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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series news and information

  • Full Weekend Schedule for Atlanta

    Full Weekend Schedule for Atlanta

    By Staff Report – NASCAR.com

    After taking on the high banks of Daytona to kick off the season, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are off to Atlanta Motor Speedway for a tripleheader weekend. Check out the tentative full schedule below, subject to change.

    Note: All times are ET

    Friday, Feb. 23

    ON-TRACK
    11:35 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, FS1 (Follow live)
    1:05 p.m.-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, FS1 (Follow live)
    2:05 p.m.-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice, FS1 (Follow live)
    3:05 p.m.-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)
    4:05 p.m.-4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)
    5:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, FS1 (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    10 a.m.: Austin Dillon
    10: 30 a.m.: Brad Keselowski
    10:45 a.m.: Darrell Wallace Jr.
    1 p.m.: Jordan Anderson, Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes
    1:20 p.m.: Chase Elliott
    1:35 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
    1:50 p.m.: Ryan Blaney
    2 p.m.: Folds of Honor/QuikTrip
    2:15 p.m.: Justin Allgaier, Kaz Grala, Brandon Jones, Tyler Reddick
    6:30 p.m. (approx.): Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series post-qualifying

    Saturday, Feb. 24

    ON-TRACK

    9:10 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, FS1 (Follow live)
    10:35 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS1 (Follow live)
    12 p.m.-1:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)
    2 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Rinnai 250 (163 laps, 251.02 miles), FS1 (Follow live)
    4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Active Pest Control 200 benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (130 laps, 200.2 miles), FS1 (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    4:15 p.m. (approx.): NASCAR Xfinity Series post-race
    6:30 p.m. (approx.): NASCAR Camping World Truck Series post-race

    Sunday, Feb. 25

    ON-TRACK
    1 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (325 laps, 500.5 miles), FOX (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    4:45 p.m. (approx.): Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series post-race

     

  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview-Atlanta

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview-Atlanta

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads north of Daytona this weekend for the 1.5-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be the second race of the 2018 season for what has already been an exciting start for the Truck Series. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at who will be hot and might end up in victory lane.

    There are 34 trucks currently entered on the preliminary entry list.

    In the last three races, there have been three different winners. And there is a high possibility that there could be a fourth different winner this Saturday.

    1. Kyle Busch – Busch will be competing in his first truck race of the season this weekend. It will be the first of five races on the schedule for the Las Vegas native. However, the last time Busch went to victory lane was eight years ago in 2010. Since the truck series returned to Atlanta in 2015, he has competed in one race which came in last year’s Active Pest Control 200. During the race, Busch ran second in both stages. Unfortunately, issues arose late in the race and relegated him to a 26th place finish. Although, you can never really count him out in any race that Busch races in. Be sure to keep an eye on him all weekend long. He also scored wins in 2005, 2007 and 2008.
    2. Matt Crafton – After a somewhat forgettable Daytona finish last weekend, Crafton is heading to one of his favorite race tracks statistically. In 16 races, he has one win (2015), five top fives and nine top 10 finishes, along with one pole and 173 laps led. Crafton also has an average starting position of 13.7 and an average finish of 12.0. He also will be using a truck that has three wins, especially at Atlanta. Crafton is the highest active driver statistically. In 2017, he finished runner-up. The previous year, Crafton was taken out in a multi-vehicle accident late in the race which put him 30th and he won the year before that. The No. 88 Menards driver will be up in contention for victory this weekend at Atlanta.
    3. Johnny Sauter – Sauter is carrying momentum to Atlanta after scoring the victory last weekend at Daytona. In two of the past three races, he has a finish of third and sixth respectively. In 2016, he was caught with issues late in the race thus relegating him to a 28th place finish. Surprisingly enough, Sauter does not have a win in the past seven races at Atlanta. He has collected one top five and three top 10 finishes, with no laps led. His average starting position is 11.1 and he has an average finishing position of 14.7. Regardless of what the stats say, Sauter could use the momentum from Daytona and catapult for his first ever track win at the 1.5-mile speedway.
    4. Joe Nemechek – Nemechek will be back once again competing for the Nemco Motorsports team. This time, however, he will adorn the No. 8 Chevy. In two races, he has one top 10 finish which came in 2015 when Nemechek finished 10th. In his only other start that came last year, he ended up finishing 24th, two laps down. However, Joe’s son, John Hunter, took the truck to victory lane two years ago for his first ever victory. Joe finished third in the truck race last Friday night at Daytona.
    5. Grant Enfinger – Enfinger could be a surprise winner this weekend. In two races, he has one top five and two top 10 finishes, and four laps led. The No. 98 Tundra driver finished ninth in Stage 1 before coming home eighth in the final running order.

    Last year’s winner Christopher Bell, who will not be competing, started first and finished first, and also led 99 of the scheduled 130 laps. In the past three races, the lowest a driver has ever won from a starting spot was John Hunter Nemechek who started 18th when he went to victory lane in 2016.

