down, and the lucky dog or whatever they call it nowadays.”

    “We were getting ready to back to green again and I was like, hey the left rear tire is flat. So we came and changed left sides, and from there I don’t even know what happened. We didn’t have any tires left obviously because we were out of tires at that point. We ran the last however many of laps on 10 set of tires. A night like tonight and you still finish 11th, that’s just persevering.”

    “All in all, not the day we wanted,” he said, “but that’s the way it goes in racing.”

     

  • Haley Steals Jag Metals 350 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff Race to Advance to Championship 4

    Haley Steals Jag Metals 350 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff Race to Advance to Championship 4

    Todd Gilliland Comes Up A Half-Lap Short From Being The Youngest Truck Series Winner In Texas Motor Speedway History

    FORT WORTH, Texas (Nov. 2, 2018) — Justin Haley won Friday night’s JAG Metals 350 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff race when Todd Gilliland ran out of fuel half-a-lap away from Sunoco Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway.

    “That was amazing. Thought we had a loss there,” said Haley, driver of the No. 24 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet Silverado.

    Haley scored his third victory of the season by 8.133 seconds over Ben Rhodes as Gilliland coasted into the pits, where he exited his No. 4 JBL/SiriusXM Toyota Tundra and pounded the roof in frustration.

    Round of 6 Playoff contender Haley – who began the night 53 points behind leader Johnny Sauter – will join his GMS teammate in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in two weeks. And Haley won’t have to count points when the series visits the 1-mile ISM Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., near Phoenix next weekend.

    “We’re bringing fast trucks and sat on-pole here last year and I screwed up as a driver and we didn’t win,” said Haley, referring to last November’s race and his fifth-place finish. “I’m kind of speechless. That last lap … I didn’t understand. (Crew chief) Kevin Bellicourt let me go out and drive. I thought I had maximized on pit road but didn’t know why he (Gilliland) was so far out. Obviously, he took on less fuel. It’s pretty surreal.”

    Haley was 2.542 seconds behind Gilliland on Lap 144 of the scheduled 147, and then the leader began to slow – dramatically.
    “We were in position to win that race … it sucks, it’s horrible. We were just a touch short on fuel,” said Gilliland, who ran 32 laps on his last fuel load. “I didn’t know there was anything happening (on fuel). I’m incredibly disappointed … but I’m super-proud to be in position to be fighting for wins.

    “It’s just heartbreak and kind of disbelief. You’re a half-lap away from my first win at a place like this that’s so special and after everything we did today coming from the back, I felt like we executed a perfect race, honestly. Besides lacking a little bit of speed to beat some of those guys straight-up. With what our cards were dealt for the race, we ran 100 percent perfect, I felt like, minus the last half-lap. That’s all we can do is look forward now. It’s over and just need to move on.”

    In addition to Bellicourt, Haley shared the post-race dais with team-owner Maurice Gallagher.

    “We needed Justin to pull the rip-chord, and he did,” Gallagher said.

    Sauter rallied to finish 11th after starting on-pole with a record lap at 188.758 mph and leading a lap before a cut tire forced him to pit the No. 21 ISM Connect Silverado. Sauter also was involved in an eight-vehicle accident on Lap 41, prompting several trips to pit road for repairs.

    “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, two GMS trucks racing for the championship,” said Haley, a brash 19-year-old. “We locked ourselves in and what it means to all the guys in the shop, to Chevy … not only does it affect my stress load going to Phoenix, but it’s a much bigger picture … over 100 employees at the shop … and it means a lot.”
    Haley led four-times for 33 laps – a full 27 laps fewer than Gilliland’s race-leading 60 laps.

    “I wasn’t given any information on any playoffs,” said Haley, who qualified sixth. “We’re here to win and we’ve got a very straight attitude. We come, we execute and we win tonight. Every week, long as we focus on ourselves and don’t get caught up in any playoffs, that’s when we run our best. We want to go out there and win.”

    Rhodes, a non-Playoff driver, finished second in his No. 41 The Carolina Nut Co. Ford F-150 for his second top-10 finish in six races at TMS.

