CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 Finale Headed to South Florida

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competitors will have two weeks off to regroup and go over strategy before heading to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Baptist Health 200, the Playoffs’ Round of 8 finale (Saturday, October 21 at 12 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio). Four drivers will be eliminated, and the Championship 4 will be named once the checkered flag falls.

Homestead-Miami Speedway was built as a key part of plans to help the city of Homestead rebound after devastation caused by Hurricane Andrew. Groundbreaking began August 24, 1993, exactly one year after the hurricane. The track soon opened in November of 1995.

The 1.5-mile oval has hosted 26 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races since its inaugural CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event on March 17, 1996 – a race won by Dave Rezendes piloting the No. 7 Geoffrey Bodine Motorsports Ford. Notably, there have been 23 different race winners. Kyle Busch leads the series with three wins at the track, while Playoff driver Ty Majeski is the most recent winner (2022).

The 2023 season marks the second time the speedway has hosted the Round of 8 finale in the Playoffs (2022 and 2023). The track was home to the championship race from 2016-2019 before landing a spot on the regular season schedule for 2020-2021 season.

Only one race during the Round of 8 finale has been won by a non-Playoff driver – Daniel Suarez in 2016.

Practice and qualifying for the Baptist Health 200 will begin on Friday, October 20 at 4:05 p.m. ET.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: Baptist Health 200

The Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway

The Date: Saturday, October 21

The Time: 12 p.m. ET

The Purse: 689,693

TV: FS1, 11 a.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)

Brett Moffitt makes a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series return to remember

In typical fashion, it was a dramatic day on the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway high banks, but Brett Moffitt made it a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series return to remember. The Love’s Stop RV 250 was the 2018 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion’s first CRAFTSMAN Truck race since September 9, 2022, that unfortunately resulted in a DNF due to an engine issue.

The day didn’t exactly start off to plan for Moffitt. In qualifying early that morning, he struggled to find speed and had to start 31st in the field. None of that mattered though because he found a way to charge his way to the front. During an overtime restart, the Grimes, Iowa native pulled off a thrilling three-wide move to the front and was able to hold off Ben Rhodes, Chandler Smith, and Parker Kligerman to secure his 13th career win in 93 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races.

Moffitt’s win broke a streak of four straight first-time winners at Talladega Superspeedway and improves the non-playoff drivers winning streak to eight straight races.

As for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff contenders, Talladega packed a punch and has the cutline sitting tight as the field prepares for Homestead-Miami Speedway. Here is where each driver finished:

• Rhodes (second), Heim (fifth), Sanchez (seventh), Hocevar (11th), Enfinger (13th), Eckes (19th), Majeski (21st), and Smith (32nd)

 Playoff Clinch Scenarios: Make it or break it to race for the title

With a win at Talladega by non-Playoff driver, Brett Moffitt, only one driver has secured their spot in the Championship 4 Round at Phoenix Raceway with his win at Bristol Motor Speedway – Corey Heim. The remaining seven drivers will have to give it their all if they want a chance to compete for the 2023 title. Here is a look at the clinch scenarios for the eight-driver field:

Already Clinched

The following driver has clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round: Corey Heim.

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 4th winless driver in the standings.  The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Carson Hocevar, Christian Eckes or Nicholas Sanchez.

• Carson Hocevar: Would clinch with 33 points
• Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 46 points (47 points if Sanchez wins)
• Nicholas Sanchez: Would clinch with 53 points
• Grant Enfinger: Would clinch with 55 points (would need help if Sanchez wins)
• Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help
• Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
• Zane Smith: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Grant Enfinger 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 3rd winless driver in the standings.

• Carson Hocevar: Would clinch with 36 points
• Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 49 points
• Nicholas Sanchez: 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
• Zane Smith: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Carson Hocevar, Christian Eckes, Nicholas Sanchez, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Zane Smith

Playoff Bubble: Enfinger, Rhodes, Majeski, and Smith outside Championship 4 cutline

Following the Playoffs’ Round of 8 opener at Bristol Motor Speedway, Corey Heim was the first to punch his ticket to the Championship 4 Round at Phoenix Raceway. With just one race left in the Round of 8, the competitors are starting to feel the heat, especially with the points around the cutline sitting tight heading into Homestead-Miami Speedway. As the Round of 8 finale looms closer, the drivers sitting below the cutline are Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski and Zane Smith.

Driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford, Zane Smith, has gone on to the title round the last three years. Last season, the reigning CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion advanced to the Championship 4 Round by scoring two runner-up finishes in the Round of 8, in addition to a 17th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway. Smith has experienced both highs and lows this postseason – finishing fifth at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, 12th at the Milwaukee Mile, fifth at Kansas Speedway, and 24th at Bristol Motor Speedway. Talladega unfortunately did not pan out well for Smith, spending nearly half of Saturday’s race sitting idle in the garage while the field whisked by after a pit-road incident and a slipping clutch. Although the 24-year-old could conceivably advance based on points, realistically Smith is likely facing a must-win situation. He sits -36 points back from the final transfer spot currently being held by rookie Nick Sanchez.

Ty Majeski completely dominated the Round of 8 last season, winning both Bristol and Homestead – besting Zane Smith both times. The Seymour, Wisconsin native is currently -19 points back from the final transfer spot. Although the deficit is significant, Majeski and the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford team will need to maximize the next 3 stages if they want to compete for the title again. The 29-year-old burst into the Playoffs with momentum after leading 168 laps at Richmond in the regular season finale before finishing second. Majeski completely dominated the field at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park taking the checkered flag after leading 179 of 200 laps. But following Indianapolis, the No. 98 team has lost some steam – finishing seventh in Milwaukee, 18th at Kansas, 19th at Bristol, and now 21st at Talladega.

Driver of the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet Grant Enfinger is -3 points back from the final transfer position. This is his first time below the cutline since the Playoffs began. The Fairhope, Alabama native has done decently well this postseason – finishing 12th at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, first at the Milwaukee Mile, 17th at Kansas Speedway, third at Bristol Motor Speedway, and now 13th at Talladega. Although the 38-year-old has never secured a victory at Homestead, he has secured the pole position and a second-place finish before.

Ben Rhodes scraped his way into the Round of 8 by five points. The 2021 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion will head to Homestead ranked sixth in the Playoff standings -5 points from the fourth and final spot in the championship round. In sixth starts at Homestead, the Louisville, Kentucky native has an average finish of 14.2. Last year, the driver of the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford managed a sixth-place finish at the 1.5-mile oval. Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, the Playoffs haven’t been off to the best start – finishing 16th at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, 16th at Milwaukee, 25th at Kansas, seventh at Bristol, and second at Talladega. Like his competitors, he will need to maximize these next 3 stages if he wants a chance to compete for the title in Phoenix.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

Two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competitors hope to compete at the ROVAL – Fans will be able to catch two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regulars attempting to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Cup Series at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course this weekend.

Rajah Caruth plans to pilot the No. 44 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet on Saturday during NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina. And CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff contender Zane Smith will once again get behind the wheel of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford on Sunday during the Bank of America ROVAL 400.