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  • Championship Analysis: Matt Crafton

    Championship Analysis: Matt Crafton

    In Part 3 of the Championship Analysis series ahead of the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami, Speedway Media takes an in-depth look at the Truck Series veteran Matt Crafton. Crafton is competing in his third Championship 4 finale and seeks his third Truck Series title in a career that has spanned over 20 years.

    It’s been a strange season, to say the least, for Matt Crafton and the No. 88 ThorSport Racing team. The ThorSport driver will be chasing his third title for the third time in the Truck Series Playoffs. When looking at the stats for this season, Crafton has only earned six top fives and 17 top-10 finishes with only 35 laps led. He’s come close a couple of times to winning but has never been able to pull it off.

    How He Got Here: Luck. It’s been all luck this past season for the California native, who is chasing his third career Truck Series championship. If it wasn’t for three stage wins, I’m not really sure if we would be talking about Crafton right now. Sure, he’s been consistently finishing in the top-10 but the 2019 season hasn’t been a stellar year for him. Crafton has shined a couple of times, though, finishing second at Fort Worth in June plus earning three poles, at Kansas, Charlotte and Talladega. However, disarray arose when the Playoffs started at Las Vegas in September. Engine issues plagued Crafton to a 30th place finish. Even then, he was facing possible elimination, but somehow made it through to live on another day. Then came Martinsville, where once again electrical issues resulted in a 23rd place finish for Crafton. However, with a sixth-place finish and enough points, the California native will be competing in his third Championship 4 race Friday night.

    Championship Chances: If Crafton can avoid having electrical issues as he has faced in the Playoffs, then he most certainly has a shot like the other three contenders. The ThorSport driver knows how to get it done in situations like these. It wasn’t all that long ago that Crafton took a beat-up truck and won the championship before the playoff system was set in stone. However, I am concerned with the team not yet winning this season which may provide a challenge for Crafton. However, knowing the crafty veteran, he has seen the ins and outs of what it takes to win the title. Being hungry for that first win in two years, he may just pull a rabbit out of the hat and notch his third Truck Series championship.

    Final Analysis: If Crafton can get another championship, it would just be another list of accomplishments added to his Hall of Fame career. At 43-years-old, he has a couple more years left in hopes to get a few more championships to his name in a career that has spanned over 20 years dating back to 2000. However, it has been noted, Crafton hopes to be like Ron Hornaday and keep contending for wins before it’s time to call it a career. 

  • Championship Analysis: Brett Moffitt

    Championship Analysis: Brett Moffitt

    As the finale weekend approaches, Speedway Media takes a look at the four drivers running for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series 2019 championship. We analyze their chances to win the title while also flashing back on how they got here.

    In the first edition of this four-part series, we take a look at Brett Moffitt, driver of the No. 24 GMS Racing Chevy. Moffitt is contending for his second straight championship.

    Brett Moffitt – Moffitt has proven that last year’s title reign was no fluke. For the second straight year, the GMS driver returns to the Championship 4 for another shot at the Truck Series championship.

    How He Got Here: The 2018 Series Champion caught a lucky break at Iowa earlier this season when the original winner, Ross Chastain, was disqualified, giving the win to Moffitt. The victory caught him by surprise as he was literally getting ready to climb aboard the team plane and head back to Charlotte. With the win, he was guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs.

    The win at Iowa wasn’t enough for Moffitt. Having something to prove, the Iowa native went on to earn his first “real” win of the season at Chicago back in the summer. Aside from a crash at Eldora, Moffitt opened up the Playoffs hot with back-to-back wins at Bristol and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Since then, however, he has not been back to the winner circle. The GMS driver has had to rely on top fives and top-10s in order to get to the Championship 4. Even at ISM, Moffitt didn’t have the best of performances but he did what he needed to do to lock himself in at Homestead.

    Championship Chances: After competing at Homestead, Moffitt knows what it’s like to race in the championship race and realizes that he has to perform to the best of his abilities to win that second championship. At this time last year, the Iowa native was seen as an underdog heading into the title race But, he was the best truck out of the Championship 4 and went on to win the season finale after leading 59 of the 134 laps.

    Final Analysis: Moffitt is with a new team this time around in the Championship 4 race, but he has shined in 2019, notching four wins, 12 top fives and 16 top-10 finishes. Despite being with a new team in the final round, GMS is no stranger to competing in the final race of the season. This will be GMS’s fourth consecutive Championship 4 race, since the first one back in 2016. Needless to say, Moffitt’s chances are really good and it would not be a surprise to see him captures his second championship. 

  • NASCAR announces 2020 schedule

    NASCAR announces 2020 schedule

    Heresay started 24 hours ago that the 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule would be released sometime this week. Then it came out that it would be released on Tuesday. NASCAR built up the anticipation with the announcement earlier today that the official schedule release would happen at 4 p.m.