    Playoff contender Brett Moffitt finished third in his No. 18 AISIN Group Toyota Tundra to score his first top-10 finish in two races at TMS. Moffitt trails championship leader Sauter by 19 points heading to Phoenix, where the final two slots will be filled.

    Justin Haley celebrates his win on the frontstretch.

    A rather subdued Moffitt met the media post-race and explained, “I’m watching another guy (on TV) celebrating in Victory Lane knowing that he’s going to Homestead. I’m a competitor,” Moffitt said. “It certainly helps to run good, but when we’re in the playoffs like this, we need to get back to Victory Lane. That would be the most important thing to do. I thought tonight we did a better job at getting some stage points and being right there with the competition. We have a fast truck, we just need to be able to execute 100 percent and stay up front.

    “I certainly think we can win (at Phoenix). Every given weekend I think we’ve had the speed capable of winning. It’s just about the execution of the race and I like Phoenix. I’ve never ran it in a truck. I’ve got a couple Cup starts there so that will be completely different and then obviously with the reconfiguration, who knows what’s going to happen. I’m confident in our race team that we can go there and compete and win. I think we’re in a decent points position now where unless some freak accident happens we’ll be alright.”

    With third-place Haley locked into the Championship picture, attention turns to playoff contender Noah Gragson – fourth in points. Gragson, who finished 10th Friday night in the No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota, is 18 points ahead of fifth-place championship contender Grant Enfinger, who finished 13th in the No. 98 Protect the Harvest/Curb Records Ford.

    “I got back on pit stops when we took fuel only and couldn’t get the balance right in traffic,” said Gragson, 23 points behind Sauter. “Just a tough night. No excuse. I’m going to work my ass off this week and next week and do whatever we have to do. This is unacceptable and we just have to get out there in Phoenix so we can get to Homestead.”

    Two-time series champion Matt Crafton, who finished 14th Friday in his No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Ford, is sixth and last on the Playoff leader, five points behind Enfinger and 46 behind Sauter.

  • GMS Racing NCWTS Texas Recap

    GMS Racing NCWTS Texas Recap

    Justin Haley, No. 24 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet

    START: 6th

    FINISH: 1st

    POINTS: 3rd

    Notes

    – Tonight’s win at Texas Motor Speedway is Haley’s first win at the 1.5-mile speedway, and his third win of the 2018 NCWTS season.

    – After tonight’s race, Haley has an average finish of 3.8 after four starts at Texas, which includes one win, three top-fives and a finish of no worse than sixth.

    – With his win, Haley’s streak of consecutive top-10 finishes is extended to 12 races, dating back to his first win of the season at Gateway Motorsports Park. Haley now has three wins, nine top-five, and 17 top-10 finishes in the 2018 NCWTS season.

    – Haley’s win at Texas, during the Round of Six, clinched his chances of making the NASCAR Playoffs Final Four and running for the 2018 NCWTS championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Quote

    “I’m speechless. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to run for a championship with GMS Racing. My 24 Fraternal Order of Eagles guys are unbelievable and we stick with each other no matter what. They gave me a hot rod tonight and I’m so thankful to be a part of the team. We’ve got the momentum and this team is peaking at the right time. The dark horse is coming.”

    Johnny Sauter, No. 21 ISM Connect Chevrolet

    START: 1st

    FINISH: 11th

    POINTS: 1st

    Notes:

    – Sauter earned his seventh career NCWTS pole award and the first since 2016.

    Quote:

    “We had a really fast truck in practice yesterday and in qualifying, but that didn’t carry over into the race. We were way too loose and had issues with our tires, and then getting caught up in someone else’s mess didn’t make it any easier. Joe (Shear, crew chief) and the guys tried a lot of things to help tighten it up but we just couldn’t get the handling quite right. But with that being said, to come out of it with an 11th-place finish after the day we had is good. We’ll go on to Phoenix and try to build up some good momentum before Miami.”

    Tyler Dippel, No. 25 Turning Point USA / America First Action Super PAC Chevrolet

    START: 9th

    FINISH: 14th

    OWNER PTS: 13th

    Quote:

    “I learned a lot tonight, especially the longer we ran. It’s crazy what the air will do to these trucks. I can’t thank Jerry (Baxter, crew chief) and the 25 boys enough for bringing these fast trucks to the track. We’re going to keep getting better and close out the season strong.”