    Live coverage for the truck series starts Friday afternoon with two practice sessions scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET and final practice slated for 4:05 p.m. ET all on FS1. Qualifying will be held early Saturday morning at 10:35 a.m. ET on Fox Sports 1, with race coverage starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. The green flag will wave at 4:49 p.m. ET.

     

  • Ben Rhodes And Crew Chief Penalized Following Daytona

    Ben Rhodes And Crew Chief Penalized Following Daytona

    NASCAR announced today that the No. 41 of Ben Rhodes failed post-race tech inspection after the eighth annual NextEra Energy Resources 250.

    Rhodes’s crew chief, Eddie Troconis is fined $5,000 and will not be at Atlanta this weekend due to Troconis serving his suspension this weekend. Rhodes was docked 10 points and the team was penalized 10 owner points.

    Rhodes will have a different crew chief adorn the pit box this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He currently sits seventh in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series point standings.

  • Four Takeaways From The Truck Series Race At Daytona

    Four Takeaways From The Truck Series Race At Daytona

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series started the 2018 season last Friday night at Daytona International Speedway. Here are four takeaways from the event itself.

    1. GMS Racing Look To Recapture Championship – GMS Racing’s Johnny Sauter started off the season with a win, followed by the No. 24 of Justin Haley. If history repeats itself, Sauter would wind up winning his second championship this year as he won the season opener a few years ago and won the championship in that year. It could happen again, but there are a lot of hungry and new drivers looking to knock off the seasoned veterans for the championship.
    2. Scott Lagasse Jr. Gets A For Effort – Lagasse Jr earned a fifth-place finish Friday night at Daytona. It was his best finish at the historic 2.5-mile superspeedway since the 2015 race where he finished third. Regardless of where he finished in the stages, he gets an A for effort while earning his second top five of his career.
    3. Kyle Busch Motorsports Has Star-Studded Lineup – The driver lineup will look different this year for Kyle Busch Motorsports than it did in past years. Noah Gragson returns for his second full-time season driving the famed No. 18. Todd and David Gilliland will split the rides until Todd turns 18 at Charlotte in May. Spencer Davis and Kyle Busch will also spit the No. 51 Truck. While at Charlotte, KBM will field four entries with Todd in the No. 4, Gragson in the No. 18, Busch in the No. 51 and Brandon Jones in the No. 46. As you can see, the KBM entries are fielded with bright stars looking to make an impact and headlines in 2018.
    4. Jordan Anderson Fields Own Entry In 2018 – It will be interesting to see how Anderson does competing in his own team this year. He will be fielding the No. 3 Toyota Tundra in 2018. He was there at the end challenging for the win despite not finishing in the top 10 in both stages. However, just like Spencer Davis, Anderson went spinning around at the start-finish line to earn the first top 10 of his career. If Anderson can keep this up, he will have a solid 2018 season.
  • NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Atlanta

    NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Atlanta

    Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
    Next Race: Folds of Honor QuikTrip500
    The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway
    The Date: Sunday, Feb. 25
    The Time: 2 p.m. ET
    TV: FOX, 1:30 p.m. ET
    Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 500.5 miles (325 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 85),
    Stage 2 (Ends on lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on lap 325)

    NASCAR Xfinity Series
    Next Race: Rinnai 250
    The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway
    The Date: Saturday, Feb. 24
    The Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
    TV: FS1, 1:30 p.m. ET
    Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 251.02 miles (163 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 40),
    Stage 2 (Ends on lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on lap 163)

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
    Next Race: Active Pest Control 200 benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
    The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway
    The Date: Saturday, Feb. 24
    The Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
    TV: FS1, 4:30 p.m. ET
    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 200.2 miles (130 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 40),
    Stage 2 (Ends on lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on lap 130)

    Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

    Dillon Wins 60th Running Of DAYTONA 500, Parks No. 3 In Victory Lane 20 Years After Earnhardt’s Single Triumph In The Great American Race

    Austin Dillon passed Aric Almirola on the backstretch of the final lap in NASCAR overtime to win the 60th running of the Daytona 500. Dillon returned the No. 3 Chevrolet to Victory Lane in The Great American Race 20 years to the weekend the man who made the No. 3 car famous – Dale Earnhardt – won his lone Daytona 500.

    Dillon’s triumph marked the first for Chevrolet’s new Camaro ZL1 race car. It was the second win for the 27-year-old North Carolina native, who earned his first victory in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last May.

    He’ll try to become the first driver since Matt Kenseth in 2009 to open a season with consecutive wins in Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuickTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2 p.m. ET on FOX). His best finish at Atlanta was an 11th-place showing in 2016.

    With the Daytona 500 win, Dillon earned a berth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

    Bubba’s Banner Day: Darrell Wallace Finishes Runner-Up In His First Daytona 500

    Darrell Wallace started his first full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season with flare – placing runner-up in the Daytona 500. The showing was the best by an African-American driver in the Daytona 500. It also marked the top Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series performance by an African-American driver since Wendell Scott’s lone victory in the 1963 Jacksonville 200.

