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  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Championship 4 Phoenix Edition

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Championship 4 Phoenix Edition

    Phoenix International Raceway was the site of the Truck Series 2020 Championship Friday night. The Truck Series championship race was the first of three championships with the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series following suit.

    Four drivers were eligible for the season championship with Sheldon Creed, Brett Moffitt, Zane Smith and Grant Enfinger eligible to fight for the title. In this special edition of Power Rankings, we’ll analyze the Championship 4 drivers tonight in chronological order.

    1. Sheldon Creed – From the get-go, Sheldon Creed’s championship hopes did not look favorable, at least through the first stage, with his teammate Zane Smith leading the early portions of the race. However, the No. 2 began to turn the tides little by little following the completion of Stage 1. Creed challenged for the top spot and passed Zane on Lap 49. He stayed out front for 25 laps before getting passed by the 2018 Truck Series champion, Brett Moffitt. In the second stage, the Californian would have to settle for the third position. Then the breakthrough came when a caution flew with six laps to go, changing everything in the race entirely. With Moffitt and Enfinger staying out on the racetrack, Creed elected to come to pit road and take four tires. On the overtime restart, Creed made a dive bomb move in Turn 1, passed Moffitt and retained the lead to win his first-ever Truck Series Championship. Creed will finish the 2020 season with five wins, nine top-fives and 13 top 10 finishes. In addition, he led a total of 587 laps and maintained an average finish of 10.2.
    2. Zane Smith – When you look back on Smith’s rookie season, some will consider the season a good season with two wins, seven top fives, and 13 top 10 finishes. However, at the end of the day, a lot of those stats are thrown out the window when you’re trying to win the title. On Friday night, the rookie from California looked really solid through the beginning portions of the event with Smith winning Stage 1 and leading the first 45 laps with no direct challenge from behind. Unfortunately for Smith, Stage 1 would be the only time the rookie would lead as he would have to end up fighting for most of the night behind the leaders. In Stage 2, Smith finished second to teammate Moffitt, but like Creed, Smith found an opportunity due to the late yellow and pitted with Creed. However, Smith ran out of time and fell just one position short of winning the title by .617 seconds to his teammate Creed.
    3. Brett Moffitt – Moffitt looked on pace to win his second Truck Series championship until the late-race caution changed everything. Due to some miscommunication between the crew on whether or not to stay out, Moffitt remained out on track with older tires restarting in the first position. When the green flag flew with two to go, Moffitt was passed by several drivers on the restart. Not only did he get passed, but the Iowan native fell from first to 10th when the checkered flag flew, ultimately being disappointed with the finish. Not that the stages really matter in the final race, but before winning Stage 2, Moffitt was third in Stage 1. The GMS Racing driver will end the 2020 season with one win at Kansas, 10 top fives and 16 top 10 finishes with an average finish of 9.7.
    4. Grant Enfinger – Aside from a disappointed Moffitt, Grant Enfinger most likely had the most disappointing night of them all. The ThorSport driver started on the pole based on the new metric system but could never really capitalize on it. Through the majority of the first two stages, the Alabaman was the lowest running of the Championship 4 being mired back in either the fourth, fifth or sixth position. During a Lap 104 caution, Enfinger made a pit stop for adjustments to his No. 98 truck to try something different than the leaders. On the next restart, Enfinger restarted in the 12th position and slowly but surely started making his way through the pack. At one point, Enfinger was passing the Championship 4 contenders and got as high as second to Moffitt before the caution. Like Moffitt, Enfinger stayed out to assume second, restarting in the outside lane. Despite Enfinger’s effort, he spun the tires a little bit and would brush the wall in the final laps. In the end, Enfinger could only manage a 13th place finishing position after showing promise late. As the 2020 season wraps up Enfinger finishes with four wins at Daytona, Atlanta, Richmond and, most recently, at Martinsville. The No. 98 team finishes with eight top fives, and 13 top 10 finishes with 156 laps led and an average finish of 10.4.
  • NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings – Martinsville

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings – Martinsville

    For the first time in 13 years, the NASCAR Xfinity Series returned to Martinsville Speedway for race No. 32 of the 2020 season and the final race in the Round of 8 Playoffs.