     

    Sheldon Creed, No. 2 A.M.Ortega/United Rentals Chevrolet

    START: 7th

    FINISH: 25th

    OWNER PTS: 15th

    Notes:

    – In his first NCWTS start at Texas Motor Speedway, Creed led his first laps in the Truck Series after racing teammate and eventual race winner, Justin Haley to lead two laps in Stage One.

    Quote:

    “I had a lot of fun in tonight’s race. It was awesome to be able to run up front and lead a few laps early on. After pit stops though, we got stuck back in traffic and things just didn’t go our way. I learned a lot though about how much air really effects these trucks and the difference dirty and clean air makes for handling. I can’t thank the guys on the No. 2 team enough for bringing us a fast truck and working hard all night to keep me on track and able to finish the race out. We’ll move on to next week at Phoenix.”

     

    ABOUT GMS RACING

    GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Johnny Sauter, Justin Haley, Sheldon Creed and Tyler Dippel, and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Since the team’s start in 2014, GMS Racing has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication.

    SOCIAL MEDIA

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

  • Toyota NCWTS Texas Post-Race Recap

    Toyota NCWTS Texas Post-Race Recap

    Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
    Texas Motor Speedway
    Race 21 of 23 – 220.5 miles, 147 laps
    November 2, 2018

    TOYOTA FINISHING POSITION
    1st, Justin Haley*
    2nd, Ben Rhodes*
    3rd, BRETT MOFFITT
    4th, TODD GILLILAND
    5th, Austin Hill*
    6th, HARRISON BURTON
    10th, NOAH GRAGSON
    15th, BRENNAN POOLE
    30th, DAVID GILLILAND
    32nd, BO LEMASTUS
    *non-Toyota driver

    TOYOTA DRIVER POINT STANDINGS**
    1st, Johnny Sauter*# 3128 points
    2nd, Justin Haley*# 3107 points
    3rd, BRETT MOFFITT# 3109 points
    4th, NOAH GRAGSON# 3105 points
    5th, Grant Enfinger*# 3087 points
    6th, Matt Crafton*# 3082 points
    *non-Toyota driver
    **unofficial point standings

    · Tundra driver Todd Gilliland was a lap away from capturing his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race when he ran out of fuel at Texas Motor Speedway Friday night on the final lap.

    · Gilliland led a race-high 60 (of 147) laps in the NCWTS event and would go on to finish fourth in the event.

    · Toyota NCWTS Playoffs driver Brett Moffitt was the highest-finishing Tundra driver at Texas after placing third.

    · Toyota Playoffs driver Noah Gragson placed 10th in Friday night’s NCWTS race at Texas.

    · Tundra driver Harrison Burton finished sixth in Friday night’s race – collecting his fifth top-10 NCWTS finish this season.

    · Both Moffitt (third) and Gragson (fourth) remain in the top-four in the Playoffs standings heading into the NCWTS cutoff race next week at ISM Raceway in Phoenix.

    TOYOTA QUOTES

    BRETT MOFFITT, No. 16 AW NC/Aisin Toyota Tundra, Hattori Racing

    Finishing Position: 3rd

    How was your race tonight?

    “Honestly, I thought our Aisin Group Tundra was pretty good. I guess we had too much right-front shock on it and on the pit stops, the right front wheel wouldn’t drop out and we lost a lot of track position and this race was all about track position. That cost us a lot in the long run, but we salvaged a decent finish and hopefully a good points night.”

    How important was track position?

    “Track position was everything here at Texas and we had a good Aisin Group Tundra. We had a right-front issue where we had a little too much shock and the right front wheel would not come off on pit stops so we lost a bunch of track position. It doesn’t matter what you have under the hood here at Texas, you’re not going to make up that many spots. We just need to execute a better race and move forward.”

    What did you think of the NT1 engine?

    “It’s different – I wouldn’t say good, bad or either, but it’s certainly different.”

    What do you need to do next week and did you feel good about your run tonight?

