Category: Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series news and information

Matt Crafton-The Seasoned Veteran Isn’t Slowing Down Anytime Soon After A Milestone Career

Most of you have heard the name, but for those who don’t know, Matt Crafton is a two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion. He has 14 race wins in 421 starts across more than 19 years spent in the Truck Series. Most of his career has been spent driving for ThorSport Racing, aside from 2004 when he signed on with Kevin Harvick.

But before his NASCAR career took off, Crafton, like many other drivers, began racing early and eventually an opportunity came knocking at his door for a Truck Series ride in 2000.

“My racing career got started when I was about seven years old, racing go-karts until I was about 15, then I started racing micro-midgets,” Crafton said. “Then I started racing asphalt super late models when I was about 18-years old and then from there, went straight from that and won championships in that Southwest Tour, and I got a Truck ride with Duke and Rhonda Thorson and the rest is history.”

With ThorSport Racing being a huge part of the Tulare, California native driver’s career, he explains why the relationship has been so special and how it had a major impact on his racing career.

“Duke and Rhonda (Thorson) have been so, so loyal, such good people to work with them,” he said. “There’s so many people in the business, it’s just so hard to trust. You always hear the nightmare stories that people come and go, but Duke is a man of work and there’s not many people I can say that about in this sport that I worked with or being around. They’ve been great people to work with, Rhonda as well. Everything they’ve said, they have done.”

During Crafton’s 19 career Truck Series seasons, he drove for NASCAR Cup Champion Kevin Harvick for one year in 2004. He explains how that opportunity came about and how he met Harvick.

“I actually used to race against Kevin (Harvick) out in the Southwest Tour,” the No. 88 Menards Ford driver said. “We raced against each other, were competitors. His dad was my dad’s crew chief a couple of different times out there in the west coast and then raced go-karts. My very first go-kart came from Kevin’s dad that ended up getting me that. Worked with my dad to get that kart and we raced together for a little bit, and then he moved up, got a Truck ride first, then shortly after that, I got my first Truck ride.”

The Truck Series has been a mainstay in the two-time champion’s career with a few starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. He explains why the Truck Series is so special to him and why he has been in it for so long.

“I love the Truck Series,” Crafton said. “I’ve had opportunities to go race other places, but they haven’t been good. At the end of the day, I’m with Duke and Rhonda, and I know each and every week they can go win races and contend for championships. That’s what it’s all about. I don’t know, I was just talking to a friend of mine the other day where we talked about racing in the Xfinity and Cup Series, not doing it any different.”

“People lose sight of why they do what they do in the series,” he said. “When I was seven-years-old, I started racing because I loved to win. I wanted to win races and I didn’t care about anything else, except winning races. And so many people lose sight of it, where they want to move to the Cup Series to go out there and run 25th, and say that’s a good day. You know, they can make more money that way, but at the end of the day, last time I checked, it was about bringing home the trophies and winning races, going to the track and having fun, knowing that you can get it done.”

Crafton’s first start in the Truck Series was at Fontana in 2000, where he started 17th and finished ninth. Fontana is no longer on the schedule, but Crafton wishes it was.

“Oh god, I definitely wish Fontana was back on the schedule,” Crafton said. “It’s such an awesome racetrack. Especially now, since the asphalt is so much older and just to see the Cup races and Xfinity races, where they get to run the bottom of that track and to the top of the track right up against the fence. I mean, that’s so much fun.

“It just reminds of the big Atlanta, where you get to move to multiple lanes and so much better than the new asphalt racetracks, where you get the single grove racetracks.”

During the Truck Series early years from 1995-2000, the Truck Series ran at a variety of tracks. The fans and some drivers want to go back to those older tracks. Crafton gives his take on what should be done to the schedule and what should be changed.

“I still definitely have mile and a half racetracks,” he said. “I would get rid of a few of them and add some more short tracks. Go to IRP (Indianapolis Raceway Park), go back to Milwaukee (Mile), run Sonoma, run Mid-Ohio, you know, Elkhart Lake, just road courses. Just change things up. That’s what the problem is. I know the schedule, we do too much of the same thing and it just bores some of the fans. It’s just because you’re doing the same mile and a half tracks and we could go to a road course, sell the place out and have 100,000 people come in, and the writing is on the wall there.”

When the Truck Series isn’t racing, Crafton continues to keep busy at his own shop in Mooresville, North Carolina.

“I’m at my shop in Mooresville, North Carolina,” Crafton said. “I have my own shop and we’re building dirt cars together and working on racecars. I love to dirt race. Right now, I have a lot of fun and get to go hang out with family, and it’s just a lot of fun getting laps and always be there.”

Crafton follows up with how the dirt racing opportunity comes about.

“The first Truck Race,” he said. “A friend of mine, they ended up offering me a ride in a modified and I raced a handful of races, and went on to Eldora and did that for three years. I loved it and I had a lot of fun doing it, but I just wanted to have my own and built the perfect blend of science and racing on dirt to asphalt, and so I went to buy my dirt car last year, worked a lot on it, studied a lot on it, went on to win Eldora last year. And this year, we definitely had a truck capable of winning, just a few more laps at the end, I would have come from 17th to fourth in that last segment and felt like we were one of the fastest trucks on the track, but just ran out of laps.”

