For the second time this season, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will return to Kansas Speedway, and this time it’s to decide which eight postseason contenders will move on to the next round in the Playoffs’ Round of 10 finale – the Kansas Lottery 200 (Friday, September 8 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio).
Located in the booming Village West area near Kansas City, Kansas Speedway houses a 1.5-mile paved oval. Construction on the speedway began in 1999 in Kansas’ Wyandotte County. Shortly after it began, NASCAR and IndyCar announced they would both bring a slate of events to the area for its inaugural racing season. The grandstands opened on June 2, 2001, for the speedway’s first races.
The 1.5-mile track has hosted 26 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races since its inaugural CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event on July 7, 2001 – a race won by Ricky Hendrick, driving the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. This weekend, Kansas Speedway will play host to the Round of 10 finale where only four spots remain to advance to the Round of 8.
Notably, there have been 22 different winners at Kansas Speedway. NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Busch along with CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff contender Matt Crafton are tied for the series-most wins at the Kansas Speedway in the Truck Series with three wins a piece.
Seven different drivers have won the elimination race of the first round of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs – including current postseason contender Grant Enfinger in 2016.
Check out our other Craftsman Truck Series coverage here.
| NCTS Playoffs First Round Elimination Race Winners (2016-2022) | ||||
| Date | Track | Playoff Race Winner | Season | Race No. |
| Saturday, October 22, 2016 | Talladega | Grant Enfinger | 2016 | 19 |
| Saturday, October 14, 2017 | Talladega | Parker Kligerman | 2017 | 19 |
| Saturday, October 13, 2018 | Talladega | Timothy Peters | 2018 | 19 |
| Friday, September 13, 2019 | Las Vegas | Austin Hill | 2019 | 19 |
| Saturday, October 3, 2020 | Talladega | Raphael Lessard | 2020 | 19 |
| Thursday, September 16, 2021 | Bristol | Chandler Smith | 2021 | 18 |
| Friday, September 9, 2022 | Kansas | John H. Nemechek | 2022 | 19 |
Friday night’s Kansas Speedway Playoff race will be broken up into three stages, the first two stages will be 30 laps each and the final stage will be 74 laps for a race total of 134 laps (201 miles). Practice and qualifying for the Kansas Lottery 200 will begin Friday, September 8 at 3:35 p.m. ET.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: Kansas Lottery 200
The Place: Kansas Speedway
The Date: Friday, September 8
The Time: 9 p.m. ET
The Purse: $703,005
TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)
| NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Outlook | |||||||
| Following The Milwaukee Mile – Aug. 27, 2023 | |||||||
| Rank | Driver | Starts | Points | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | + /- Cutoff |
| 1 | Grant Enfinger (P) | 18 | 2,114 | 3 | 3 | 24 | In On Win |
| 2 | Ty Majeski (P) | 18 | 2,033 | 1 | 6 | 21 | In On Win |
| 3 | Corey Heim (P) | 17 | 2,126 | 2 | 5 | 30 | In On Points |
| 4 | Christian Eckes (P) | 18 | 2,117 | 2 | 4 | 19 | In On Points |
| 5 | Carson Hocevar (P) | 18 | 2,112 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 56 |
| 6 | Zane Smith (P) | 18 | 2,085 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 29 |
| 7 | Matt Crafton (P) | 18 | 2,065 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 8 | Nicholas Sanchez # (P) | 18 | 2,059 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| 9 | Ben Rhodes (P) | 18 | 2,056 | 1 | 1 | 13 | -3 |
| 10 | Matt DiBenedetto (P) | 18 | 2,039 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -20 |
Last Chance Race: Rhodes, DiBenedetto need to dig deep
Following the Clean Harbors 175 at the Milwaukee Mile, ThorSport Racing veteran Ben Rhodes and Rackley W.A.R.’s Matt DiBenedetto find themselves below the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Round of 8 cutline.
2021 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Champion Ben Rhodes had to battle all afternoon at the Milwaukee Mile, finishing 16th and left the 1.015-mile paved oval just three points back from the Round of 8 cutline. The 2023 season is the 26-year-old’s sixth Playoff appearance, and if he doesn’t advance to the Round of 8 this weekend, it will be the first-time in his six Playoff appearances he hasn’t advanced out of the Round of 10. The contenders head to Kansas Speedway this weekend where Rhodes previously finished 16th but led 17 laps earlier this season. In 11 starts at the 1.5-mile track, the Louisville, Kentucky native has put up two top-five finishes, five top- 10 finishes and a total of 59 laps led. His best finish in the Sunflower State was second in Spring 2019.