    “It certainly helps to run good, but when we’re in the Playoffs like this, we need to get back to victory lane. That would be the most important thing to do. I thought we executed Martinsville very well from where we qualified to finishing second. I thought tonight we did a better job at getting some stage points and being right there with the competition and fortunately things ended the way they did for the Playoff guys that ran out of fuel. That helped, but we still need to get a little bit better. We have a fast truck, we just need to be able to execute 100 percent and stay up front.”

    Why do you look mad after finishing third?

    “I’m watching another guys celebrating in victory lane knowing that he’s going to Homestead. I’m a competitor.”

    What are your thoughts on Phoenix and do you think you can win and get to Homestead?

    “I certainly think we can win. Every given weekend I think we’ve had the speed capable of winning. It’s just about the execution of the race and I like Phoenix, I’ve never ran it in a truck. I’ve got a couple Cup starts there so that will be completely different and then obviously with the reconfiguration, who knows what’s going to happen. I’m confident in our race team that we can go there and compete and win. I think we’re in a decent points position now where unless some freak accident happens we’ll be alright. I don’t know, we’ll see when we get there.”

    TODD GILLILAND, No. 4 JBL/SiriusXM Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

    Finishing Position: 4th

    Did you run out of gas?

    “I have no idea how we were on fuel. I thought we were good. I am very disappointed but very proud at the same time. My team gave me a great truck and I wrecked in qualifying. We were still able to come out here and contend for a win. We win and lose as a team. I made a mistake and we ran out of gas. It is what it is. I am so proud of everyone at Kyle Busch Motorsports. We tried a completely different package this weekend. It definitely shows that we were better. We’re here to gain on it every week. As disappointed as we were tonight. To come from the back and almost win was a solid night.”

    Do you feel like you need to win before next year?

    “Absolutely for the competition as well as myself. It’s been a long time since I won a race. In that mindset, I guess. Once I win one truck race, you see you can do it and win another. Same with every series. We’ve been really close. Closing deals is something different. I feel like we had it sealed up tonight. But obviously didn’t. I feel like I ran a really smart race. One of my best ones. We’ve had a really tough stretch. Still a fourth-place finish isn’t bad. Considering what we could have had, it was horrible.”

    Did you know before the last half-lap that you were in trouble?

    “No, I didn’t even know that we were close on fuel at all. That’s what got us out in the lead and ultimately took our race. I definitely didn’t know there was anything happening.”

    How bad is this situation now that this has happened twice this season?

    “It’s horrible. I’m incredibly disappointed, upset with myself and I still feel like we could have been faster if I didn’t wreck in qualifying. There’s so many things. We win and lose as a team. I’m super proud to be in that position and to be fighting for wins every now and then, but I feel like we’re right on the verge of being a competitor every week and I feel like once we get to that amount of speed the wins will keep coming easier. You don’t have to have 100 percent of the things go right for you to win. It’s more self-induced. I think we’re getting there every week and that’s what I’m really proud of. At the same time, it definitely hurts.”

    Is there any other way to describe this other than heartbreaking?

    “Just heartbreak and kind of disbelief. You’re a half-lap away from my first win at a place like this that’s so special and after everything we did today coming from the back, I felt like we executed a perfect race honestly. Besides lacking a little bit of speed to beat some of those guys straight up. With what our cards were dealt for the race, we ran 100 percent perfect I felt like minus the last half-lap. That’s all we can do is look forward now. It’s over and just need to move on.”

    Can you run a fuel simulation or did your team worry about fuel mileage in those closing laps?

    “My crew chief thought we were good to lap 150. By everyone’s calculations, we should still be out there doing a burnout. That’s all you can go off of. I don’t feel like we made any big changes. More just trying to get ourselves clean air. At Texas here, it’s super important. I think you could see that when the 52 was behind me and then once he got past me and I was in dirty air, I got tight and he pulled away. Just about putting ourselves in the right positions and with the cards we were dealt, I felt like that was all we could do. I still definitely could have been faster.”

    How do you feel about your chances at Phoenix?