With switching from dirt racing to truck racing, there isn’t that much you can apply skill wise as Crafton explains.

“No,” he said. “Just aside from maybe you can use a little more car control, but at the end of the day, they’re so drastically different. That’s why I chose the dirt car to try and figure out to go win that golden shovel because I needed to protect that skill I had there.”

The 2018 season has been uncharacteristic-like, to say the least, for the two-time Truck Series champion. It’s almost a replica of his 2012 season. So far, Crafton has no wins, only five top fives and seven top-10 finishes. Crafton explained why they haven’t been to victory lane yet this season.

“We haven’t been as consistent,” he said. “We’ve been trying a lot of new stuff and working on different setup stuff, and just mechanical problems. That’s been a thorn on our side. Like Las Vegas, the third race of the season, we came on pit road and stood on the brakes coming to the pits, and sheared all of our studs off the brake caliper, something that’s unheard of. And then we go to St. Louis, lose an alternator 15 laps into the race, and we just had so many, just dumb mechanical failures.”

Times have changed throughout NASCAR’s history. In the early years of the series, there were seasoned veterans like Ron Hornaday, Todd Bodine, Jack Sprague, and the list goes on and on. Now, it’s Crafton and Johnny Sauter with the most of the series is comprised of young stars using it as a stepping stone to the next series.

Crafton gives his take on what he thinks of stars moving up too fast.

“They definitely move on very fast without a doubt,” he said. “The dollars are just hard to come by right now. They’re hard to come by with sponsorship, so a lot of the younger ones come with some sponsors and make the things go.”

It was recently announced that the Truck Series will be renamed to the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Series in 2019 replacing sponsor Camping World. Crafton elaborates on what the series and sport could look like 10 years from now.

“It should be good,” Crafton said. “If they start switching up the schedule and changing up the schedule, and doing different things, it would definitely be a very good thing. I mean, there isn’t one race this year, when the trucks have been a short field. We’ve had a full field every race, there have been plenty of races where we sent trucks home this year. So, for some of the other series they can’t say the same thing.”

While Crafton is a seasoned veteran with a 19-year career, he has no quit in him anytime soon.

“I would like to do it for quite a while longer, really,” he said. “I would love to continue racing. Ron Hornaday did it until he was 50 something years old and he was wearing a lot of these young drivers out. Wearing us out too. If you still have the itch, you still want to go and make it happen, and that’s what I plan on doing.”

Carl Joiner Jr. has been the crew chief on Matt Crafton’s No. 88 Menards Ford F-150 for a long time now. Crafton explains why they work so well together.

“We believe in each other at the end of the day,” Crafton said. “I mean, that’s what it’s all about in this sport. Just believing in each other and he believes me when I tell him the truck is doing this, and I believe he can make all the right changes. I know there’s been times we’re not going to get it right away, but that’s happened this year. We’ve been on a new tire this year, the majority of the places the tire the cup cars are on, and it’s a different tire than we were on last year and all of our old setup stuff just hasn’t been working with what we used to run.”

“So we’ll just keep working on that and we’ll get one by the time the season is over, if not a few.”

Whenever Crafton hangs up the belt for the last time in his career, up until then, it will be no different than what he is doing now.

“Just to win more championships and races,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Over the span of Crafton’s career, he has made 421 starts collecting 14 wins, 107 top fives and 249 top-10 finishes, along with 13 poles and 2,491 laps led. And he’s not finished yet.

You can follow Crafton on Twitter.

August 4, 2018
Full weekend schedule for Watkins Glen

Staff Report | NASCAR.com

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series will be at Watkins Glen International for some road course racing. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

Note: All times are ET

Friday, August 3
12:35-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, NBC Sports App (Follow live)
2:05-3:25 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Follow live)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
10:15 a.m.: Bubba Wallace
11:15 a.m.: Joey Logano
11:30 a.m.: AJ Allmendinger
11:45 a.m.: Christopher Bell

Saturday, August 4
10:05-11:20 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
11:35 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
1-2:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
3 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Zippo 200 (82 laps, 200.9 miles), NBC/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
6:35 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
9 a.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
9:15 a.m.: Daniel Suarez
11:45 a.m.: Kyle Busch
5:15 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Xfinity Series race
7:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying

Sunday, August 5
3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GoBowling at The Glen (90 laps, 220.5 miles), NBC/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

PRESS PASS (Watch live)
11:30 a.m.: Alex Bowman
5:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