    Heading into Martinsville, just one driver was locked into the Championship 4 at Phoenix, and that was Chase Briscoe thanks to his Kansas victory a couple of weeks ago. However, three other spots were up for grabs with seven drivers jockeying for those final three positions to race for a championship.

    At the end of the 250-lap race Saturday afternoon, it was Chase Briscoe, Justin Allgaier, Austin Cindric and Justin Haley who would make the Championship 4 at Phoenix this coming Saturday afternoon.

    While the race was geared toward the final three that had a chance to make it in, there was also a race winner to keep an eye on. That race winner turned out to be Harrison Burton in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing machine. Burton took the lead on Lap 198 and never looked back to lead the final 53 laps en route to his fourth win of the season.

    Nevertheless, we’ll take a look at how others fared in this week’s Xfinity Series Power Rankings following the Draft Top 250 at Martinsville Speedway.

    1. Chase Briscoe – A seventh-place run in Saturday’s race was certainly uncharacteristic as the team is used to running in the top three or winning most of the time. Thankfully, with help from his Kansas victory a few weeks ago, he was able to take a breather before the Championship 4 race without having to worry about being in a must-win situation. For the race itself, Briscoe could only earn a stage finish of 10th in Stage 1 before settling for his 21st top-10 of the year. Now, all eyes will be on Briscoe Saturday to see if he can capitalize on what has been a dominant season with nine victories.

      Previous Week Ranking – First
    2. Ross Chastain – Chastain finished fifth once the checkered flag flew Saturday and earned his 15th top-five of the year. In addition, the Floridan finished fourth in Stage 1 and won the second stage. Unfortunately, the stage finishes weren’t enough for Chastain to be a part of the Championship 4 as he would fail to move on despite the top-five finish. It was certainly a disappointing effort for the Kaulig Racing driver who will be moving on to the Cup Series next year to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    3. Justin Haley – Speaking of Kaulig Racing, Haley, the Indiana native, will now be racing for a championship come Saturday after earning three wins, 10 top fives and 20 top-10 finishes this year. This won’t be the first time that Haley has been a part of Championship 4. The last time he was a part of the season finale was two years ago in 2018 at Homestead, which is no longer the site where the champion is crowned. Throughout Saturday’s race, Haley finished fifth and third, respectively, in both stages, before finishing 12th.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
    4. Harrison Burton – After a few disappointing finishes at Talladega and transmission woes at the Charlotte Roval, Burton has been on a roll the last few weeks winning back to back races that started with a last-lap pass at Texas. On Saturday, the North Carolina native led 81 laps and finished second and ninth in the first two stages. One has to wonder, had Burton not been eliminated early in the Playoffs, he most likely would be challenging for the championship. But, like most drivers, Burton will have to wait until next year to have his opportunity.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    5. Justin Allgaier – Allgaier is back for a second year in the Championship 4 following his second-place outing at Martinsville. The JR Motorsports driver didn’t lead any laps but finished eighth and fourth in both stages. Allgaier’s 16th top-five of the year was enough to move him on to fight for a championship again. He’s been close many times but we’ll have to wait and see if Allgaier will be crowned champion this Saturday.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked

    Fell Out

    1. Ryan Sieg – While Sieg has enjoyed one of his best Xfinity Series seasons to date with seven top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes, he missed out on competing for a championship due to his 1tth place finish. However, while it was disappointing for the team not to be a part of the finale, Sieg has definitely put up a great fight in the Playoffs and moved on further than anyone was expecting.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third

  • Weekend schedule for Martinsville Speedway-2

    Weekend schedule for Martinsville Speedway-2

    NASCAR heads to Martinsville Speedway this weekend to determine who will advance to the Championship 4 season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