    Wallace’s historical weekend at the Daytona 500 was chronicled in the final two episodes of a new Facebook Watch docu-series titled “Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace,” with the final two episodes set to premiere tomorrow (Thursday, Feb. 22) at noon ET on the platform.

    The driver of the No. 43 NASCAR Racing Experience Chevrolet for Richard Petty Motorsports placed sixth at Atlanta in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race last year.

    Happy In Hotlanta: Harvick Readies For Top Track

    He only has one win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but recent track performance shows that Kevin Harvick will be the driver to beat in Georgia’s capital. Harvick has led more than 100 laps in four of his last five races at the 1.54-mile quad-oval. Last season, he dominated the race, leading 292 laps before succumbing the lead late in the race due to a pit road speeding penalty.

    In 27 career Atlanta starts, Harvick claims one win, six top fives and 12 tops 10s. He has produced 10 of those top 10s in his last 13 appearances.

    Harvick’s 97.0 Atlanta driver rating ranks third among active competitors.

    Harvick’s lone Atlanta win came on March 3, 2001 in his third career start. He drove the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to Victory Lane after replacing Dale Earnhardt, who passed away three weeks earlier following an accident at Daytona.

    Keselowski Tries For Atlanta Repeat

    Brad Keselowski took advantage of Kevin Harvick’s late pit road speeding penalty by passing Kyle Larson with six laps left to win last year’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He’ll try to repeat on Sunday, one week after wrecking out of the Daytona 500.

    In nine starts at the 1.54-mile track, Keselowski owns, one win, two top fives, five top 10s and an 18.1 average finish. His 11.28 average running position at Atlanta ranks second in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

    Blaney Leads Standings; Readies For Atlanta Following Daytona Heartbreak

    Ryan Blaney dazzled fans last week by leading a race-high 118 laps in the Daytona 500.

    Although he believed he had the best car, Blaney’s shot at winning ended on Lap 198 when he got together with Kurt Busch’s No. 41 Ford, starting off a 12-car wreck. He finished the race seventh.

    Still, Blaney won Stage 2 and leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings entering Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. He holds an eight-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano and an 11-point edge on third-place Austin Dillon.

    Blaney hopes for better luck at Atlanta where he’s finished 25th (2016) and 18th (2017) in two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts.

    Hometown Hero: Elliott Eyes First Victory In Backyard

    Seventy-eight races into his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career, Chase Elliott is still trying to break through with his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win.

    Would there be a better place to do it than his home track – Atlanta Motor Speedway?

    In two career starts at Atlanta, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has finished eighth (2016) and fifth (2017). He placed 33rd in the Daytona 500 last week after an accident forced him out of the race after 101 laps.

    Elliott has finished runner-up seven times in his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career.

    Johnson Strong At Atlanta

    Atlanta Motor Speedway has treated Jimmie Johnson well over the years.

    Johnson leads active drivers with five wins and a 105.4 driver rating in 26 starts at the 1.54-mile track. He also has 14 top fives, 16 top 10s and an 11.0 average finish.

    The No. 48 driver won at Atlanta in consecutive seasons from 2015-16 before Brad Keselowski ended his streak last year.

    A checkered flag at Atlanta would tie him with Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for fourth all-time with 84 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins.

    Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Etc.

    Keenan Thompson To Serve As Grand Marshal: Atlanta native and comedy sketch actor Kenan Thompson of “Saturday Night Live” fame will return to his home city of Atlanta to serve as the grand marshal for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

     

    NASCAR Xfinity Series

    Sunoco Rookie Tyler Reddick’s Already Making A Name For Himself In 2018

    JR Motorsport’s latest addition to the organization, Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Tyler Reddick, jumped on the NASCAR Xfinity Series scene this past weekend by not only winning the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, but also by locking himself into the Playoffs and perching himself atop the series driver standings. Now the 22-year old from Corning, California has set his sights on a title, but first must make his series debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.

    Reddick and the No. 9 Chevrolet team, led by last season’s title-winning crew chief David Elenz, outlasted five overtimes to beat his JR Motorsports teammate Elliott Sadler by the narrowest of margins – actually the narrowest in NASCAR national series history – at 0.000 seconds. With the win, Reddick holds the driver standings lead by nine points over Sadler in second, and is 11 points ahead of GMS Racing’s Spencer Gallagher in third.

    Though this will be Reddick’s series debut at Atlanta this weekend, it will not be the first time he has run laps on the 1.54-mile speedway. Reddick made two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Atlanta, posting one top five and an average finish of 9.5.

    Spencer Gallagher Has GMS Racing A Contender Early in 2018

    Spencer Gallagher’s sophomore season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series has started off in the right direction, as the 28-year old from Las Vegas, Nevada posted his best series career finish of sixth at Daytona International Speedway last weekend. The top-10 was the best finish by the GMS Racing organization in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to date.

    The solid showing has Gallagher ranked third in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings, also his best ranking in the points in his series career, 11 points back from the series lead.