MORE: How to find NBCSN

August 2, 2018
Four Takeaways from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Pocono
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visited the 2.5-mile racetrack located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway. It was the 14th race of the season and there are now only two races left until the Playoffs begin at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Here are four takeaways from the Gander Outdoors 150.
1. Kyle Ties Hornaday On All-Time Wins List – Kyle Busch was finally able to tie Ron Hornaday on the all-time wins list this past weekend. Both now have 51 wins in the series, but Busch reached 51 wins in just 145 starts, quicker than Hornaday. Busch dominated most of the race by winning the pole and leading 43 of the scheduled 60 laps. By not being able to gain any stage points due to him being a Cup Series driver, Busch was able to play strategy by pitting late in the stage in order to gain track position for the restarts. He almost got passed for the lead late in the race but held on to win in his final Truck Series start of the year. When Busch returns next year and the years beyond, the sky will be the limit on how many more wins he’ll get before wrapping up his career.
2. Stages are too short, at least for Pocono – In Saturday’s race, the stages were broken up into 15/30/60. For a track that doesn’t produce much passing, there wasn’t a whole lot of activity during the stages as they were very short. The first stage went its maximum distance, but the second stage was 10 laps with the final stage going green with 25 to go. The drivers agreed in Friday’s media availability that the race was too short in order to produce more passing or make it a more exciting race. The race featured only nine lead changes, but that all came when the stage was winding down as drivers pitted early for track position. Other than that, the field was spread out. Busch and Erik Jones finished with a margin of victory of 1.4 seconds back. However, anyone after that was five, six, seven seconds back and so on. Perhaps Pocono is a track the Truck Series shouldn’t race on or possibly it’s the number of laps in the race, but something should be done in order to see a more competitive race.
3. Noah Gragson Misses Race – Friday night on Gragson’s Twitter page, he reported that he was feeling sick but was going to race regardless of how he was feeling. However, on Saturday morning prior to qualifying, Noah was too sick to qualify the truck and eventually, too sick to compete in the race. With him missing a race, NASCAR granted him a medical waiver so that he will be able to compete in the Playoffs. Erik Jones, the 2015 Truck Series Champion, filled in for the ill Gragson. Jones placed second.
4. Playoff Points Race Gets Tighter – With just two races left before the Playoffs began, the fight for the final three positions gets even tighter following Pocono. Enfinger, Friesen, and Crafton continue to be winless this year and will more than likely have to point there way in, if there aren’t any new winners. Enfinger has two playoff points while Friesen has four. Crafton has none. Myatt Snider is also on the outside looking in. With a much deserved off week this week, these four drivers, among others, are working hard to contend for the 2018 Truck Series championship. When the Truck Series returns to Michigan after an off week, drivers will be on their game and make more daring moves to get into the Playoffs. Nonetheless, the run for the championship continues to be exciting and no one really knows yet who the final four drivers will be at Homestead-Miami in November.
July 31, 2018
Matt Mills Joins DGR-Crosley for Truck Series Race in Michigan

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 31, 2018)- DGR-Crosley announced today that NASCAR XFINITY Series driver, Matt Mills will join the team for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. Mills will pilot the No. 54 J.F. Electric / Crosley Brands Toyota Tundra.

The 21-year-old Lynchburg, Va., native has driven on a part-time basis this season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series with JD Motorsports. He has one previous start at Michigan International Speedway, which occurred earlier this season. Along with his NASCAR XFINITY Series experience, Mills also has ten NCWTS starts under his belt where he earned two top-20 finishes. Before joining the NASCAR ranks Mills raced in the JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour as well as running numerous late model races.

“I’m very excited to be getting an opportunity to run for DGR-Crosley,” said Mills. “The past few years I have been using my opportunities to learn and grow as a driver. Now I’ll get to test the skills and see where I rank up with other drivers in the field. The DGR-Crosley team brings fast trucks to the track every weekend. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel to see what I can do, and how much more I can learn with them at Michigan. Having David [Gilliland] there to help me is going to be huge asset. I can’t thank everyone at J.F. Electric and DGR-Crosley enough for giving me this opportunity.”

The Corrigan Oil 200 from Michigan International Speedway will take place on Saturday, August 11 at 1:00 p.m., ET.

July 31, 2018
Tom Higgins, longtime reporter and Squier-Hall honoree, dies at 80

Zack Albert | NASCAR.com

Tom Higgins, who told the stories of stock-car racing for decades as a reporter and author, has died. He was 80.

Among his many accolades, Higgins was the 2015 recipient of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. He had been in declining health since suffering a stroke last year.

Higgins is credited as the first writer to cover every race on the NASCAR schedule. He joined the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer as a reporter on outdoor recreation and transitioned into the motorsports beat full-time. He was a mainstay at the Observer until his retirement in 1997.

“For more than five decades, Tom Higgins was an ever-present figure in the NASCAR garage,” said NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France. “Within the industry, he built a reputation as a trusted and fair voice who delivered our sport to the fans. To those fans, he was a must-read journalist whose reporting was rightly taken as gospel. Simply put, he defined what it meant to be a NASCAR beat reporter.

“As such, his outstanding career earned him NASCAR’s top honor for journalists, the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence, in 2015. On behalf of the France Family and all of NASCAR, I extend my deepest condolences to the friends and family of Tom Higgins, a true NASCAR media giant.”

Higgins was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 2011. He also was recognized with the Henry T. McLemore Award for lifetime achievement in motorsports journalism from the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1980.

“He was very well-respected with the racing crowd, from the Allison (family) all the way to Jeff Gordon,” Richard Petty told the Observer years ago. “He probably covered more racing than any one individual.”

Drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon were among several in the NASCAR community to offer condolences to the Higgins family on social media.

Higgins was raised in the mountain community of Burnsville, North Carolina, and became a two-sport standout in baseball and basketball. His connection to the outdoors spurred him to take on his first writing jobs in the Blue Ridge towns of Canton and Asheville.

“Once I got to Asheville and heard the clacking of those teletype machines and was part of putting out a daily newspaper, I was hooked,” Higgins told the Asheville Citizen-Times in 2014.

Higgins was also won over by stock-car racing, covering his first NASCAR event on July 1, 1956, at the former Asheville-Weaverville Speedway. Hall of Famer Lee Petty was the winner. Higgins said he initially balked at the assignment, but became enamored by the sounds, smells and the personalities.

“I thought it was the wildest thing I had ever seen,” Higgins told the Asheville paper. “Those people were crazy.” But his bonds with the sport’s earliest stars only grew through the years. “When I started, the drivers and I were the same age, and they had the same background as me,” he said. “Small towns, just regular fellas, and we hit it off.”

From the sport’s pioneers to the most recent generation of drivers and mechanics, Higgins covered them all with a homespun style. He chronicled the life of original NASCAR hero Junior Johnson in a book he co-authored with Steve Waid, the 2019 Squier-Hall honoree.

After his retirement from the Observer, Higgins remained active as a writer on a freelance basis and in his personal blog. He said later that his philosophy for covering the sport and cultivating relationships was borrowed from his mountain upbringing, a code among the community to treat people fairly and with respect.

“I really, really enjoyed the people,” Higgins told the Citizen-Times. “I’m tickled to say I got invited to a lot of (drivers’) parties and poker games, and not many people in the press were afforded that opportunity. They trusted me, and they did throughout my career, and I’m proud of that.”

July 31, 2018
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Power Rankings-Pocono
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series continued their mid-season run this past weekend by visiting the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

In what was the 14th scheduled race of the season, a few new drivers shined and one almost collected their first win, while familiar foes posted a top-10 finish continuing their race to the playoffs. With an off-weekend coming up, there will be two races left until the Playoffs begin.

Here’s a look at this weeks power rankings.
1. Justin Haley – Haley continues his strong 2018 Truck Series season by posting another top-five finish at the 2.5-mile racetrack. He started third and finished second in the first stage after almost pulling off a last lap pass to win. But he fell out of the top-10 in the second stage due to some late-race pit stops. Haley eventually fought his way back into the top-five, finishing fifth and posting his fifth top-five of the year. He continues to be a quiet contender in the run to the Playoffs and ultimately could end up being a contender in the final four as they race for the championship at Homestead-Miami. Previous Week Ranking: 5th
2. Stewart Friesen- Friesen is oh so close to getting that first win of the season. He continues to post strong finishes inside the top-five throughout the season and continues to be a bubble driver of potentially making/not making the Playoffs in 2018. However, Friesen could breathe a little easier, but not by much, with just two races to go. On Saturday afternoon, he ran a quiet race and didn’t make too much noise. In Stage 1, he finished eighth, while he won the second stage after leading four laps to the end of the second stage, earning one playoff point. After having to pit at the end of stage two and getting shuffled back, as other leaders pit for strategy, Friesen fought his way to a fourth-place finish. Previous Week Ranking: 2nd
3. Dalton Sargeant – If anyone could challenge the race leaders for the win, it was GMS Racing driver, Dalton Sargeant who had the best career finish of his career so far. After a qualifying effort of fourth, Sargeant stayed there for much of the race. In Stage 1, he finished third not too far behind Todd Gilliland and Haley. However, like other race leaders, he pitted near the end of Stage 2 to have track position for the end of the final stage. As soon as Stage 3 started, Sargeant took the lead from Friesen and led for four laps until getting passed by eventual race winner Kyle Busch. Ultimately, he finished third for his first top-five of the year. If the team continues to run like they did at Pocono, they could surprise the field and be in the Playoffs. Previous Week Ranking: Not Ranked
4. Grant Enfinger – After coming close to a win at Eldora last week, Enfinger is hungry for a win as he too sits on the cut line for the Playoffs. He placed fifth in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2, respectively. However, on a track where it is tough to pass and with the field getting so spread out, Enfinger had a hard time challenging for the win. He would have to settle for a sixth-place finish, earning him his fourth top-five of the year. He’ll need to continue to have days like Saturday in order to point his way into the Playoffs. Previous Week Ranking: 1st
5. Todd Gilliland – Gilliland made his first ever career track start at Pocono this past weekend. He had a lot of track time by racing in the shortened ARCA race on Friday where he finished sixth after pitting early on. He had two practice sessions as well to keep him busy in trying to figure out The Tricky Triangle. With the added seat time, it looked liked it helped as Gilliland started on the outside pole with his teammate Kyle Busch. Gilliland led one lap before getting passed by Busch. But toward the end of the stage, Busch, along with others, pitted to have track position for the second stage. Gilliland stayed out and won the first stage after leading seven laps. In the final stage, the No. 4 KBM driver stayed out and restarted in the 11th position. As the checkered flag fell at the end of 60 laps, Gilliland and the No. 4 KBM team found themselves finishing seventh. Previous Week Ranking: Not RankedFell Out
  1. Brett Moffitt – Moffit had right front suspension problems at the end of Stage 1 and finished 26th.
  2. Matt Crafton – Crafton continues to have his most challenging season to date since 2012. Starting 20th, Crafton didn’t place inside the top-10 at all during either stage but fought his way to ninth place. He continues to be winless in 2018.
July 29, 2018

