NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series: Phoenix Raceway Waits For The Championship 4

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series concluded the Round of 8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend, locking in the four drivers who will be competing to be crowned the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion. Carson Hocevar won the Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 – his fourth victory of the 2023 season – and locked in his place in the Championship 4 after making a late-race pass on Ben Rhodes.

As for the other three drivers, Corey Heim clinched his spot after winning at Bristol Motor Speedway, Grant Enfinger pointed his way in (five points above the cutoff) after a fifth-place finish at Homestead, and 2021 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes earned the final spot on a tiebreaker of best finish in the round. Rhodes finished runner-up after Zane Smith and the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports’ team were disqualified after a post-race technical inspection found an unapproved windshield support.

The competitors have a week off to strategize and get their trucks ready for the CRAFTSMAN 150 at Phoenix Raceway Friday, November 3 at 10 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio).

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: CRAFTSMAN 150

The Place: Phoenix Raceway

The Date: Friday, November 3

The Time: 10 p.m. ET

The Purse: $794,766

TV: FS1, 9 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 150 miles (150 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 150)

Let’s look at how the four championship drivers have done in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series careers to get them to this point.

Corey Heim (No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota) heads to Phoenix Raceway next week to make his first career appearance in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship 4 Round. The 21-year-old’s first year with his new team has gone without a significant hitch.

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats:

• Three wins (Martinsville, Mid-Ohio, Bristol)
• 12 top-five finishes, 15 top-10 finishes, three poles
• 564 laps led
• Average start – 7.2
• Average finish – 6.2

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Career (2021 – Present):

• 40 starts, five wins, 18 top-five finishes, 29 top-10 finishes, five poles
• 635 laps led
• Average start – 8.2
• Average finish – 10.2

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Stats (2023):

• One Playoff win (Bristol)
• Six starts, five top-five finishes, six top-10 finishes
• 156 laps led

Crew Chief Scott Zipadelli:

Scott Zipadelli has crew chief experience dating back to 2000 and has made his mark in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He spent 10 years in the Xfinity Series compiling three wins, 35 top-five finishes, and 91 top- 10 finishes in 272 races. Some notable names he has worked with in the series are Kenny Wallace (2011, 2012), Justin Allgaier (2013), and Kyle Larson (2014).

In 2015, he made his move to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series becoming crew chief for Ben Kennedy. Since then, he has accumulated 18 wins, 68 top-five finishes, 117 top- 10 finishes, and nine poles in 204 races. Other notable names he has teamed up with are Ryan Truex (2017), Brett Moffitt (2018), Austin Hill (2019-2021), and Tyler Ankrum (2023). Plus, Zipadelli led driver Brett Moffit to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship in 2018.

Carson Hocevar (No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet) also heads to Phoenix Raceway to make his first career appearance in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship 4 Round. The third-year driver has made the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs since his rookie season in 2020 but has never made it out of the Round of 10. Hocevar is hoping to deliver Niece Motorsports its first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series title.

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats:

• Four wins (Texas, Nashville, Richmond, Homestead)
• 10 top-five finishes and 12 top-10 finishes
• 260 laps led
• Average start – 9.3
• Average finish – 11.2

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Career (2019 – Present):

• 76 starts, four wins, 21 top-five finishes, 33 top- 10 finishes, one pole
• 600 laps led
• Average start – 10.8
• Average finish – 13.1

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Stats (2021 – Present):

• One Playoff win (Homestead, 2023)
• 20 starts, five top-five finishes, six top-10 finishes
• 180 laps led

Crew Chief Phil Gould:

Phil Gould has experience in all three NASCAR national series. His NASCAR journey first began in 2013 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Brian Scott. He spent six years in the series compiling one win, 18 top-five finishes, 77 top-10 finishes, and four poles in 198 races. He also worked with Eliott Sadler (2015) and Ryan Reed (2016-2018) before moving to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2019, spending almost the entirety of the season with Ross Chastain who earned Most Popular Driver that year.

Since then, he’s been with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series for five years, accumulating seven wins, 31 top-five finishes, 57 top-10 finishes, and two poles. Other notable names he’s worked with in the series are Trevor Bayne (2020), Ty Majeski (2020), and Brett Moffitt (2021).

Grant Enfinger (No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet) heads to Phoenix Raceway to compete in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship 4 Round for the second time in his career. With steady performances week in and week out, the 38-year-old hopes to earn GMS Racing a championship in their final start.

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats:

• Three wins (Kansas, Gateway, Milwaukee)
• 8 top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes, one pole
• 232 laps led
• Average start – 9.9
• Average finish – 9.3

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Career (2010 – Present):

• 172 starts, 10 wins, 58 top-five finishes, 101 top-10 finishes, six poles
• 1,131 laps led
• Average start – 10.3
• Average finish – 10.4

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Stats (2018 – Present):

• Four Playoff wins (Las Vegas, 2018; Martinsville, 2020; Indianapolis, 2022; Milwaukee, 2023)
• 34 starts, 15 top-five finishes, 20 top-10 finishes, three poles
• 346 laps led

Crew Chief Jeff Hensley:

Jeff Hensley’s crew chief experience dates back to 1987 and has made his mark in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He spent 15 years in the Xfinity Series compiling 11 wins, 46 top-five finishes, 106 top-10 finishes, and 13 poles in 427 races. Two notable names he has worked with in the series are Larry Pollard (1987) and Chuck Brown (1989-1993).