    With the recent momentum, Gallagher turns his attention to Atlanta Motor Speedway for this weekend’s Rinnai 250. Gallagher made his series track debut at Atlanta last season; starting 21st and finishing 28th.

    JR Motorsport’s Elliott Sadler Is Picking Up Where He Left Off Last Season

    After an emotional finish to last season that left Elliott Sadler runner-up in the final standings for the fifth time in his career, the veteran from Virginia returns in 2018 with one thing on his mind – the championship.

    Saturday’s race at Daytona looked to be the perfect stepping stone to his goal, but his JR Motorsports teammate Tyler Reddick had other plans, and squeezed out the win over Sadler by the closest margin of victory in NASCAR national series history (an official margin of victory of 0.000).

    With another runner-up finish burning fresh in his mind, Elliott Sadler heads to Atlanta not only hungry for championship, but also a win. He hasn’t visited Victory Lane since Kentucky in 2016 (40 races ago).

    Sadler has made 12 series start at Atlanta posting two top fives, seven top 10s an average finish of 16.7. He finished fifth in this event last season.

    Ryan Truex And Kaulig Racing Are Contenders Out Of the Box

    Lots of anticipation and high expectations didn’t phase Kaulig Racing’s Ryan Truex this past weekend at Daytona International Speedway, as he posted his first top-10 finish with his new team in the 2018 season opener.

    Ryan Truex, younger brother to 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., joined forces with Kaulig Racing this season to run for the NASCAR Xfinity Series title after a strong performance last season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Hattori Racing Enterprises.

    Truex, a Mayetta, New Jersey native, finished seventh at Daytona last weekend, and is now fourth in the series standings heading to Atlanta this weekend; 15 points behind series standings leader Tyler Reddick. Truex has one series career start at Atlanta back in 2011 for Joe Gibbs Racing – he started fourth and finished 11th.

    Kaz Grala Kicks Season Off The Right Way

    JGL Racing’s Kaz Grala has become just the 36th different driver in series history to post a top-five finish in his NASCAR Xfinity Series career debut; finishing fourth after starting 27th in the season-opener at Daytona.

    Of the 36 drivers to finish in the top five in their series debut, only 25 finished fourth or better, and only five have won – Dale Earnhardt (Daytona, 1982), Joe Ruttman (Dover, 1982), Ricky Rudd (Dover, 1983), Terry Labonte (Charlotte, 1985) and Kurt Busch (Texas, 2006).

    Grala’s stellar debut has him sixth in the series driver standings, only 17 points behind the series lead.

    Though Grala will be making his series track debut this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he made one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start for GMS Racing at Atlanta last season – he started 12th and finished 15th.

    Joe Gibbs Racing Returns To Atlanta With A Stable Full Of New Drivers

    If you show up to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend thinking you will see the usual cast of drivers for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series garage, you’d be mistaken.

    This season the JGR crew has two new full-time drivers vying for the title – Christopher Bell (No. 20 Toyota) and Brandon Jones (No. 18 Toyota) – while they also are fielding several part-time drivers who will share the No. 19 car. This weekend, Kevin Benjamin will pilot the No. 19 as he makes his season debut.

    Daytona wasn’t kind to rising NASCAR Xfinity Series star Christopher Bell, as the 23-year old was involved in an incident on Lap 11 that took him out of the event and relegated him to a 39th-place finish. The quick outing only let Bell score one point last week towards the championship driver standings.

    Bell is focused on rebounding this weekend at Atlanta, though it could be tough, as it will be his NASCAR Xfinity Series track debut. But the Norman, Oklahoma native is confident heading into this weekend because he won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway from the pole last season.

    Joining Bell’s quest to bring another title to the Joe Gibbs Racing organization this season is Brandon Jones. Jones formerly drove for Richard Childress Racing, but made the jump to JGR in the offseason. Now Jones has a fresh start with a new team and the two have gelled right out of the gate with a top-10 finish at Daytona last weekend.

    Bell, Benjamin and Jones will have big shoes to fill this weekend, as Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch has won the last two (2016, 2017) NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

    John Hunter Nemechek and Chase Briscoe To Make Xfinity Series Debut at Atlanta

    Two drivers worth noting who will be making their NASCAR Xfinity Series debuts this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway are Chip Ganassi Racing’s John Hunter Nemechek and Roush Fenway Racing’s Chase Briscoe.

    John Hunter Nemechek will be piloting the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with crew chief Mike Shiplett. Nemechek brings a wealth of experience but will only be running part-time schedule this season for CGR after making the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs the past two years with his family-owned NEMCO Motorsports team. Nemechek is paired with Shiplett, who has recently become a whisperer for first-time winners in the series after leading both Tyler Reddick (Kentucky) and Alex Bowman (Charlotte) to their first-ever series wins last season.

    Nemechek is no stranger to Atlanta Motor Speedway, he has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the famed 1.54-mile speedway, one of which he won (2016).