    The time came, and the changes were announced.

    NASCAR announced on Tuesday the 2020 schedule for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It’s the biggest schedule realignment the Cup Series has undergone in over a decade.

    The major changes were as follows:

    The championship race will move from Homestead-Miami Speedway to ISM (Phoenix) Raceway. It will move to Veterans Day weekend, rather than the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day, which the championship race has been held on.

    The reasoning, according to NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell, was to prevent one driver from gaining a competitive advantage by running at the same track year after year.

    “Obviously a ton of investment has gone into ISM Raceway,” O’Donnell said. “We thought it was natural for us to make that rotation this year and see how it plays out, also put Miami in a date that works for them, as well.”

    He added that this probably isn’t a one year thing.

    “I can’t say how long,” he said. “I think with any venue, you want to see it have a chance and grow a little bit, see how that works. We’ll certainly take a look at it as we look at 2021 and beyond, see what’s on the table in terms of venues.”

    “But this wasn’t a decision we said, ‘Hey, let’s go there for a year and rotate it.’ Our intent is to stay for a few years and see how we net out.”

    Daytona International Speedway’s second race moves from Independence Day weekend to the regular season finale, which will now be in August.

    Given the attendance and weather issues that have plagued Daytona in July, NASCAR talked to drivers and teams on the matter, and they said, according to NASCAR, that Daytona at the end of the regular season was the best way to end it.

    “Everyone felt Daytona belonged there and that track deserved to potentially be in that date,” O’Donnell said.

    The Indianapolis Motor Speedway moves from September to Independence Day weekend.

    Bristol Motor Speedway’s night race moves from its August date to the Cup Series Playoffs on Sep. 19.

    “If NASCAR fans thought they’ve seen tempers flare and sparks fly under the lights at the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, just wait until they experience a real pressure-packed NASCAR playoff elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway,” said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Pocono Raceway’s two dates will move to one date, as part of a double-header for the Cup Series.

    Martinsville Speedway’s first weekend moves from late March/early April to Mother’s Day weekend, and will be run on a Saturday night on May 9.

    Darlington Raceway remains in its Labor Day weekend slot, but will now open the Playoffs.

    There’s some other date shuffling.

    Screenshot from NASCAR.com
    Screenshot from NASCAR.com
    Screenshot from NASCAR.com
  • Custer confident at Homestead after winning last year

    Custer confident at Homestead after winning last year

    HOMESTEAD, Fla – Cole Custer will have a chance to hold the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship trophy on Saturday afternoon if he does the same thing he did last year at Homestead at this very time. Which is just win. It might sound easy for Custer, but he is not overlooking this year’s race.

    Custer’s only win of the season came at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks ago. Overall it has been a solid season for the driver from California, but some will argue that in order to win the championship, you’re going to have to win the race at Homestead.

    “We have good notes to rely on and stuff like that, but Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell came here and tested, so they’ve got to be a lot better than they were last year also,” Custer said.

    Statistically and for himself, he feels that the mile and a half tracks are a strength for him and his team. After scoring 13 top-fives during the season there is confidence that they’re going to be fast on Saturday afternoon.

    “Mile-and-a-halves have just always been our strong suit it seems like, so do we have a ton of confidence, I think everybody is going to be fast, but I think we’ll be right there with everybody. I think it’s a track we can compete at and win,” Custer stated.

    Staying focused is something that can also give Custer an advantage. It’s been a long week of preparation for him and his team.

    “I think there’s no reason why we can’t. I’ve watched a lot of film and a lot of old races, just trying to get an idea of every situation that I’m going to be put in and what to do in it and I’m pretty confident that I know what my plan is and that’s it’s good, but now it’s just me executing it. We’ve also looked at a lot of old races with our cars and stuff that’s changed, and I think we have a good idea of how to unload for this weekend,” Custer said.

    Custer is trying to give his boss Tony Stewart two championships this weekend and looking for Stewart-Haas Racing’s first Xfinity Series title. It is not going to be an easy task especially with the other three competitors hungry for the championship.

    Bell is a driver that is getting most of the attention especially after overcoming elimination last week and winning at ISM Raceway in Phoenix. People should not overlook Custer though, he could take home the Xfinity Championship by winning Homestead once again.

    Follow on Twitter for updates: @BryanR_305

  • Myatt Snider Earns Truck Series Rookie of the Year

    Myatt Snider Earns Truck Series Rookie of the Year

    Say goodbye to the rookie stripes, as Myatt Snider is a rookie no more after this season. Well, at least for the Truck Series. The 24-year-old locked up the 2018 Rookie of the Year award after a 14th place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Snider has three top fives and eight top-10 finishes to round out the season, along with a couple of stage wins. He talked about how excited he was to win the title.