Kyle Busch drives to flawless win at Pocono

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Cessna Toyota in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Gander Outdoors 150 at Pocono Raceway on July 28, 2018 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Photo by Kirk Schroll for SpeedwayMedia.com.

In what was a wild start for the day, before the race started, Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 18 Safelite Tundra, had to sit out the race due to being sick. He was granted a medical waiver, which means he’ll still have a Playoff spot. Erik Jones, the 2015 NASCAR Truck Series champion, filled in for the ill Gragson.

“We kept working on it (truck) all weekend long and just never quit, got it to where we wanted it,” Busch said. “All these (KBM) guys, (Mike) Hillman and on this No. 51 Cessna Beachcraft Toyota did an awesome job. I mean, we worked it, worked it, worked it, and came up with a couple of ideas of mine own and that slowed us down, but overall Rudy and those guys on the 18 truck were stupid fast. I knew they were going to be tough to beat.”

“I got a good restart and got out front there, and as Erik (Jones) was able to kind of run me down it seemed like he could cool his tires off by doing so,” he said. “I figured if I could at least pinch him one time and then get him behind me for a couple of laps, or a couple of corners, then I might be able to equalize his tires to mine when I was out front because I was just pushing for everything I had and I was just tight. I knew that would be my only shot to be able to hold him off, just to get his momentum broken and when I did that with a lap truck in Turn 2, it kind of seemed like that changed the race.”

The first stage was 15 laps, Stage 2 ended on Lap 30 and the checkered flag flew on Lap 60.

When Stage 1 began, Todd Gilliland took the lead for one lap, but pole sitter Busch took the lead one lap later and held it until four to go when he made a pit stop. Brett Moffitt also had issues which later turned out to be right front suspension problems. Gilliland went on to win the first stage by fending off Gateway winner Justin Haley.

During the pit stops, four-time winner Johnny Sauter received a pit road penalty for being too fast on pit road.

Busch restarted Stage 2 as the leader and held on until Lap 26, when substitute driver Jones took the lead. However, just like the first stage, Busch and Jones pit along with the other race leaders with three to go. Bubble driver, Stewart Friesen, stayed out and won the second stage.

The third and final stage began with 25 to go.

Dalton Sargeant took the lead for four laps, but Busch retook it on Lap 37. Jones came back to battle for the lead with eight to go, with lap traffic being an issue. Busch prevailed and held on to score his second Truck Series win of the season.

Busch gave his thoughts on tying NASCAR Hall of Fame driver, Ron Hornaday, on the all-time wins list in the Truck Series.

“It’s awesome,” Busch said on tying Hornaday’s record. “It’s certainly a true testament to all the people I worked with over time. I’ve raced races with Morgan-Dollar. I don’t know if I ever won races with them and then with Billy Ballew. I ran with them a lot and of course, with my own company Kyle Busch Motorsports team. A bunch of different crew chiefs, five or six crew chiefs I’ve won with here in my place. So, you know, it’s certainly been a lot of fun, a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work and perseverance for my guys and everybody at Kyle Busch Motorsports.”

There were two cautions for eight laps, with six leaders among nine lead changes. Busch led three times for 43 laps.

Complete Race Results

1st – Kyle Busch

2nd – Erik Jones

3rd – Dalton Sargeant

4th – Stewart Friesen

5th – Justin Haley

6th – Grant Enfinger

7th – Todd Gilliland

8th – Johnny Sauter

9th – Matt Crafton

10th – Joe Nemechek

11th – Ben Rhodes

12th – Myatt Snider

13th – Austin Hill

14th – Cody Coughlin

15th – Tanner Thorson

16th – Jordan Anderson

17th – Justin Fontaine

18th – Austin Self

19th – Josh Reaume

20th – Bo LeMastus

21st – Wendell Chavous

22nd – Jennifer Jo Cobb

23rd – Todd Peck

24th – B.J. McLeod

25th – Norm Benning

26th – Brett Moffitt

27th – Ray Ciccarelli

28th – Timmy Hill

29th – Camden Murphy

30th – Reed Sorenson

31st – J.J. Yeley

32nd – Bayley Currey

July 28, 2018

Toyota NCWTS Pocono Post-Race Recap

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
Pocono Raceway
Race 14 of 23 – 150 miles, 60 laps
July 28, 2018

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, KYLE BUSCH
2nd, ERIK JONES
3rd, Dalton Sargeant*
4th, Stewart Friesen*
5th, Justin Hayley*
7th, TODD GILLILAND
20th, BO LE MASTUS
26th, BRETT MOFFITT
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA DRIVER POINT STANDINGS**
1st, Johnny Sauter* 587 points
2nd, NOAH GRAGSON 522 points
3rd, Grant Enfinger* 410 points
4th, Stewart Friesen* 495 points
5th, BRETT MOFFITT 485 points
12th, TODD GILLILAND 328 points
23rd, SPENCER DAVIS 126 points
25th, HARRISON BURTON 113 points
26th, DAVID GILLILAND 107 points
*non-Toyota driver
**unofficial point standings

· Tundra driver Kyle Busch tied the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) victory record when he captured his 51st-career win at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway on Saturday afternoon.