Unlike the vast Playoff experience Rhodes has, Matt DiBenedetto is in his first appearance in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs. It’s been 19 races since DiBenedetto’s last visit to Victory Lane (Talladega, 2022) but the Grass Valley, California native knows how to race his way into the top-10 – he’s recorded 10 top- 10 finishes so far this season. The driver of the No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet had an unfortunate day at the Milwaukee Mile, finishing 27th and is now twenty points back from the Round of 8 cutline and the final transfer position.
Currently, Rev Racing’s rookie Nick Sanchez is in the eighth and final position to transfer to the next round in the Playoffs on points. Just ahead of Sanchez in seventh in ThorSport Racing driver and three-time CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Matt Crafton, up nine points on the Round of 8 cutline.
Playoff Round of 8 Clinch Scenarios: Kansas Speedway
With two of the three races in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs Round of 10 in the books, here is a look at the clinch scenarios heading into the Kansas Speedway:
Already Clinched
The following 4 drivers have clinched a spot in the 8-driver field of the next round: Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski.
Can Clinch Via Points
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 7th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith, Matt Crafton or Nicholas Sanchez.
- Carson Hocevar: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Zane Smith: Would clinch with 27 points
- Matt Crafton: Would clinch with 47 points
- Nicholas Sanchez: Would clinch with 53 points
- Ben Rhodes: Would clinch with 55 points (needs help if Nicholas Sanchez wins)
- Matt DiBenedetto: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Ben Rhodes or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 6th winless driver in the standings.
- Carson Hocevar: Would clinch with 2 points
- Zane Smith: Would clinch with 30 points
- Matt Crafton: Would clinch with 50 points
- Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help
- Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help
- Matt DiBenedetto: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith, Matt Crafton, Nicholas Sanchez, Ben Rhodes, Matt DiBenedetto.
NCTS Playoffs Contender’s Career Performances at Kansas Speedway
| Rank | Driver | Races | Poles | Wins | Top Fives | Top 10s | DNFs | Average Finish | Driver Rating |
| 1 | Corey Heim | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 14.0 | 108.3 |
| 2 | Christian Eckes | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 10.0 | 99.3 |
| 3 | Grant Enfinger | 10 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 6.2 | 98.3 |
| 4 | Carson Hocevar | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17.8 | 76.8 |
| 5 | Zane Smith | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 5.9 | 121.5 |
| 6 | Matt Crafton | 26 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 11.6 | 92.6 |
| 7 | Nicholas Sanchez | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | 97.5 |
| 8 | Ben Rhodes | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 12.9 | 92.0 |
| 9 | Matt DiBenedetto | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16.0 | 71.7 |
| 10 | Ty Majeski | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 15.2 | 86.2 |
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.
Carson Hocevar to drive No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet in NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway – Last Friday, Legacy Motor Club announced NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff contender and standout driver Carson Hocevar would be back behind the wheel of the No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the NASCAR Cup Series in Kansas and Bristol.
The 20-year-old is currently ranked fourth in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship point standings and has accumulated three wins, nine top-five finishes, 10 top- 10 finishes, and has led a total of 223 laps this season. Hocevar made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Gateway driving the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet where he began a good run, but unfortunately found himself involved in a crash and did not finish.
In just his second NASCAR Cup Series race last weekend, Hocevar piloted the No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to a 17th-place finish – the car’s second-best finish of the season.
Jesse Love to make Kansas Speedway debut for NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series – Two-time ARCA Menards Series West champion Jesse Love will pilot the No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota and make his second career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck start at Kansas Speedway this weekend.
Love made his debut at Gateway, subbing for Corey Heim, where he started 20th and finished ninth. At age 15, the Menlo Park, California native won three races and became the youngest title winner in NASCAR history. This season alone, Love has become an unstoppable force winning nine ARCA Menards Series races.
“We’ve had the pleasure of competing against Jesse in ARCA over the past few seasons and have always been impressed with his ability behind the wheel,” said TRICON Garage owner David Gilliland.
Jennifer Jo Cobb returns to the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Kansas Speedway – Jennifer Jo Cobb, a role model for women in motorsports, is making her return to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series to race at Kansas Speedway. Cobb is a racer, published writer, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and inaugural participate in the Busch Light Accelerate Her program.
The Kansas City, Kansas native holds several CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition records, including the highest-finishing female driver in overall season points and most starts by a female driver in the series. Cobb has also broken into the 200-plus mph club with a land speed record and is one of just a handful of women with a top-10 finish at the highest levels of NASCAR.
Cobb’s last start in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series was in 2022 at Talladega, where she unfortunately posted a DNF. Her career-best finish was at Daytona in 2011 (sixth).