    “Obviously KBM has had really fast equipment there in the past. Actually did the Truck race there last year, but you probably didn’t know I was in it because I was in the back. Hopefully we’re up front again next weekend and this is really good momentum for us at least heading into these last two weeks. We had a really rough stretch before this, but no doubt in my mind that we can rebound and go win Phoenix.”

    NOAH GRAGSON, No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

    Finishing Position: 10th

    What happened in tonight’s race?

    “I got back on pit stops when we took fuel only and couldn’t get the balance right in traffic. Just a tough night. No excuse. I’m going to work my ass off this week and next week and do whatever we have to do. This is unacceptable and we just have to get out there in Phoenix so we can get to Homestead.”

  • Justin Haley Wins Action Packed Race at Texas, Punches Ticket to Championship 4

    Justin Haley Wins Action Packed Race at Texas, Punches Ticket to Championship 4

    Justin Haley passed Todd Gilliland on the last lap of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race to win at Texas Motor Speedway after Gilliland ran out of fuel on the backstretch. It was his third trip to victory lane this season as he advances to the Championship 4.

    Haley will join his GMS Racing teammate Johnny Sauter, who won at Martinsville Speedway last week, in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    “Yeah, we had a really fast truck where we were closing in there and I was hoping there would be a teammate that would kind of block him (Todd Gilliland),” Haley told MRN Radio. “You know we don’t want to win like that, but it’s the playoffs man, you got to go for it. Todd stuck with me and I kept my faith in it, and I just had an amazing year. You know, Fraternal Order of Eagles, GMS Fabrication, it’s been amazing. Third win of the season, I just wanted one.”

    Playoff drivers Johnny Sauter and Noah Gragson started on the front row for this race.

    Stage 1 began and it saw cautions from the get-go. On Lap 2, Bo LeMastus hit the wall off Turn 2 ending his night. Sauter had issues with a flat right rear on Lap 7, David Gilliland had a flat right front on Lap 13 and Codie Rohrbaugh brought out two cautions on Lap 20 (flat tire) and on Lap 31 for an incident.

    The first stage ended under yellow on Lap 35 and it saw GMS driver, Justin Haley, pick up the stage win.

    Six drivers stayed out and it was Myatt Snider who picked up the lead for Stage 2 on Lap 40. And just like Stage 1, Stage 2 saw numerous incidents.

    On the restart, there was a big wreck in Turns 3 and 4 with several drivers involved. These included Cory Roper, Joe Nemechek, Tyler Young, Noah Gragson, Tanner Thorson, and Sauter. Throughout Stage 2, Jordan Anderson’s motor blew up, and he went behind the wall.

    On lap 59, 10 laps after the restart, ARCA champion Sheldon Creed spun out off of Turn 2 to bring the yellow out once more. Then on Lap 66, debris came from Creed’s truck which brought out another caution with Stage 2 ending under caution. Myatt Snider won Stage 2.

    The final stage resumed with 73 to go with race leader, Todd Gilliland. With 40 to go, Stewart Friesen closed in and made the pass for the lead. Pit stops began with 33 to go, as Friesen and Gilliland pit with each other. Unfortunately, Friesen received a speeding penalty for too fast entering.

    As green-flag stops cycled through, Gilliland resumed with the race lead with 22 to go. He was maintaining his pace until the last lap when low fuel caused him to slow on the backstretch and Haley was able to go by him for the lead.

    With that last lap pass, Haley wound up winning the race and has now punched his ticket to the Championship 4 along with his teammate, Johnny Sauter.

    “I’m relieved,” he told MRN Radio. ” That was good. That was I wanted to do. Texas isn’t always our best track, so to finally cap it off is amazing.”

    This is Haley’s third win of the year and his first since Mosport in Canada.