· Busch started from the pole and led a race-high 53 laps (of 60) to tie the milestone mark in the NCWTS.

· Busch’s 51st-career triumph in the NCWTS ties him with Ron Hornaday Jr. in the series record book. Busch will next compete in the NCWTS in 2019.

· Erik Jones finished second after starting from the rear of the field when he replaced driver Noah Gragson, who was forced to miss the race due to illness.

· Jones led one lap in his first NCWTS start since 2016.

· Tundra driver Todd Gilliland finished seventh after winning the race’s first stage to mark his first stage win of the 2018 season.

TOYOTA QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH, No. 51 Cessna Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 1st

How special is it to tie the Truck Series victory record with your 51st-career win?

“It’s awesome. I can’t say enough about everybody at Kyle Busch Motorsports and everybody that’s gotten these win totals to where they’re at, you know? Racing with Billy Ballew and racing KBM stuff, back in the heyday with – I don’t think I won a race with Morgan-Dollar, but I ran with those guys, you know? It’s certainly – it’s a true testament to all the hard work and everybody, all the dedication and perseverance everybody has a Kyle Busch Motorsports to get me such a fast Cessna Beechcraft Tundra here. The guys at TRD (Toyota Racing Development) do an awesome job for us. Thanks to Toyota, Incredible Bank, Black Clover, DVX Eyewear, Rowdy Manufacturing. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of great people and wouldn’t be here without them.”

How proud are you of Erik Jones and how good was he today?

“Absolutely. No question Erik (Jones) did a phenomenal job. I knew he’d be the best choice for it and if he could have got through traffic just a tick better, he probably would have won the race, you know? So that’s why I didn’t pick a slouch so I could beat anybody. I picked a good one so I could race against him and that was obviously fun. You put the best of the best out there and we get to go at it with one another, so Erik’s a special kid and enjoy racing with him all the time.”

What was it like battling Erik Jones today?

“Yeah, they were – they had a better truck than us here this weekend – the 18 (Erik Jones) did. I tried – we tried to fix this thing and work on it and make it better, but I probably made it slower in all the things that I changed on it rather than making it faster, but Rudy (Fugle, crew chief for Erik Jones) and those guys are amazing. They do such a great job and I knew Erik was going to be fast in that truck and I knew Noah (Gragson) was going to be fast in that truck. They were the ones that we had to beat, you know? So I wish we were a tick faster, but obviously being that little bit slower we put on a better show. Erik was able to run me down and get there and I did everything I could to hold him off. I knew if I could pinch him for a few laps after he had that time to cool his tires getting to me that I could heat his tires back up and then I might be able to equal out to him and that’s kind of seemed to be the way we fell even with each other there, so, you know, a little bit of strategy play there and just experience I guess being a little bit out front and being able to get through traffic there on that restart to get ourselves an advantage.”

Did the handling give you trouble and did talent get you here?

“We kept working on it all weekend long and just never quite got it where we wanted it, you know? So all these guys – (Mike) Hillman (Jr., crew chief) and everybody on this number 51 Ceesna Beechcraft Toyota Tundra did an awesome job. I mean, we worked and worked and worked and maybe even came up with a couple ideas of my own that slowed us down, but overall Rudy (Fugle, crew chief for Erik Jones) and those guys on the 18 truck were just stupid fast, so I knew they were going to be tough to beat and I had to – I got a good restart. I got out front there and as Erik was able to kind of run me down it seemed like he could cool his tires off by doing so and I figured if I could at least pinch him one time and get him behind me for a couple laps or a couple corners that I might be able to equalize his tires to mine when I was out front because I was just pushing for everything I had and just too tight and, you know, knew that that would be my only shot to be able to hold him off was to just get him – his momentum broken – and when I did that with the lapped truck in Turn 2 it kind of seemed like it changed the race.”

What does it mean to tie a Hall of Famer in wins?

“It’s awesome. I mean, it’s certainly just a true testament to all the people that I’ve work with over time. I raced races with Morgan-Dollar – I don’t know if I ever won races with them – but then with Billy Ballew I ran a lot, won with them a lot and then of course with my own Kyle Busch Motorsports teams and a bunch of different crew chief. I think five or six crew chiefs I’ve won with here at my place, so, you know, it’s certainly been a lot of fun and a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, a lot of perseverance from all my guys, everybody at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Rowdy Manufacturing guys did an awesome job building me an awesome piece here and Toyota, TRD (Toyota Racing Development), thank those guys for everything they help us with and of course just being able to get to victory lane once again, get win number 51 in the 51. Feels really good and now we can roll on into next year and try to go for me.”