    “Yeah, absolutely,” Snider told MRN Radio. “We started off really loose and loose off. I don’t think I’ve ever been this loose in my life. The whole crew at Thorsport Racing made some awesome adjustments. We made wholesale changes there and they got it handling really good.”

    “Toward the end, I could actually really drive it and we learned a lot tonight, and hope things go well for next year. Just so proud of everybody on the team. They brought me a great Tenda Ford Performance F-150. So happy to have all of our great partners to help us out tonight like Louisiana Hot Sauce. It’s a great night.”

     

  • Johnny Sauter Finishes a Disappointing 12th after a Record Season

    Johnny Sauter Finishes a Disappointing 12th after a Record Season

    Johnny Sauter, the 2016 NASCAR Truck Series Champion, was looking to become a two-time champion after making it to the Championship 4 for the third consecutive year in a row. Unfortunately, the team just missed it Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway and finished a disappointing 12th after a record high six wins in 2018, the most he’s ever had in his career in one season.

    “Yeah, you know, we just missed it,” Sauter told MRN Radio. “I never would have thought we would have been that bad, so I just apologize to all the guys at GMS and they deserve better than that for sure. We were just sideways loose, I don’t know, he was dropping the trackbar, putting runners in the left rear. The balance was just never there. Even if we could get it tight enough, it would chatter the front tires across the center and still snap loose off exit.”

    “I have no idea,” he emphasized to MRN Radio. “Just not our night. You know the last few weeks have been tough and we kind of lost our step a little bit and finished 12th. Congratulations to (Brett) Moffitt, he did a good job and just wasn’t our night.”

    Sauter finishes the 2018 season with six wins, 14 top fives and 17 top-10 finishes.

  • Noah Gragson Falls Short of Truck Series Championship

    Noah Gragson Falls Short of Truck Series Championship

    Noah Gragson was looking to end the year on a high note at Homestead-Miami Speedway before he moves up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019. However, his night went sour with 33 laps to go. A tire issue on his No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota prevented him from winning the championship and the race after a tremendous battle with Brett Moffit.

    He led twice for 34 laps but had to settle for a third-place finish in Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200.

    “I was just way too tight there at the end,” Gragson told MRN Radio. “We fired off pretty good and it was just a battle between having to back out of the racetrack, and not being able to turn. Just devastated for my guys, they worked really hard and this one would have been for them. I give all my credit to Rudy Fugle (crew chief), Kyle Busch Motorsports. Just unfortunate, but on the bright side, I learned a hell of a lot tonight. I raced a Cup rookie of the year for the championship, so that’s pretty cool to say. Just very thankful for the opportunity.”

    Gragson finishes the season with one win, nine top fives and 18 top 10 finishes. Next year he will move to the Xfinity Series, replacing the retiring Elliott Sadler, at JR Motorsports.

  • Justin Haley Finishes Eighth at Homestead and Third in Final Standings

    Justin Haley Finishes Eighth at Homestead and Third in Final Standings

    Justin Haley had quite the year with three wins which locked him into the Championship 4 after winning at Texas just a few weeks ago. However, the No. 24 GMS Racing team just couldn’t find the magic Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He finished eighth in the Ford Ecoboost 200 and third in the year-end standings after battling a loose truck all night.

    “When we fired off and just about five laps into the run, we lost all speed. I think Johnny (Sauter) had the same issues,” Haley told MRN Radio. “I think the GMS camp just missed a little bit tonight and we win together, lose together.”

    “Unfortunate night, but really good season. Everyone at Fraternal Order of Eagles and GMS has me an opportunity to run at the championship, definitely means a lot. So, going to hang our heads high and move on to next year.”

    Haley believes they did the best they could trying to win the championship.

    “It obviously could have gone better, but I say we made a solid run at it” he continued. “I’m not the best at running Homestead and I’m not the best running the board, so probably a little lack of driver here tonight as well.”

    Haley finishes the season with three wins, nine top fives and 18 top 10 finishes with 60 laps led.

  • Championship Analysis- Noah Gragson

    Championship Analysis- Noah Gragson

    It’s been a long time coming for the Las Vegas native who is competing for his first championship. this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Noah Gragson started racing in the Truck Series in 2016 in the final two races of the year at ISM and Homestead.

    Since then, he’s become a fan favorite among the younger and older fans. Gragson is slowly but surely gaining popularity and a solid fan base every year. He is currently in the top five fan vote for the most popular driver in the Truck Series, which speaks volumes to his rising star status. Certainly, winning a championship could improve the odds of him winning the popular driver award.