    Playoff Point’s

    1. Johnny Sauter (W, Clinched)

    2. Justin Haley (W, Clinched)

    3. Brett Moffitt +22

    4. Noah Gragson +18

    Below The Cut Line

    5. Grant Enfinger -18

    6. Matt Crafton -23

  • Weekend schedule for Texas tripleheader

    Weekend schedule for Texas tripleheader

    Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series will be in action at Texas Motor Speedway. The Monster Energy Series and Xfinity Series head into their second races of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs, while the Camping World Truck Series enters the second race in the Round of 6. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

    Note: All times are ET

    THURSDAY, NOV. 1
    4:05-4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice (No TV) (Results)
    6:05-6:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice (No TV) (Results)

    FRIDAY, NOV. 2
    2-2:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    3:05-3:50 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    4:10 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS2 (Follow live)
    5:35-6:25 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    7 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series JAG Metals 350 (147 laps, 220.5 miles), FS1 (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    12:30 p.m.: Joey Logano
    12:45 p.m.: Chevrolet
    1 p.m: Gray Gaulding
    1:15 p.m.: Aric Almirola
    1:30 p.m.: Christopher Bell, Cole Custer and Daniel Hemric
    3:30 p.m.: Kyle Busch
    3:45 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
    4 p.m.: Hailie Deegan
    7:45 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
    10:30 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race

    SATURDAY, NOV. 3
    12:30-1:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series second practice, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    1:40 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    3-3:50 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBC Sports App (NBCSN joins in progress at 3:30 p.m. ET) (Follow live)
    4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    6:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Xfinity Series race

    SUNDAY, NOV. 4
    3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 (334 laps, 501 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    6:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

    MORE: How to find NBCSN

  • Todd Gilliland’s Night Ends with Disappointing Fourth Place Finish

    Todd Gilliland’s Night Ends with Disappointing Fourth Place Finish

    In what could have been the night for his first victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, it quickly turned into a night of disappointment for the 18-year-old rookie, Todd Gilliland.

    Gilliland was just a half lap away from taking home his first ever truck series victory at Texas Motor Speedway. Unfortunately, fuel issues with his truck on the backstretch denied him his first win and relegated him to a fourth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway Friday night.

    “We were in position to win that race … it sucks, it’s horrible. We were just a touch short on fuel,” said Gilliland. “I didn’t know there was anything happening (on fuel). I’m incredibly disappointed … but I’m super-proud to be in position to be fighting for wins.

    “It’s just heartbreak and kind of disbelief. You’re a half-lap away from my first win at a place like this that’s so special and after everything we did today coming from the back, I felt like we executed a perfect race, honestly. Besides lacking a little bit of speed to beat some of those guys straight-up. With what our cards were dealt for the race, we ran 100 percent perfect, I felt like, minus the last half-lap. That’s all we can do is look forward now. It’s over and just need to move on.”

    Gilliland finished 10th and ninth respectively in both stages and led for a race-high 60 laps while Justin Haley took home the winner’s trophy for his third victory of the season at Texas.

     

  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview- Texas II

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview- Texas II

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series continues their Round of 6 playoff run in the Lone Star State in Fort Worth, Texas for the annual running of the Jags Metals 350. Three spots are still up for grabs in the Championship 4 and five drivers have just two more chances. There is a great chance of another driver locking himself into the Championship 4 race at Homestead Miami.

    Here’s a look at who could punch their way into victory lane Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Currently, there are 35 trucks entered on the preliminary entry list. There are also some familiar faces in different rides.

    These include Reed Sorenson in the 49, Baley Currey in the 83, Bo LeMastus in the 54, Parker Kligerman in the 35, Timmy Hill in the 87, David Gilliland in the 17, Corey Roper in the 04, Mike Harmon in the 15, Reid Wilson in the 7, Codie Rohrbaugh in the 9, Tyler Young in the 12, Camden Murphy in the 0, and Ross Chastain in the 38.

    1. Johnny Sauter – It’s hard to beat a man who is just on a roll this year in the Truck Series. That person just happens to be six-time winner and 2016 champion, Johnny Sauter. In the last five fall races, he has won twice,  finished 13th in 2015, 16th in 2014, and second in 2013. The 2016 race saw him advance to the Championship 4, and he ultimately won the championship that year. Last fall Sauter finished second and ninth respectively and led 21 laps. He finished fifth here in the spring race. Sauter has won at Texas overall five times giving him 20 starts, 10 top five and 16 top 10 finishes, with 360 laps led, an average start of 8.0 and an average finish of 6.0. He’ll be tough to beat as he a man on a mission looking to collect his second championship.