Is this your most meaningful Truck Series win getting your 51st victory in the No. 51 Tundra?

“Yeah, it’s kind of funny the way numbers work out, isn’t it? That was pretty cool obviously being able to score that win. I know I ran a couple races in the beginning of the year in the 4 and wasn’t able to quite get to victory lane in that one, but both wins this year came with the 51 team, so really cool to race with these guys and to be able to do that. You know, it means a lot to Cessna and Beechcraft, as well as myself, so with the success that we’ve had though, we can’t rest on our laurels, you know? We’ve just got to continue to go to work this – the guys that are going to be the remainder of the season driving this truck, we’ve got to get them focused on what it takes to be good and run for top-fives, top-threes, score wins. Whatever it takes to keep ourselves moving forward for the owner’s championship with the 51.”

What was the process like finding a replacement for Noah Gragson?

“I mean, really you just start going down the list, right? First and foremost, it’s who’s here and then you look at, okay, who is still my teammate at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) and if Erik Jones could fit, obviously him and Rudy (Fugle, crew chief for Jones) have a great relationship and connection of a couple years ago winning a championship together, so that was the first decision, first choice, and thankfully Jones said yeah, that he would be happy to do it, so we got them over there, got the seat fit and everything like that. I know Rudy was worries that the seat wasn’t quite matched up to the way Jones would need it, so we were kind of worrisome there, but they thought that William (Byron) would be a better fit, but I think that that would be harder to get approved to get William in the truck, but I’m sure if I would have made a call to Mr. H (Rick Hendrick) he probably would have been alright with it.”

MIKE HILLMAN JR., crew chief, No. 51 Cessna Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

How does it feel to guide Kyle Busch to a historic win?

“Just blessed to be a part of KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports), you know? Everybody at KBM works really hard to be build really fast trucks. Rowdy Manufacturing builds really good chassis and just proud to be part of it.”

ERIK JONES, No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 2nd

How was it jumping in the Tundra on the fly?

“Yeah, I mean, it was definitely a surprise, you know? I didn’t think that I’d be running a Truck race today, but it was fun. Hoped in after final practice and got the final fitment done in the seat and everything and it – it was a little snug. Noah’s (Gragson) a little smaller than me I believe, but it was close and we went out and the truck was great. I mean, I asked Rudy (Fugle) – I said, ‘You know, driving this thing today, did you at least give me a pretty good truck,’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, I think it’s pretty fast,’ so definitely had good speed and I think really if we could have gotten out front at the end, we would have – we probably could held Kyle (Busch) off, but just got stuck on the bottom on that restart and lost a couple spots and just took too long to get through traffic to go up and challenge, but it was a fun day.”

How difficult is it to mentally prepare for a race in a hurry?

“I think I first found out maybe after the first practice – just before second practice, final practice today – but, I mean, yeah. You’re definitely changing your mindset getting into a Truck race. I was planning on probably going back and taking a nap and catching the end of the Truck race, so, you know, had to really kind of reset and try to think back. I don’t really have any notes with me here on Truck racing and had to think back to what I did here I guess three years ago in the trucks, so just trying to remember that and, you know, talked to Kyle (Busch) a little before the race, looked at some old data that I had from a test here a few years ago and just tried to refresh my memory and get in the mode of what we had to do. I knew it was going to be a little challenging coming from the back and obviously not being in the truck all day I didn’t know how it drove. I don’t know how Noah (Gragson) drives his trucks and so it was a lot of things that go through your head, but we had a great truck. We fired off and it was very quick and we were able to get up to the front pretty fast.”

What have you learned from Kyle Busch and how big a milestone is 51 Truck Series wins by Busch?

“Well, it’s a – I know 51 victories is a milestone he wanted to get to. I know he wanted to do it in the 51 truck. I can’t say I was thinking about that when we were about clear of him in the tunnel turn, but, you know, it – you know, Kyle’s (Busch) done a lot for me and my career. I mean, you look back to 2012 really and won it against him in the Snowball (Derby), tested his car at Nashville. He’s really gave me my first opportunity in the Truck Series with him and at that time at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) and it’s been fun to watch KBM grow, you know? When we first – when Darrel (Wallace Jr.) and I first came to KBM in 2013, they hadn’t won a race without a Cup driver in their truck and our big goal was to get obviously Darrel and I a win, so we both won that year and it’s been really cool to see it grow into a dominant organization in the Truck Series between – whether Kyle’s in it or not. Noah (Gragson) does a fantastic job along with Todd (Gilliland) and all the guys that they run their trucks, so it’s been cool to see it evolve.”

How did you lose time to Kyle Busch at the end?