    How Gragson Got Here? Gragson won at Kansas in May solidifying a spot in the Playoffs. It wasn’t easy before that, however, as he crashed at Daytona to start the season. He ran second at Atlanta, 12th at Las Vegas in the March race, fifth at Martinsville, and wrecked out at Dover after trying to take the lead from Johnny Sauter in the final laps. Gragson’s moment to shine came at Kansas, where he started first and finished first, after leading 128 laps. Since then, he’s been consistent by winning stages, leading laps, and running up front.  He also has a couple of poles at Chicago and Kentucky, which are Homestead-like tracks.

    When the playoffs began at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Gragson was following close behind teammate Todd Gilliland, who was also seeking his first win. Gragson made a dive bomb move and took both of them out for the win and a decent finish. At Vegas and Talladega, he had finishes of 18th and 13th. Gragson was leading on the final lap before he got taken out at Talladega for the win.

    Coming into ISM, he was 18 points above the cut line, needing a solid points day. After the dismal Texas race, Gragson was determined to win and he almost pulled it off, but it didn’t come without challenges. He started on the pole and finished second, and eighth, respectively in both stages. However, during a caution, Gragson slid through his pit box causing him to lose several spots. He rebounded and was back as the leader on lap 136. Enfinger, who also was fighting for a win the Championship 4, was ahead of Gragson at times in the race. Had Enfinger won, Noah would have been knocked out of the contention for the championship. But the Las Vegas native pulled it off on a late race restart and held off an aggressive Enfinger to claim his spot in the Championship 4.

    Gragson’s Chances? Since he made his debut in 2016, Gragson has two starts at Homestead with finishes of 15th and 18th. In last year’s race, he finished three laps down. That’s not good enough to become champion unless something catastrophic happens to the other three which would be a rare case, but it has happened before.

    Final Analysis – For right now, it would be Gragson’s last truck race for quite a while, as he moves up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series to drive for the No. 1 JR Motorsports team in 2019 replacing the retired Elliott Sadler. It would end on a sweet note for the Kyle Busch Motorsports driver if he’s able to lock up the championship. In 2018, Gragson has one win, four top fives and 13 top 10s, and 187 laps led along with four DNF’s and three poles. Another notable, if he wins the championship, Noah would be the third KBM driver to win it and the second youngest to win the championship in the Truck Series at the age of 20.

  • Four Takeaways From The Ford Ecoboost 200 At Homestead-Miami

    Four Takeaways From The Ford Ecoboost 200 At Homestead-Miami

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series held its last race of the year this past Friday night in Southern Florida. As the sun set and nighttime fell, the action only intensified as the 2017 season neared its end. After the checkered flag flew, here are four takeaways from the championship event.

    1. Christopher Bell Earns Championship – In his second full year, Christopher Bell finally earned the championship after finishing second. He ended the season with five wins, 15 top fives and 21 top 10 finishes, with five pole awards. That was enough to earn him a championship. It would not be surprising if he challenges for the XFINITY Series championship in 2018, let alone win it all. After all, Bell has one win in eight starts this year in that series, along with three top fives and five top 10 finishes.
    2. Veterans Still Dominate in Series – In a year of new stars and rookies, veterans and champions, such as Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter were still dominant and age was no factor. Crafton qualified for the playoffs with a win on the dirt at Eldora and Sauter early at Dover. Sauter got in the Championship 4 for the second consecutive year after winning at Texas and Crafton got in on points. The two finished third and sixth, respectively, in the final race of the year. Crafton ended with one win, five top fives and 16 top 10 finishes, while Sauter ended with four wins, 13 top fives and 19 top 10 finishes. It just goes to show that veterans still can dominate the series and age is only a number.
    3. Grant Enfinger and Justin Haley Earn Top 10 Finishes – When it’s the final race of the year, racecar drivers like to end it on a high note. Enfinger and Haley did just that by finishing eighth and ninth, respectively. Both of them finished in the top 10 in Stage 1, while Haley was the only one to finish in the top 10 in Stage 2. At the end of the day, the scoring loop showed them in the top 10. This was Haley’s 12th top 10 of the year and Enfinger’s 15th top 10 of the year.
    4. Exciting Playoffs – The 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs might go down as one of the most exciting in its series history. Throughout the eight race round, we saw six different winners including an upset at Talladega by Parker Kligerman, which was very exciting for the fans to watch. Sauter was the only repeat winner after victories at Texas and Phoenix. Bell won at the opening round in Loudon but carried through with points and stage wins. The season, as always, ended in the bright Florida sun and showed a new champion, and a first-time race winner. The 2017 season, no doubt, was most likely one of the most exciting seasons yet for the Camping World Truck Series.