    Joey Logano is the only Cup Series driver already locked into the Playoffs, leaving three open spots. In the Xfinity Series Chase Briscoe is the only driver that has clinched a spot with his win at Kansas Speedway. Sheldon Creed and Brett Moffitt have secured their place in the Truck Series, leaving two available spots for the Playoffs.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, Oct. 30

    8 p.m.: NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 Race (Stages 60/120/200 Laps = 175 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Sheldon Creed

    Saturday, Oct. 31

    3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Draft Top 250 race (Stages 70/140/250 Laps = 131.5 Miles) NBC/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Austin Cindric

    Sunday, Nov. 1

    2 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 (Stages 125/250/500 Laps = 266.5 Miles) NBC/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Brad Keselowski

  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Kansas II

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Kansas II

    In a rare event, the Truck Series competed for the second time at Kansas Speedway, after two previous races on July 24 and 25 earlier this season. Brett Moffitt won Saturday afternoon after a battle with his GMS Racing teammate Zane Smith.

    Moffitt blocked Smith going into Turns 3 and 4, causing Smith to go sideways and bringing out a late-race yellow. Despite the contact between the teammates, Moffitt is now in the Championship 4 for a third consecutive year dating back to his championship year in 2018.

    Smith, however, lost out on an opportunity after having the dominant truck and leading 37 laps, only to finish 11th. The Huntington Beach, CA native now sits fourth in the standings, only seven points above the cut line. The next two races at Texas and Martinsville won’t be easy for Smith but if he can manage his own race and win a couple of stages, he looks good to make the Championship 4 as long as he does not suffer any engine failures or other issues along the way.

    With Moffitt winning for the 12th time in his career, we’ll take a look at how others did following Saturday’s race at Kansas Speedway.

    1. Sheldon Creed – Had there been one more lap, we could have been a different story in terms of a winner. Sheldon Creed had the best truck early on throughout the first two stages of the race, sweeping them both. Creed led a race-high of 61 laps en route to a second-place finish, earning his seventh top five of the season. Currently, Creed is 26 points above the cut line and could lock himself into the Championship 4 in the next two races.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
    2. Austin Hill – Despite the contact with competitor Christian Eckes, the No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises team rebounded to a third-place finish after fixing damage during a long pit stop under a stage break. Aside from the contact, Hill led 13 laps and ended up with his 10th top five of the year. Though the finish was probably disappointing after winning here back in July, Hill sits somewhat comfortably, 19 points above the cut line in third.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    3. Grant Enfinger – It was somewhat a quiet Kansas outing in Enfinger’s camp after winding up fourth for his seventh top-five of the 2020 season. The Alabaman finished inside the Top 10 in both stages with finishes of seventh and 10th respectively. However, things will begin to get tight for the No. 98 team as Enfinger sits seven points below the cut line, among the first to possibly be eliminated. But, as usual, anything can and will happen in racing over the next two weeks. Still, not a bad finish by Enfinger.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
    4. Zane Smith – Smith came close to his third victory of the year if not for the late-race contact with his teammate Moffitt and could have been fighting for his first championship. While the 11th place finish was certainly frustrating, the California native had a strong race going up to that point. Smith finished fourth in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2. Unfortunately, he could never rebound for a Top 10 finish despite putting four fresh tires on following the spin, prior to the original final lap.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    5. Matt Crafton – A ninth-place finish was all Crafton could do in his No. 88 Ford F-150 Saturday afternoon at Kansas. In Stage 1 and Stage 2, he finished fifth and sixth respectively. Though the ThorSport driver will more than likely have to win at either Texas or Martinsville if the defending champion wants to defend his title again as he is 15 points below the cut line.

      Previous Week Ranking – First

    Fell Out

    1. Ben Rhodes – Hurting his playoff chances on Saturday was Ben Rhodes and the No. 99 ThorSport team. The Kentucky native now faces a must-win situation (33 below the cut line) after being penalized twice for too many men over the pit wall while under the damaged vehicle policy. Rhodes’ final finishing position was 20th, three laps down.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third
  • Weekend schedule for Kansas 2

    Weekend schedule for Kansas 2

    This week the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Truck Series travel to Kansas Speedway to begin the Playoffs Round of 8.