    Joining Nemechek as a driver making his series debut this weekend is Chase Briscoe, who will be driving the historic Roush Fenway Racing No. 60 Ford with two-time series championship winning crew chief Mike Kelley leading the way. Briscoe signed with Roush Fenway Racing during the offseason after learning at the end of 2017 Brad Keselowski Racing would not be returning to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2018.

    Now Briscoe finds himself with a solid opportunity to advance his career in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and it all starts this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Briscoe, a Mitchell, Indiana native, has just one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at AMS. He he started fourth but finished 25th.

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Etc.

    Atlanta Motor Speedway Quick Facts:

    Races: 26

    Pole Winners: 16

    Race Winners: 16

    Youngest Pole Winner: Chase Elliott (08/30/2014 – 18 years, 9 months, 2 days)

    Oldest Pole Winner: Dick Trickle (11/07/1998 – 57 years, 0 months, 11 days)

    Youngest Winner: Jeff Gordon (03/14/1992 – 20 years, 7 months, 10 days)

    Oldest Winner: Harry Gant (03/12/1994 – 54 years, 2 months, 2 days)

    Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 6

    Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Kyle Busch (03/04/2017)

    Race Record: Kevin Harvick 149.813 mph (02/28/2015)

    Qualifying Record: Greg Biffle 192.300 mph (10/25/2003)

    Monster Energy Moonlighters: Just three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers will be competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the Rinnai 250, on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at 2 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio: Ty Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet), Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford Fusion), and Kevin Harvick (No 98 Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford). Kevin Harvick is the only former winner in the field this weekend; he posted his series wins at Atlanta in 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

    Good Chance We See A First-Time Atlanta Winner This Weekend: The odds of a new NASCAR Xfinity Series Atlanta Motor Speedway winner are pretty high this weekend. How high? 97.4% chance, since only one former series Atlanta winner is entered this weekend – Kevin Harvick (four-time winner: 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2015).

    Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings Update: This season’s 2018 Sunoco Rookie of the Year class has 10 members this year. Here are the rookie standings after Daytona: Tyler Reddick (50 pts), Kaz Grala (33), Vinnie Miller (17), Alex Labbe (13), Spencer Boyd (12), Chad Finchum (9), Christopher Bell (1), Austin Cindric (1), Josh Bilicki (0) and Matt Mills (0).

     

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

    Three’s Company For Johnny Sauter

    Johnny Sauter knows how to start a season off right.

    After last Friday night’s win in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway, he’s now accumulated a series-high three victories in the opening race. His other two trips to Victory Lane came in 2013 (then driving the No. 98 for ThorSport Racing) and 2016.

    In 2013, Sauter went from winning on the high banks to short track glory in the second race of the season at Martinsville. He’s the last Truck Series driver to open the season with back-to-back wins and hopes to repeat that feat this weekend at Atlanta, where he has one top five and three top 10s in seven series starts.

    In 2016, Sauter went on to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. Of note, he’s the lone driver to win the season-opener at Daytona and go on to win the Camping World Truck Series title the same year.

    So, the question now is: How will he follow up the 2018 Daytona win?

    The win this past weekend at Daytona was an emotional one for the driver of the No. 21 Allegiant Airlines Chevrolet for GMS Racing and crew chief Joe Shear Jr., who was also atop the pit box for Sauter’s first Daytona win in 2013. (Marcus Richmond was Sauter’s crew chief for the opening six races of 2016.) Shear’s wife Chandra passed away unexpectedly in December.

    Sauter dedicated the race win to her memory.

    Crafton Looking To Return To Victory Lane…On Pavement

    2017 was not a typical year for the driver of the No. 88 for ThorSport Racing.

    Matt Crafton only visited Victory Lane once…on dirt…at Eldora. And he hasn’t won on a paved surface since May of 2016 when he won at Charlotte Motor Speedway. That’s a streak of 39 races on paved tracks without a win for the two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion.

    But if there’s a place where Crafton should feel confident he can reverse this fortune and cross the finish line first with his Ford, it’s Atlanta Motor Speedway where he won in 2015 as the series returned to Georgia after a two-year hiatus.

    Crafton has one win, five top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 16 starts at the 1.54-mile track. Last year, he finished second to eventual series champion Christopher Bell in a tight finish after a two-lap shootout.

    And Crafton is historically solid on intermediate tracks such as Atlanta. In a series-leading 144 starts on 1.5-mile tracks, he has nine wins (fourth all-time, most among active title contenders), 46 top fives and 90 top 10s – both series bests.

    In 15 starts on 1.5-mile tracks since his last win on pavement at Charlotte, Crafton has posted an impressive average finish of 8.87, with just three results outside of the top 10 (Chicago, 2016 – 27th, Kansas, 2017 – 16th and Chicago, 2017 – 16th).

    Subbing In

    Todd Gilliland is scheduled to contend for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors this season, but he has to wait a few races to get in the truck. Until he turns 18 in May, the third-generation driver is unable to compete at tracks 1.5 miles or longer.