In 2004, he made his move to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series becoming crew chief for Bill Lester. Since then, he has accumulated 22 wins, 124 top-five finishes, 245 top-10 finishes, and 38 poles in 462 races. Notable names he has teamed up with in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series are Mike Skinner (2005-2007), Timothy Peters (2010), Ron Hornaday Jr. (2011, 2012), and Johnny Sauter (2014). In 2022, Hensley started the year with Matt Crafton before moving over to Enfinger.

Ben Rhodes (No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford) returns to Phoenix Raceway after finishing runner-up in the Championship Round of 4 last year. The 2021 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion is in his sixth Playoff appearance and will make his third start in the Championship 4 Round.

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats:

• One win (Charlotte)
• Five top-five finishes and 12 top-10 finishes
• 90 laps led
• Average start – 11.8
• Average finish – 11.4

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Career (2014 – Present):

• 186 starts, seven wins, 55 top-five finishes, 102 top-10 finishes, five poles
• 1,218 laps led
• Average start – 9.3
• Average finish – 11.4

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Stats (2017 – Present):

• One Playoff wins (Las Vegas, 2017)
• 41 starts, 14 top-five finishes, 22 top-10 finishes, two poles
• 193 laps led

Crew Chief Rich Lushes:

Rich Lushes has six years of knowledgeable experience in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He’s accumulated three wins, 21 top-five finishes, and 41 top- 10 finishes in 93 races. Lushes had been paired up with Hailie Deegan earlier in the season before he was brought over to the No. 99 team in mid-September. The dynamic duo of Rhodes and Lushes won the 2021 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship together.

NCTS Playoffs Contender’s Career Performances at Phoenix Raceway

Phoenix Raceway: Where another CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Champion will be crowned

The competitors have a week off to get their trucks ready and gear up for the CRAFTSMAN 150 at Phoenix Raceway Friday, November 3 at 10 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio), where it will be decided who of the Championship 4 contenders – Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger, and Ben Rhodes – will finish the highest and take the 2023 title.

The one-mile low banked tri-oval in Avondale, Phoenix has hosted 32 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races producing 22 different race winners. Eight of the 32 series races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by reigning NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Zane Smith (2022).

Since its opening in 1964, Phoenix Raceway has had four different names:

• Phoenix International Raceway
• ISM Raceway
• Jeff Gordon Raceway (November 15, 2015)
• Phoenix Raceway

The track was originally two circuits in one, a 2.7-mile road course and a one-mile tri-oval before later being redeveloped confiding the track to oval-only. It was reconfigured by mid-August 2011. From 1995-1998, Phoenix Raceway held two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races a year. Since 1999, the track has only hosted one race in the series a year.

The inaugural Phoenix race was won by Mike Skinner piloting the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet on Sunday, February 5. Skinner bested legendary drivers Terry Labonte, Ron Hornaday Jr., and Johnny Benson Jr. Sheldon Creed was the first driver to win the championship race at Phoenix in 2022.

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will kick off the Championship Weekend with practice on Thursday, November 2 at 8 p.m. EST. They will make their qualifying runs on Friday, November 3 at 6:05 p.m. EST.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

Sanchez dominates Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings – As the 2023 CRAFTSMAN Sunoco rookies head to Phoenix for the final race of the season, Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez has completely dominated the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.

The 2022 ARCA Menards Series champion has been the leader of the rookie standings for most of the season. In 22 starts he has put up five poles, two top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. He has also led 304 laps this season.

The 22-year-old made a deep run in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs before being eliminated in the Round of 8.

 Christian Eckes will return to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in 2024 – McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced last week that Christian Eckes will return full-time to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

Eckes has constructed a career-best campaign in 2023 during his first year aboard the No. 19 MHR Chevrolet Silverado RST by winning three races and was challenging for the 2023 NCTS championship in his third Playoff run before getting eliminated last weekend in Homestead.

Crew chief Charles Denike will also return to lead Eckes and the No. 19 team in 2024. Eckes and Denike have become an elite duo in the series, scoring three wins in 22 races along with nine-top-five and 12 top- 10 finishes.

Dean Thompson set to return to TRICON Garage in 2024 – TRICON Garage announced that Dean Thompson will be back behind the helm of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro in 2024. In 22 starts, Thompson has two top-five finishes, and four top- 10 finishes this year. The 22-year-old collected career-best finishes of third place at Talladega and Charlotte.

“Dean has taken a huge leap in his development this season. He’s had several strong runs, instilling confidence in us that he will continue to grow as a driver at this level,” said TRICON Partner David Gilliland. “He brings a lot of character and energy to the team, and we’re happy he’ll have a home at TRICON for another year.”