    The ARCA Series will begin the weekend activities Friday night with the Speediatrics 150. Saturday will feature both the Truck and Xfinity Series while the Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 is set for Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, Oct. 16

    6 p.m.: ARCA Speediatrics 150 presented by The NASCAR Foundation – 100 laps/150 miles – FS1, MRN

    Saturday, Oct. 17

    4 p.m.: Truck Series Clean Harbors 200 (Stages 30/60/134 Laps = 201 Miles) FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Chandler Smith

    7 p.m.: Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300 (Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 300 Miles) NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Noah Gragson

    Sunday, Oct. 18

    2:30 p.m.: Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 (Stages 80/160/267 Laps = 400.5 Miles) NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Chase Elliott

  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Talladega

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Talladega

    Talladega Superspeedway marked the final race in the Round of 10 Playoffs for the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series. Ten drivers had the same goal in mind and that was to advance to the Round of 8, but only eight drivers could move on leaving two in the dust.

    Those two drivers were Christian Eckes and Todd Gilliland who were both eliminated from the Truck Series Playoffs after having disastrous days. Gilliland was running inside the Top 10 before his engine let go on the backstretch while Eckes failed to finish due to being in the last-lap crash. Gilliland was credited with a 28th place finish and Eckes an 18th place finish, but not good enough to advance into the next round.

    Despite two drivers not having a fun Saturday, one driver enjoyed his first career series win, Canadian and Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Raphael Lessard. Lessard was ahead at the time the caution flew and nabbed his first victory in just his 24th Truck Series start and his first-ever Truck Series track debut at Talladega.

    With the Candian soaking in his first victory, other drivers had solid days and did what they needed to do to advance.

    Here are this week’s Power Rankings following the Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.

    1. Matt Crafton – Crafton was back and forth with the points Saturday afternoon. There were numerous moments where the ThorSport driver was either below the cut line or above the cut line. Fortunately for Crafton, he was one of the lucky ones to avoid the carnage during the race and move on to the Round of 8 after finishing eighth. Previous Week Ranking – Second
    2. Grant Enfinger – A hard-fought 13th place finish by Enfinger and the No. 98 team. Enfinger suffered a flat right-rear tire as early as Lap 8 and spent most of the race two laps down. The Alabaman caught a couple of breaks and was back on the lead lap when a caution flag threw in the final stage. Like his teammate Crafton, Enfinger was also below the cut line, but with hard work, Enfinger brought home the No. 98 truck to a 13th place finish. That’s a day well spent. Previous Week Ranking – First
    3. Ben Rhodes – Rhodes quietly finished fourth following the hectic Talladega truck race. In addition, the Kentucky native placed fifth and sixth in both stages. The ThorSport driver is moving on to the next round as well. Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    4. Sheldon Creed – Even though Creed was shuffled back to 12th in the running order when the checkered flag flew on Lap 94, the Californian had a decent run in the No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet. Creed led early on in the event but then settled in, running inside the Top 10 or Top 15. At one point with 12 to go, Creed caught race leader Jennifer Jo Cobb (who was using a different strategy by staying out in hopes of a caution) and retook the lead. While it looked as though he could go on to win his fourth race of the season, Creed suffered a flat tire and brought out the caution on Lap 90. Despite finishing 12th, the GMS driver was able to clinch a playoff spot after the completion of Stage 1. Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    5. Austin Hill – It was an up and down day for Austin Hill’s No. 16 Hattori Racing team. Hill claimed the Stage 1 victory and finished fourth in Stage 2. Unfortunately, his day started to go south just a tad when the final green-flag pit stops started to take place with 30 to go. That was when Hill was busted for being too fast on pit road after making his final stop and had to serve a pass-thru penalty. Hill’s day ultimately ended prematurely on the last lap a few yards before the finish, when he was caught up in the wreck on the backstretch. His No. 16 Toyota Tundra was on fire, but fortunately for Hill, he was able to walk away with no injuries and was credited with a 19th place finish after leading 11 laps. Previous Week Ranking –  Third