    In the interim, his father, David, filled in at Daytona and now his truck owner, Kyle Busch, will take over the wheel at Atlanta and Kansas. (Spencer Davis is slated to drive the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota at Las Vegas.)

    Busch has quite the history of success at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Four of his 49 wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series came at the track (fall of 2005 and 2007, spring 2008 and 2009). He is one of just two drivers entered in the race this weekend (Matt Crafton, 2015) who has won at Atlanta.

    Almost-To-The-Front (Row) Joe

    Nearly lost in the excitement of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona last Friday night was the presence of veteran driver and team owner Joe Nemechek on the podium with a third-place finish in the season opener.

    Nemechek, whose son John Hunter also competed in the race for NEMCO Motorsports and finished 25th after being caught up in wreck, posted his best finish since a third-place effort at Texas in June of 2014.

    Nemechek will pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend at Atlanta, a race that his son won in 2016.

    While visiting with media in Daytona, Nemechek discussed the hard work his small team puts in to keep their trucks competitive.

    “You just be smart about where you’re going and what you’re doing, and Gere Kennon, our crew chief over there, we’ve got ‑‑ basically we have four guys, and the guys we have there are smart. We’re racers. We’ve been doing this a long time, and there’s no substitute for experience and knowing where you need to spend your money to get your biggest bang to make them go fast.”

    Strong Debut At Daytona For Sunoco Rookie Duo

    A pair of Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders posted top-10 finishes at Daytona last week to get their inaugural full-time campaigns started off strong.

    Dalton Sargeant piloted his No. 25 GMS Racing Chevrolet to eighth while Justin Fontaine finished 10th in the No. 45 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports.

    Myatt Snider (24th) and Bo LeMastus (30th) rounded out the competing Sunoco Rookie field last weekend, as they were collected in accidents along the way. (Snider is the only 2018 Sunoco Rookie who had previous experience at Daytona, finishing 10th in 2017.)

    This year’s rookie class has limited experience on 1.5-mile tracks like Atlanta Motor Speedway. Snider raced six races at that distance in 2017, posting one top 10 (Chicago) and an average finish of 15.67.

    Sargeant (Homestead, 2017 – 20th place) and Fontaine (Chicago, 2017 – 17th place) have each recorded a start on a 1.5-mile track.

  • Justin Fontaine – Active Pest Control 200 Race Advance

    Justin Fontaine – Active Pest Control 200 Race Advance

    Active Pest Control 200 – Atlanta Motor Speedway Race Advance
    Team: No. 45 Superior Essex Chevrolet Silverado
    Driver: Justin Fontaine
    Crew Chief: Darrell Morrow
    Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @driverfontain

    Driver Quote: “I’ve never been to Atlanta, but we’re optimistic.  My crew chief Darrell (Morrow) and the guys on the Niece Motorsports team have been working hard on preparing our No. 45 Superior Essex Chevrolet, and I think start to finish from practice to qualifying and to the race, we’ll make significant gains so that we can contend for another strong finish.”

    Fontaine at Atlanta: Fontaine will turn his first laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

    Recapping Daytona: Fontaine turned in a solid performance in his debut at Daytona, earning a 10th-place finish.  The finish is the best to-date for Niece Motorsports.

    “It was a huge day for our race team,” said Fontaine.  “It was great to get our first ever top-10 together.  I can’t thank everyone enough for their hard work.”

    On the Truck: Superior Essex (SuperiorEssex.com) is a leading manufacturer and supplier of communications cable and accessory products serving the communications industry and related distribution markets for over 80 years.

    About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece.  In 2018, Niece Motorsports enters its second full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, fielding two full-time teams with Austin Wayne Self and Justin Fontaine.  Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 30 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices.  Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability.  The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry.  Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as twitter @NieceMotorsport.

  • LeMastus to Pilot No. 54 Toyota Tundra in Atlanta

    LeMastus to Pilot No. 54 Toyota Tundra in Atlanta

    NCWTS Race Advance: Atlanta Motor Speedway

    TRACK: Atlanta Motor Speedway, 1.54-mile oval
    LOCATION: Hampton, Ga.
    SERIES: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
    EVENT: Active Pest Control 200
    DATE: February 24, 2018
    QUALIFYING TIME: 10:30 a.m., ET
    TV: FS1
    RACE TIME: 4:30 p.m., ET
    TV: FS1

    TEAM: DGR-CROSLEY
    TRUCK: No. 54 Toyota Tundra
    SPONSORS: Crosley Brands, Toyota
    DRIVER: Bo LeMastus
    CREW CHIEF: Kevin “Bono” Manion

    Bo LeMastus on Atlanta… “I’m ready to get to Atlanta and see what we can do with this Tundra. I hate that we got caught up in an incident last weekend, but that’s superspeedway racing. This weekend will be our first chance to work together as a team on a 1.5-mile track. We are ready to get down there and get to work.”