“Well, I was pretty tight in the last run to begin with and had to use up a little bit to get through some traffic and had to use up a little bit more on the right front to get to Kyle (Busch). I saw the lapped trucks and they gave me the opportunity to get there. I was like, ‘Well, this is going to be my shot. Probably my only shot to get to the lead and if we can get to the lead, I think we can hold him off,’ and we came within about six inches of doing it and, you know, I had to kind of check up. There was four lapped trucks. We passed three of them on the straightaway and there was one more in the tunnel turn and I had to check up on the bottom or run him over, which I wasn’t going to do, so – and Kyle was still at my quarter. I had to give him space and it was – you know, it was a close moment. I knew that was probably out shot. I used up a lot of the truck just to make that one move. I was trying to save for that moment hoping that he was going to catch them weird and it just didn’t work out.”

Have you talked to Noah Gragson today?

“I haven’t yet. You know, I don’t know Noah (Gragson) very well. Obviously, he was not feeling well today, so I haven’t talked to him. I hope he’s doing alright and feeling better. It sounds like he was from Twitter, so I know he wanted to race today and he obviously had a pretty good truck to do it with, so it’s always as a driver hard to – I’ve been fortunate enough to not have to watch my car race without me in it, but I know it’s got to be a tough feeling to have to sit there and watch your race car go around without you in it.”

July 28, 2018
Erik Jones places second for ill Gragson at Pocono

Noah Gragson was unable to participate in Truck Series qualifying Saturday morning at Pocono Raceway after being sick this weekend with what his team called a stomach virus. During a pre-race visit to the infield care center, he was not medically cleared to compete in the race.

Erik Jones was chosen to replace Gragson in the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 18 Toyota. With the driver change, Jones had to start at the back of the pack in 31st. It didn’t take long, however, for the 2015 Truck Series champion to move up to the front as he finished fourth in the first stage.

Jones time to shine came in the second stage when he took the lead on Lap 27 but multiple battles occurred when he pitted from the lead with teammate Busch. As a result, he did not finish in the top-10 at all during the second stage.

He continued to fight his way through traffic in the remaining laps, as did race leader Busch. At one point with eight laps to go, Jones caught Busch and was side-by-side with him for a short moment. However, race leader Busch prevailed and held on to win while Jones went on to finished second.

“We had a really good truck, number one all day,” Jones said. “The Safelite Tundra was really fast and we just needed to get out front. I thought we were snugged on the last run. I had to use the right front up a little bit to get to him. We had a good opportunity with some lap trucks, that lap trucks gave us the opportunity and there was one more lap truck that we needed to get around that I had to check up in the tunnel which let Kyle stay on my corner and get back by.”

“If we would’ve got out front, I think it would’ve been pretty tough on Kyle to get back around us,” he said. “A fun race, nonetheless. Not expecting to do one is a pretty solid run.”

This was Jones first Truck Series race since 2016 at Gateway where he finished fifth.

July 28, 2018
Toyota NCWTS Pocono Brett Moffitt Quotes

Toyota Racing Brett Moffitt
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
Pocono Raceway – July 27, 2018

Hattori Racing driver Brett Moffitt was made available to the media at Pocono Raceway:

BRETT MOFFITT, No. 16 Toyota Tsusho Toyota Tundra, Hattori Racing

Would you be open to the Truck Series running more marquee events at local, short tracks?

“More local short tracks, yes. I mean, the crowd there (Eldora Speedway) was amazing. I think everyone saw that and going to those markets like that is huge for this series – it’s where it came from – and we don’t need to run every Cup track I don’t feel.”

What local tracks would you like to see the Truck Series visit?

“I feel like Wisconsin – anywhere in Wisconsin with the late models and short track programs they have up there would probably be a really good market.”

Can you update us on your sponsorship efforts?

“It’s certainly looking better. We keep kicking the can down the road. I know Bristol’s (Motor Speedway) still pretty much wide open, so that’s the next hurdle we’re really trying to tackle and I think Talladega’s (Superspeedway) partially open at this moment, so we still certainly have a little ways to go, but hopefully we can make something happen there and be able to compete full time.”

If the Cup or Xfintiy Series visited Eldora Speedway, would it take away from the Truck Series race?

“I think so. I mean, I think it’s – we’re the premier series there when we go and that’s partially why everyone comes to the Truck practice and qualifying and race and I don’t know how those teams feel about it, but I’m sure not many Cup teams really want to go spend half a million dollars to go run a dirt race.”

Are you looking ahead to the Playoffs?

“Yeah, you know, obviously being locked in – I think Eldora (Speedway) was the biggest one that would be a concern if you weren’t and obviously Grant (Enfinger) went out there and had a excellent race, so I think in points-wise, they’re pretty safe, but being locked in is a huge weight of your shoulders and I think with the Truck Series the same thing as our races being short, our season’s short, so all you can do is go out there and try to win races. Obviously, you don’t want to make any moves to take yourself out of races, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to win and get Playoff points to secure yourself through that first round with it being Canadian Tire (Motorsports Park) and Talladega in one round, that’s kind of messy – or is it Martinsville (Speedway)? Yeah.”

Is this race distance too short?

“Yeah, I agree. I mean, I think – I think the biggest thing that makes it a short race are the stages like he (Justin Hayley) was just mentioning. Last night, I rewatched last year’s race and with that second stage only being 11 or 10 green flag laps that’s a little bit silly, but, I mean, it’s just the way it is and we’ll go race.”

July 27, 2018