    Fell Out

    1. Christian Eckes – Eckes was involved in the last-lap wreck, and out of the playoffs due to his finishing position of 18th. Previous Week Ranking – Fourth

    2. Tanner Gray – After having momentum the last few weeks of finishing third, Tanner Gray was caught up in an accident on Lap 49 when the No. 15 went sideways and hit the inside backstretch wall. Gray was credited with a 29th place outing. Previous Week Ranking – Fifth

  • Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    Weekend schedule for Las Vegas

    All three NASCAR national series will compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this week. The Cup Series will begin the Round of 12 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday night as the Playoffs continue.

    Friday night the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will kick off the weekend’s events with the second race of the Round of 10 on their playoff schedule. The Xfinity Series will hit the track Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for the second race in their Round of 12.

    Saturday night will also feature the ARCA Menards Series West at the Las Vegas Bullring.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, September 25

    9 p.m.: Truck Series World of Westgate 200 (Stages 30/60/134 Laps = 201 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Brett Moffitt

    Saturday, September 26

    10 a.m.: ARCA Menards Series West Qualifying (at Las Vegas Bullring)
    3:05 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series West General Tire 150 (at Las Vegas Bullring)
    7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Alsco 300 (Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 300 Miles) NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Chase Briscoe

    Sunday, September 27

    7 p.m.: Cup Series South Point 400 (Stages 80/160/267 Laps = 400.5 Miles) NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Kevin Harvick

    Cup Series Round of 12 Playoff Drivers

    RankDriverPoints
    1Kevin Harvick3067
    2Denny Hamlin3048
    3Brad Keselowski3035
    4Joey Logano3022
    5Chase Elliott3021
    6Matin Truex Jr.3016
    7Alex Bowman3009
    8Austin Dillon3005
    9Aric Almirola3005
    10Kyle Busch3004
    11Clint Bowyer3004
    12Kurt Busch3001
  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Bristol

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Bristol

    Bristol Motor Speedway hosted race No. 17 for the 2020 Truck Series season for the first race of the Playoffs. 

    Just 10 drivers are entered in the Playoffs this year including Brett Moffitt, Grant Enfinger, Tyler Ankrum, Todd Gilliland, Matt Crafton, Sheldon Creed, Austin Hill, Christian Eckes, Ben Rhodes and Zane Smith. 

    While those 10 drivers had high hopes of winning Thursday night’s race at Bristol, none of that fell their way. Instead, part-time Truck Series and newly announced Xfinity Series driver, Sam Mayer, stole the show and claimed the checkered flag. Moffitt was the highest ranked playoff driver, finishing second after leading the most laps of 117. 

    With Mayer finding victory in his early career, many of the playoff drivers were left puzzled about their finishing result following the 200 lap event. 

    Here are this week’s Power Rankings following the UNOH 200. 

    1. Brett Moffitt – Moffitt had the best Truck for the middle portions of the race and led from Lap 114 to 170, 57-laps in total. He was on his way to his first checkered flag of the season but his Truck started to fade a little bit as the laps wore down. Once Mayer caught and passed Moffitt, all the Iowan could do was watch and maintain his second-place finish. Despite finishing second, Moffitt won Stage 1 and finished third in Stage 2 and came home with the playoff points lead with a 36 point buffer.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
    2. Grant Enfinger – Enfinger made his 100th Truck Series career start last Thursday night, which is hard to believe since his first Truck Series race came 10 years ago in 2010. The Alabaman had an up and down night with his Truck shutting off and on due to a potential electrical issue. The ThorSport driver managed a Stage 1 finish of fifth before earning his 63rd Top 10 of his career, his 10th of the season.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third
    3. Tyler Ankrum – Ankrum earned his first career stage win by winning the second stage, and in addition, he finished second in Stage 1. However, most of his race somewhat went south when there was a miscommunication between the crew chief and driver during the stage break caution. Ankrum missed the pit stall the first time around before eventually pitting the second time. While Bristol is what could have been for Ankrum, he finished seventh, gaining his eighth Top 10 finish of the year.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    4. Matt Crafton – Crafton had a respectable finish of 10th after Trevor Bayne, who originally finished fifth, was disqualified, which Crafton moved up in the finishing order. The finish was Crafton’s 10th top-10 of the year. As for the stages, he finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    5. Ben Rhodes – A ho-hum night for Ben Rhodes who came home in the 13th position after winning the Darlington race the week prior to Bristol. Rhodes couldn’t gain a top-10 in either stage, unfortunately. It was certainly a disappointing and forgettable Bristol outing for Rhodes and company.