    Bo LeMastus, driver of the No. 54 Toyota Tundra

    About CROSLEY… For over 30 years, Crosley Brands has been a leader in the nostalgic electronic category. From our beginning in the premium incentive industry, we went on to develop our own exclusive product lines and build solid relationships with some of the most well know catalogers and retailers in the business. Today, you may know us for having built a solid reputation with our exclusive brands such as Crosley Radio and Crosley Furniture.

    About DGR-CROSLEY… A Mooresville, N.C., based organization operating under the leadership of former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver, David Gilliland and Bo LeMastus, DGR-CROSLEY is a driver development team competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, ARCA Racing Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

  • Austin Wayne Self – Active Pest Control 200 Race Advance

    Austin Wayne Self – Active Pest Control 200 Race Advance

    Active Pest Control 200 – Atlanta Motor Speedway Race Advance
    Team: No. 22 Don’t mess with Texas/AM Technical Solutions Chevrolet Silverado
    Driver: Austin Wayne Self
    Crew Chief: Joey Cohen
    Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @AustinWSelf

    Self on Racing at Atlanta:  “I’m looking forward to going back to Atlanta. It’s one of the most unique race tracks on the circuit, especially with its aging surface. We made great strides during the race a couple years ago and I think after a few laps on Friday, we can get our Niece Motorsports team in that same position.”

    Self at Atlanta: Self will make his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.  Self’s lone NCWTS start at the track came in 2016, where he earned a 16th-place finish.

    Recapping Daytona: Self had a strong truck in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, but battled some bad luck and ultimately finished the night in 20th.

    “I’m very happy with the truck that we had,” said Self.  “We tried to stay out of trouble but got caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I am ready to get to Atlanta and start focusing on our mile-and-a-half program.”

    On The Truck: TxDOT’s Don’t mess with Texas litter prevention campaign has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986.  For more information, visit dontmesswithtexas.org.

    About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece.  In 2018, Niece Motorsports enters its second full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, fielding two full-time teams with Austin Wayne Self and Justin Fontaine.  Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 30 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices.  Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability.  The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry.  Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as twitter @NieceMotorsport.

  • Akinori Ogata returns to Truck Series competition at Atlanta Motor Speedway

    Akinori Ogata returns to Truck Series competition at Atlanta Motor Speedway

    HAMPTON, Ga. – Veteran racer Akinori Ogata (@AkinoriOgata) returns to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) trail this weekend at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway driving the No. 63 MB Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado for Saturday afternoon’s Active Pest Control 200 benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

    The Kanagawa, Japan native is set to embrace his seventh career NCWTS start and first since an appearance at Atlanta’s fast 1.5-mile speedway last March.

    “I’m very thankful to be competing back in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said Ogata who resides in Mooresville, N.C.

    “I’m grateful to be back with Mike Mittler and MB Motorsports and look forward to a solid outing on Saturday afternoon.”

    Motorsports veteran Rick Ren will serve as crew chief for the second Truck Series race of the season.

    Four of Ogata’s career Truck Series starts have come for the St. Louis-based MB Motorsports.
    His career best Truck Series finish also came with the mainstay organization at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) in his team debut in 2015.

    Rewinding back to Atlanta last year, the 44-year-old drove for Beaver Motorsports, started 32nd but finished 30th after exiting the event due to an oil leak. This year, Ogata has high hopes for a better result.

    “Even though I didn’t have the chance to run the entire race, the track time at Atlanta was priceless,” he explained. “It’s a very sensitive track because of its worn surface. I’m relying on my team and crew chief to help me get into a comfortable and competitive rhythm, so we can make some gains during the race and have a solid finish.”

    Ogata’s efforts this weekend at Atlanta will be supported by Nisshinbo.

    Nisshinbo Automotive Manufacturing Inc. (NAMI) is part of the Nisshinbo Group, consisting of 59 subsidiaries and 40 affiliates worldwide. Nisshinbo was established in 1907, when it was producing yarns and threads.

    In the 1940s, Nisshinbo was called upon to manufacture automotive friction materials and developed a process using woven fabric embedded with friction material. As the automobile has evolved, so have Nisshinbo brakes and friction materials to serve diverse applications in the global transportation market. Nisshinbo continues the evolution with a library of more than one thousand different recipes, each specific to customer applications.

    North American operations are dedicated facilities serving OEM transportation manufacturers in the NAFTA market. NAMI is Nisshinbo’s state-of-the-art facility located in Covington, Georgia.

    Additionally, SEAVAC, a supplier of PVD coatings and other surface technologies will serve as an associate marketing partner for the 130-lap race.

    “I’m very grateful to have Nisshinbo and SEAVAC support me this weekend at Atlanta,” sounded Ogata. “We didn’t have the best result last year at Atlanta and I owe to both of them to see the checkered flag on Saturday afternoon to express my appreciation.”

    Ogata began his racing career in Japanese Motocross at age 14. After a decade of riding that included around 30 feature victories, he shifted to Dirt Midget Car racing, becoming a winning driver at Twin Ring Motegi.