    2. Matt Crafton – It’s hard to believe that the two-time champ does not have a win this year and he could go winless. However, much more is on the line than just a win – a spot in the Championship 4. Crafton is currently 10 points below the cutline, but this weekend could be the site for his first win of the season. He has a best finish of second that came in the fall of 2016. In the previous fall race, Crafton finished ninth after finishing sixth and eighth, respectively, in both stages. Overall, he has 35 starts with two wins, 429 laps led, 14 top fives and 24 top 10 finishes, giving him three DNF’s and an average start of 12.5 with an average finish of 9.1. In the spring race, Crafton finished fifth after placing second and 10th in both stages. This weekend could be the site where Crafton once again locks himself into the Championship 4 at Homestead and looks to be a three-time champion.

    3. Stewart Friesen – Friesen only has one start in the fall race which came last year where he finished 14th. In the spring race, Friesen finished third after winning Stage 1 and finishing second in Stage 2 but came up short of winning. Overall in his career, he has just three starts with 13 laps led, one top five and one top 10 finish, giving him an average start of 11.7 and an average finish of 12.7. He might be out of the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean it stops Friesen from winning. Look for Friesen to be a strong contender Friday night.

    4. Grant Enfinger – Like Crafton, Enfinger is on the bubble with just two points to the good. He’ll need two more good runs if he wants a shot at the championship.  He has three overall starts with eight laps led, two top fives and three top 10 finishes. This gives Enfinger an average start of 10.7 and an average finish of 4.7. He has just one fall start that came last year where he finished seventh and led one lap. In the spring race, Enfinger finished fourth after he won Stage 2.

    5. Justin Haley – Haley could be the next GMS truck driver that makes the Championship 4. He has three overall starts that gave him 28 laps led, two top fives and three top 10 finishes. This gives Haley an average start of 7.0 and an average finish of 4.7. He won the pole last fall and wound up fifth. The spring race saw Haley third on the scoring pylon.

    Other notables and stats – Johnny Sauter has won five times at Texas. If he wins this weekend, Sauter will tie Todd Bodine who has six wins at the 1.5-mile track in Fort Worth. Brendan Gaughan is the only one to have won four in a row. Ron Hornaday is a three-time winner.

    Since 1997, the Truck Series has competed at Texas Motor Speedway 41 times with just 19 fall races. Jay Sauter won the first fall race in October 1999. Five drivers have won from the pole with the last time in 2007 by Todd Bodine. The lowest a race winner has come from to win was 22nd in 2004, also set by Bodine.

    The truckers get on track Thursday afternoon with the first practice slated for 4:05 p.m. ET and the final practice scheduled for 6:05 p.m. ET. Qualifying takes place Friday afternoon at 4:10 p.m. ET and will be televised on Fox Sports 2.

    The JAGS Metal 350 race coverage begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio with stages of 35/70/147 laps.

  • Four Takeaways From The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series- Martinsville

    Four Takeaways From The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series- Martinsville

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Round of 6 began this past weekend at Martinsville Speedway in Southern Virginia. Six drivers are still fighting for a shot at the championship and only four spots are up for grabs. One of those spots has already been taken by a former champion.

    Here’s a look at four takeaways from the Texas Roadhouse 200.

    1. GMS Continues To Be The Team To Beat – GMS Racing has been the team to beat this year and are championship contenders, at least for Justin Haley, (who has been quietly consistent) and Johnny Sauter who has dominated the 2018 season. Timothy Peters has also competed in four races and won at Talladega. Sauter clinched a spot in the Championship 4 Saturday after winning the race,  leading 148 laps and winning both stages. Haley earned another top 10 finish and Peters scored a 10th place finish. They continue to be the team to beat and unless something catastrophic happens to them at Homestead, they could be bringing home another championship.

    2. Kyle Benjamin Gets Top Five Finish – Benjamin competed in his second start of the season for DGR -Crosley in the No. 17. He didn’t miss a beat and had a quiet day after starting fifth, finishing fifth in Stage 1. Benjamin stayed out late in the race in hopes to challenge for the win. However, he slipped back and finished where he started. Benjamin has competed part-time throughout the Xfinity Series and has made one Truck Series start prior to Martinsville. He hopes that good runs will land him a full-time ride in the future, but spots are limited. Nonetheless, a great effort by Benjamin and the No. 17 team.