      Previous Week Ranking – First 

    Fell Out 

    1. Austin Hill – A frustrating night for the 2020 Regular Truck Series Champion Austin Hill, who finished 25th, five laps down. The Georgian’s night got off to a rough start when he got collected in an incident on Lap 8 with the No. 52 of Stewart Friesen. Hill received right-rear bumper damage from the contact. Throughout the night, Hill maintained as much as he could but continued to fight an ill-handling Truck due to brake issues. More problems arose on Lap 156 when Hill was involved with an accident involving the No. 22 of Austin Wayne Self. The final incident pretty much put a damper on Hill’s first race of the playoffs.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
    2. Todd Gilliland – 14th place finish for playoff contender Todd Gilliland, who is now eight points below the cut line after fighting a loose handling Truck for much of the night.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth 
  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Michigan

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Michigan

    Friday night’s race at Michigan International Speedway marked the 11th race of the 2020 Truck Series season. It wasn’t all that long ago that race fans didn’t know when the next Truck Series race would take place. But the season continues to roll on at a decent pace as NASCAR gives their best effort with the goal of completing the entire season.

    The same can be said for rookie Zane Smith, who kept the ball rolling Friday night. He was never really a factor throughout the first two stages, especially after he received a pit penalty, but Smith never lost confidence and continued to work his way back to the front. His winning moment came on the second overtime restart when the leaders collided with each other and Smith broke through the smoke and fended off friend/competitor Christian Eckes for his first career NASCAR victory. The victory was a long time coming for the Californian who has had a strong rookie year and now can focus on the Playoffs and potentially a bid for the championship in his first year.

    While Smith enjoyed the ending of Friday’s race, many drivers probably wish they could have another shot at the race, including Stewart Friesen who wrecked out and was credited with a last-place finish. At this point, the Canadian will need to find a way to win if he has any hopes of repeating his 2019 playoff run.

    With up and down days across the board for everyone, we’ll take a look where everyone lands on this week’s Power Rankings following the Henry Food Health System 200.

