To cap off a thrilling afternoon at Pocono Raceway, Kyle Busch – the winningest driver in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history with 64 victories – executed a perfect last-lap pass on the current driver standings leader, Corey Heim, to secure Kyle Busch Motorsports’ 100th NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory – the series-most.
The driver of the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Chevrolet made a daring move in Turn 2 and was able to edge Heim by 0.604-seconds at the finish line. With five starts on the year, Busch secured his second win of the season – the first being at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. The Las Vegas native has now recorded 229 career victories across the three NASCAR national series – most all-time.
Following Heim, TRICON Garage’s Taylor Gray finished a career-best third with another NASCAR Cup Series full-timer, Christopher Bell, in fourth place in the Hattori Racing Enterprises No. 61 Toyota. Grant Enfinger rounded out the top five in the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet.
Eighteen different drivers contributed to KBM’s 100 wins, including the driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota, Corey Heim.
| KBM Race Winners | NCTS Wins |
| Kyle Busch | 48 |
| Christopher Bell | 7 |
| William Byron | 7 |
| Erik Jones | 7 |
| John Hunter Nemechek | 7 |
| Bubba Wallace | 5 |
| Chandler Smith | 5 |
| Denny Hamlin | 2 |
| Noah Gragson | 2 |
| Corey Heim | 2 |
| Brian Scott | 1 |
| Daniel Suarez | 1 |
| Todd Gilliland | 1 |
| Greg Biffle | 1 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 1 |
| Raphael Lessard | 1 |
| Brandon Jones | 1 |
| Kasey Kahne | 1 |
How quickly will it take Kyle Busch Motorsports to reach 101? Could possibly happen this weekend, the KBM organization has won the last two races at 0.75-mile track – Chandler Smith (2021) and John Hunter Nemechek (2022).
Summer time Truck racing under the lights at Richmond Raceway
With just one race left in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regular season, Richmond Raceway has set the stage for some Saturday night short track racing in the Worldwide Express 250 (July 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio) to decide who will fill the 10-driver postseason field for 2023 Playoffs.
To date, Richmond Raceway has hosted 14 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races on the 0.75-mile track, producing 10 different pole winners and 11 different race winners.
The inaugural CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway was held on September 7, 1995, the series’ inaugural season, and was won by one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, Terry Labonte, piloting the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
Tony Stewart (2002, 2003), Mike Skinner (1996, 2005), and Jack Sprague (1998, 2001), lead the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in wins at the 0.75-mile track with two victories each. GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger (2020) is the only previous winner entered this weekend, while Matt Crafton has visited the track a total of eight times – the most out of the field.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: Worldwide Express 250
The Place: Richmond Raceway
The Date: Saturday, July 29
The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $808,354
TV: FS1, 7 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 187.5 miles (250 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 70),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 140), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 250)
One race left to set the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff field
The Worldwide Express 250 at Richmond Raceway is the last chance for competitors to earn a spot in the Playoffs and it will officially mark the end of the 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Regular Season. Six drivers are locked into the Playoffs by virtue of their wins this season – Corey Heim, Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger, Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar and Ben Rhodes – and one driver has already clinched a spot on points – Ty Majeski – leaving just three postseason positions still up for grabs this weekend.
Clinch Scenarios for Richmond:
Already Clinched
The following seven drivers have clinched a spot in the 10-driver postseason field: Corey Heim, Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes and Carson Hocevar.
Can Clinch Via Points
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the fifth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Ty Majeski, Matt DiBenedetto, Nicholas Sanchez or Matt Crafton.
- Matt DiBenedetto: Would clinch with 25 points
- Nicholas Sanchez: Would clinch with 35 points
- Matt Crafton: Would clinch with 47 points
- Stewart Friesen: Could only clinch with help
- Tanner Gray: Could only clinch with help
- Chase Purdy: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Stewart Friesen or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the fourth winless driver in the standings.
- Matt DiBenedetto: Would clinch with 34 points
- Nicholas Sanchez: Would clinch with 43 points
- Matt Crafton: Could only clinch with help
- Stewart Friesen: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
- Matt DiBenedetto, Nicholas Sanchez, Matt Crafton, Stewart Friesen, Tanner Gray, Chase Purdy, Tyler Ankrum, Daniel Dye, Rajah Caruth, Hailie Deegan, Colby Howard, Dean Thompson, Bret Holmes, Lawless Alan, Spencer Boyd
Heim is one start away from a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Regular Season Championship
Despite missing Gateway due to illness, TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim continues to have a strong year as he holds onto the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver standings lead with only one race left in the regular season. The 20-year-old is currently 42 points up on reigning CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion, Zane Smith heading into Richmond Raceway. Heim is looking to become the seventh different driver to win the Regular Season Championship; joining Christopher Bell (2017), Johnny Sauter (2018), Grant Enfinger (2019), Austin Hill (2020), John H. Nemechek (2021) and Zane Smith (2022).
The Regular Season Championship can be clinched by the following drivers this weekend at Richmond Raceway:
- Corey Heim: Would clinch with 19 points
- Zane Smith: Could only clinch with help
- Grant Enfinger: Could only clinch with help
- Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help
- Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
Heim’s points lead began after a compelling finish at North Wilkesboro – winning Stage 1 and finishing sixth overall – gaining him a total of 48 points to jump from third in the standings over Ty Majeski and Zane Smith. He has continued to be dominant since. The Georgia native has accumulated two wins (Martinsville, Mid-Ohio), seven top-five and 12 top-10 finishes, as well as leading 399 laps on the season.
The driver of the No. 11 Toyota will clinch the Regular Season Championship if he can accumulate 19 points in Richmond. Heim finished fifth at Richmond last year.
Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith (-42 point back from the points leader) continues to stay close to the top spot. Although Smith had a tough stretch from Darlington to Gateway, he managed to bounce back in Nashville, as well as Mid-Ohio, finishing second at each track.
The 24-year-old, who swept the Regular Season and Postseason Championship in 2022, has accumulated two wins, seven top-five and seven top-10 finishes this season. Smith finished ninth at the 0.75-mile D-shaped track last year.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.
Sanchez maintains Sunoco Rookie of the Year lead – As the 2023 CRAFTSMAN Sunoco rookies head to Richmond Raceway, Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez continues to dominate the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, 106 points ahead of McAnally Hilgemann Racing’s Jake Garcia in second.
Sanchez has been the leader of the rookie standings most of the season. In 15 starts he has put up four poles, two top-five and seven top- 10 finishes. He has also led 231 laps this season.
| NCTS Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings | ||
| Rookies | Points | Awards |
| Nick Sanchez | 421 | 8 |
| Jake Garcia | 315 | 3 |
| Taylor Gray | 273 | 1 |
| Daniel Dye | 267 | 1 |
| Rajah Caruth | 262 | 1 |
| Bret Holmes | 208 | 1 |
If Sanchez is the only rookie to earn a spot in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs, he will theoretically clinch this season’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors, as his points will be reset to a minimum of 2,000 for the Playoffs, a total the drivers that did not make the postseason will not be able to mathematically reach.