    Ogata’s assimilation to American racing began in 2003, driving Late Model Stock Cars at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway. He continued in Late Models after moving to the United States in 2010 and later graduated to the NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series East, where he competed in 12 races over three years, scoring five top-20 finishes.

    Since graduating from the K&N Pro Series East, Ogata has competed in at least one Truck Series race since 2014.

    For more on Akinori Ogata like his Facebook page (Akinori Ogata Racing) or follow him on Twitter @AkinoriOgata.

    The Active Pest Control 200 benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (130 laps / 200.2 miles) is the second of 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2018 schedule. Practice begins on Fri., Feb. 23 from 2:00 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. A final practice session is set for 4:00 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Feb. 24 beginning at 10:35 a.m. The 32-truck field will take the green flag shortly after 4:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90).

  • GMS Racing NCWTS Atlanta Preview

    GMS Racing NCWTS Atlanta Preview

    CODY COUGHLIN
    No. 2 JEGS.com Chevrolet Silverado

    Atlanta Stats
    1 start, Finished: 16th

    Additional Info
    – Coughlin will pilot chassis no. 118, which he used this year at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Open Test. This chassis was also utilized by Johnny Sauter five times throughout the 2017 season, earning four top-five and five top-10 finishes, including his win at Dover International Speedway.
    – After a 17th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway, Coughlin is currently 10th in the NCWTS driver point standings, 31 points behind GMS Racing teammate Johnny Sauter.

    Quote
    “GMS Racing has had really fast trucks at mile-and-a-half tracks over the last couple of years. Our No. 2 JEGS team is using the same truck this weekend that we used at the Charlotte Motor Speedway test in January, and that test went well for us.

    “Atlanta Motor Speedway is a challenging track, and it kicks-off the traditional part of our NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. You have to have good maneuverability around the track, and be able to move from lane to lane. It’s about finding where your truck works best and hopefully have some compliance to use both lanes throughout the race.”

     

    JOHNNY SAUTER
    No. 21 Allegiant Chevrolet Silverado

    Atlanta Stats
    7 starts, 1 top-five, 3 top-10s

    Additional Info
    – Sauter will pilot GMS chassis no. 304 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This truck has been raced just once before, to a win at ISM Raceway in 2017.
    – Sauter is the current NCWTS points leader following his season-opening win at Daytona International Speedway. With that win, he now leads the NCWTS in wins at Daytona.

    Quote
    “Starting the season off with a win certainly helps with team morale and brings a level of confidence to the team that maybe wasn’t there following Miami last season. This is the best group of guys I’ve worked with, and I tell them that every day, but the resultson

    track are what make us as good as we are. That win doesn’t take any pressure off to go out and do the same at Atlanta. Maury (Gallagher) expects us to perform every weekend, and with the gains GMS made to our mile-and-a-half program last year, I expect all of our trucks to be up front this weekend.”

     

    JUSTIN HALEY
    No. 24 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet Silverado

    Atlanta Stats
    Haley will make his NCWTS debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Alex Bowman piloted the No. 24 at Atlanta in 2017, as Haley had not yet turned 18.

    Additional Info
    – Haley will run GMS chassis no. 305. Atlanta will be the first outing for this truck.
    – Following a runner-up finish at Daytona International Speedway, Haley is second in NCWTS points, 19 points behind teammate Johnny Sauter.

    Quote
    “Daytona was a good chance for me to show our new guys what we’re working with; that we’re a championship caliber team and that we mean business. It was important for us to have a good run and come out of Daytona in a good position in points. Heading into Atlanta, we’ve got some good data from the Charlotte test in January and from (Alex) Bowman who filled in for me last year in this race. I know we’re going to be fast unloading and we should be able to back up our Daytona run, hopefully with a win.”

     

    DALTON SARGEANT
    No. 25 Performance Plus Motor Oil Chevrolet Silverado

    Atlanta Stats
    Sargeant will be making his first NCWTS start at Atlanta this weekend.

    Additional Info
    -While this weekend marks his first start at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Sargeant took part in the rookie test at the track, at the end of January, with the other rookies in the top three levels of NASCAR.
    – Sargeant will pilot chassis no. 303. This chassis was raced four previous times last season in The Playoffs with Kaz Grala, scoring one top-five, three top-10 and four top-15 finishes.
    – After an eighth-place finish at Daytona, Sargeant is currently fourth in the driver point standings, 22 points behind GMS Racing teammate Johnny Sauter.

    Quote
    “I think we should be pretty good when we unload this weekend at Atlanta (Motor Speedway). I was lucky enough to be a part of the rookie test there last month with Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick. It was definitely a tricky track to navigate. The veteran drivers have been telling me that the more rubber that’s put down, the less grip the track has. Plus, when we tested, it was cool but it will be much hotter this weekend. I think the track will be different than it was at the test, but I think we will still unload really well.”

     

    ABOUT GMS RACING
    GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Cody Coughlin, Johnny Sauter, Justin Haley and Dalton Sargeant, and the NASCAR XFINITY Series with Spencer Gallagher. 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.