    1. Zane Smith – The short break following the Kansas Truck race did not seem to hurt the No. 21 GMS Racing momentum, as Smith piloted the Bay Mountain Air Chevrolet to victory lane. His stage finishes weren’t too kind, placing ninth in the first stage and 15th for the second stage. While the stage finishes and stage points are important, they didn’t matter too much at the end of the day as Smith got the checkered flag in 12 Truck Series starts. As a matter of fact, the victory was his first victory since two-years ago in ARCA competition at Pocono Raceway. It will be interesting to see if Smith and the team can keep the train rolling through the rest of the season.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third
    2. Christian Eckes – Eckes might be frustrated and tired of finishing second the last few weeks, but the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 18 team earned another top-five finish Friday night, Eckes fourth of the year. Early on, however, it looked liked Eckes was going to have a bad day. He brought out the second caution of the day on Lap 14 when his No. 18 Safelite Tundra spun around on the backstretch. Eckes would spend most of the race trying to get back into contention and what appeared to be no light at the end of the tunnel. However, the late cautions and wrecks put Eckes’ team back upfront and he even tried running down Smith for the win. Ultimately, he fell .318 seconds short of what could have been his first victory. Considering the day Eckes had, the second-place finish was a great rebound from the early spin. Eckes for sure will get a victory one of these days.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
    3. Derek Kraus – A wild day for Kraus and the No. 19 Bill McAnally team, who ended up finishing eighth in the running order. Friday’s race may have been the wildest ever in his career, as his No. 19 NAPA machine went sliding across the finish line when the checkered flag flew. Kraus, at that point, had no other option but to hang on, hope for the best and that he would not lose any more positions. Fortunately, he didn’t and earned his seventh top 10 of the year. Kraus also earned stage finishes of fifth and 10th.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    4. Ben Rhodes – It was a rough and forgettable Michigan outing for Rhodes who came home 11th. The ThorSport driver was caught up in retaliation against Chandler Smith, as Rhodes intentionally wrecked him going into Turn 1 on lap 60. Before the incident, Rhodes was having a respectable day where he finished third in Stage 1. But the day would go south after Stage 2, when Rhodes, among others, played track position and hoped the strategy would play in their favor. But, the Kentucky native would have to settle for a finish outside the top 10.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
    5. Grant Enfinger – Enfinger had one of his best races going since his Atlanta win earlier in the season, but was taken out on the second green-white-checkered start while leading. Before that, the Alabaman was having a solid day with stage finishes of seventh and fourth. Depending on how the meeting goes, the postseason could get rocky for Enfinger, as his teammate Johnny Sauter was caught up in a wreck after battling for the lead with 18 to go. Sauter noted on the radio, ‘he would make sure the 98 would not win a championship this year.’ Sure, this comment was likely out of frustration, but here’s hoping cooler heads will prevail and drivers can focus on the bigger picture.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked

    Fell Out

    1. Matt Crafton – A tale of two races for the veteran who won at Kansas and then got caught up in someone else’s mess at Michigan, resulting in a 23rd place finish. While the finish was disappointing Crafton was able to score stage points by finishing fourth in Stage 1.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Preview-Kentucky

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Preview-Kentucky

    The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series will get back on track this weekend at Kentucky Speedway, located in Sparta, Kentucky. It will be Round No. 7 of the 2020 Truck Series season, just four races from the halfway point of the season, should all 23 races run.

    Last time out when the Trucks raced, the series was at Pocono Raceway for what was a ho-hum race, which featured numerous cautions. However, part-time Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Brandon Jones finally earned his first Truck Series race after 46 starts in the series. Meanwhile, Truck Series regulars, other than Grant Enfinger, have yet to earn themselves a win through the first seven races of the season.

    As the Truck Series heads to the Blue Grass state, there’s a high chance that a series regular could very well wind up in victory lane, as no Xfinity or Cup Series drivers are scheduled to compete.

    With that said, here are five drivers who could take the checkered flag Saturday night in the Buckle Up Your Truck 225 at Kentucky Speedway.