    3. Kyle Busch Motorsports Has Solid Day – Three KBM trucks finished inside the top 10 including Noah Gragson, Harrison Burton, and Christian Eckes. Gragson finished seventh after earning second in both stages. He is 24 points to the good in hopes of making it to the Championship 4. Burton claimed eighth place in the race after finishing ninth and 10th, respectively, in both stages, while ARCA driver Christian Eckes finished ninth.

    4. Relatively Calm Race At Martinsville For Trucks  – When coming to Martinsville, you normally expect an action-packed event with a lot of incidents and accidents. The last time we came here there was a photo finish at the line. However, for a playoff race especially, it was pretty quiet. Almost too quiet. Sauter controlled most of the race and even got out to a five second lead at one point. A good race doesn’t have to include a lot of wrecks or cautions, but for Martinsville, it is normally expected. The race saw six cautions for 43 laps and five lead changes,  an uncharacteristic-like race at the paperclip.

  • Codie Rohrbaugh; Grant County Mulch Racing readies second Truck Series start at Texas

    Codie Rohrbaugh; Grant County Mulch Racing readies second Truck Series start at Texas

    FORT WORTH, Texas – On the heels of a successful partial season in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards which included four top-10 finishes, Codie Rohrbaugh and his Grant County Mulch Racing (GCMR) team turn their concentration towards the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and Friday night’s JAG Metals 350.

    Rohrbaugh and crew chief Mark Huff head to the Lone Star State hoping to improve on their inaugural Truck Series debut at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in Aug., when the Petersburg, West Virginia native successfully qualified on-time in 25th and raced to a competitive 16th place finish.

    With momentum on their side, Rohrbaugh and his family-owned team have high hopes for his intermediate track Truck Series debut.

    “Ever since the checkered flag at Kansas, it’s been game on towards Texas this weekend,” said Rohrbaugh. “For our debut at Bristol, I think we accomplished all the goals we wanted to. But for Texas, we’ve kinda raised the bar a notch.

    “No doubt Friday’s race is going to be a learning experience for me, but it’s practice I need to make the best us better for the long haul. As long as we’re continuing to make gains, progressing forward and finishing the race, the weekend will be considered a success.”

    For the first time this season, the Grant County Mulch Racing team will run a Ford.

    Recently acquiring a truck from ARCA powerhouse Chad Bryant Racing, Rohrbaugh says his team has put a lot of effort into his No. 9 Grant County Mulch Ford to prepare it for the penultimate mile-and-a-half race of the year.

    “The truck we obtained from Chad Bryant Racing is a nice piece,” added Rohrbaugh. “We’ve put a lot of time and effort into it and it has a new body from one of the top teams in the Truck Series, so that has us optimistic that we can unload pretty decent and be contenders for a top-10 finish on Friday night.”

    The 24-year-old Rohrbaugh is also using Friday night’s for experience as he continues to transition to a more predominant role in the Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C.-based team will also compete in the season-finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on Nov. 16.

    “We’re excited about the growth of our team,” Rohrbaugh sounded. “The experience from Texas and Homestead will help our program for 2019. We haven’t determined how many races exactly we’re going to run – but we’re happy about the direction that we’re going and look forward to announcing more in the future.”

    In 18 career ARCA starts, Rohrbaugh has a best finish of seventh at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (July 2018). He has qualified a career-best fourth on four different occasions including his most recent ARCA race at Kansas Speedway (Oct. 2018).

    Marketing partnership opportunities are available for the No. 7 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet and No. 9 Grant County Mulch Ford for the 2019 ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series seasons and beyond. Interested inquiries are encouraged to contact tonya@gcmulch.com.

    The JAG Metals 350 (147 laps | 220.5 miles) is the 21st of 23 races on the 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck schedule. Practice begins on Thurs. Nov. 1 from 3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m., while final practice is set for 5:05 p.m. – 5:55 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Fri., Nov. 2 beginning at 3:10 p.m. The 32-truck field will take the green flag shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on FS1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Central).