    1. Matt Crafton – Crafton is a former winner at this race track, winning the 2015 event. Since then, he’s finished inside the top 10 with the exception of last year’s race, when the California native finished 13th, two laps down. Overall, Crafton has the most starts of any active drivers and the most experience with 21 starts dating back to 2001. His finishes have been up and down over time but statistically, he’s completed 94.8 percent of the laps, led 90 laps, and earned 15 top 10 finishes. Crafton is also consistent at finishing races at Kentucky, as he only has one DNF to his name at the 1.5-mile speedway. The ThorSport Racing driver may not win Saturday, but he can be a good value pick for your fantasy lineup.
    2. Parker Kligerman – While Kligerman may be an unusual pick, he could earn the Henderson Motorsports team a top 10 finish Saturday night. In seven starts, he has two runner up finishes (2011 and 2012). Granted, those finishes came with the now-defunct Brad Keselowski and Red Horse Racing teams. However, Kligerman did earn a seventh-place finishing position in the 2017 race for his current team and led 12 laps in 2018 (the last time Kligerman competed in a Truck race at Kentucky), before a late accident ended his night early.
    3. Stewart Friesen – Potentially, a driver who has been overlooked but who has done well at Kentucky, is Stewart Friesen. The Canadian has three starts going back to his first race in 2017. While his first outing didn’t go particularly well, Friesen has improved finishes the last two races as he’s finished second twice and in the 2018 event, Friesen led 37 laps before falling short. Also in the 2018 race, Friesen finished seventh in Stage 1 and fourth in the second stage. Friesen managed to place sixth in Stage 2 last year.
    4. Sheldon Creed – Creed is looking for redemption after last year’s forgettable race. The GMS Racing driver started second and led 36 laps, but finished 19 laps down in the 21st position after pit strategy ruined his chance for a strong finish. Creed, though, was able to win Stage 1 before the incident. This year, the GMS team will be using chassis No. 324, which has given Creed two top 10 finishes so far in the 2020 season.
    5. Grant Enfinger – Overall, Enfinger’s Kentucky races have not fared too well for him, having a best finish of sixth coming in 2018. However, the Alabaman scored some stage points over the last three years since stages were implemented in 2017. In the 2017 race, Enfinger placed the No. 98 machine fourth in Stage 1, fifth in both stages in 2018, and second in the first stage last year. Unfortunately, after qualifying on the pole, and leading 22 laps, a crash on Lap 64 (86 to go) relegated Enfinger to a 24th place finish. If Enfinger and the No. 98 team can have a solid race this year, don’t be surprised if they end up in victory lane Saturday night.

    Overall, there are 40 Trucks on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s event and there are some notable names in the field.

    Angela Ruch is back in the No. 00 Reaume Brothers Racing Truck after missing the Pocono race due to sponsorship woes. Also back in the field is Natalie Decker. Decker missed the Pocono outing after she was hospitalized due to bile duct surgery. Trey Hutchens and his No. 14 team will make their debut as a team for 2020. Ryan Truex is entered in the No. 40 Niece Motorsports machine for his second start of the 2020 season. Truex’s previous outing was Atlanta, where he finished 13th. And finally, Chandler Smith makes his anticipated 2020 season debut for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Smith competed in four Truck Series races last year, where he earned a best finish of second at Bristol.

    Since 2000, Kentucky Speedway has seen 22 Truck Series races. In that 22 race span, there has been a whos-who list of race winners. These include Greg Biffle, Scott Riggs, Mike Bliss, Carl Edwards, Bobby Hamilton, Dennis Setzer, Ron Hornaday Jr, Mike Skinner, Johnny Benson Jr, Todd Bodine, Kyle Busch, James Buescher, Ty Dillon, Matt Crafton, Christopher Bell, Ben Rhodes and Tyler Ankrum.

    Hornaday has the most wins with three victories (2006, 2009, 2011). Kyle Busch and James Buescher have two wins each. Busch won in 2011 and 2014 and Buescher’s wins came in both of the 2012 events. Buescher is the only Truck Series driver to win back to back events.

    Since 2013, there have been seven different winners. Only Crafton, Rhodes, and Ankrum are previous race winners of the Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 of those entered in the field.

    As far as stages are concerned, Ben Rhodes, Noah Gragson, Sheldon Creed, and Matt Crafton are all stage winners.

    On the manufacturer side, Toyota has nine wins, Chevrolet has eight, Ford has three and Dodge has one win. Ford won the first race back in 2000 with Greg Biffle. Chevrolet’s first win came with Mike Bliss in 2002, Dodge’s in 2002 by Bobby Hamilton while Toyota’s first win came in 2007 with driver Mike Skinner.

    Despite there being no qualifying this weekend, track position is key if you want to win at Kentucky. The race winner has came from the pole three times (2009, 2014, 2015). The lowest the race winner has ever started was 22nd, which occurred twice (2006 and 2013).

    The most cautions seen in this event was nine cautions for 40 laps, which occurred in 2000. The fewest amount of cautions was three yellows for 12 laps in 2002. There were also 18 lead changes (the most in the event history) for the Truck Series in 2011 with 18.

    The Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 is scheduled for Saturday night, July 11 at 6 p.m. ET live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio.