After another thrilling weekend of racing, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series teams are headed to Circuit of The Americas for the XPEL 225. The first and only road course for the series will kick off a doubleheader Saturday on March 23 at 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
There have been three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Circuit of The Americas, producing two different winners and three different pole winners. Of those three races, none have been won from the pole or first starting position.
The No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford seems to be a lucky truck at the 3.41-mile road course as Todd Gilliland drove No. 38 to Victory Lane in the inaugural COTA race in 2021 and Zane Smith accomplished the same feat in 2022 and 2023. Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Layne Riggs will have the chance to bring the No. 38 Ford back to Victory Lane this weekend. This will be the rookie’s first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race on a road course.
“COTA is going to be a battle for sure,” said Riggs. “I have never raced on a road course before, so it’s going to be interesting to say the least. Dylan (Cappello) and the team know what they need to bring to the track, and it won’t be far off from what Todd (Gilliland) and Zane (Smith) ran to keep the record strong. I just have to execute.”
Here’s a look at who have etched their names in the iconic track’s record books:
- Race record: Zane Smith 77 mph (3/25/2023)
- Qualifying record: Ross Chastain 91.877 mph (3/25/2023)
- Most wins: Zane Smith (2)
- Most top 10s: Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith, and Tyler Ankrum (3)
- Most Laps led: Kyle Busch (43)
Saturday’s XPEL 225 will be broken up into three stages. The first stage will be 12 laps, the second stage will be 14 laps, and the final stage will be 16 laps for a race total of 42 laps (143.22 miles).
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Practice will begin Friday, March 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 4 p.m. ET.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: XPEL 225
The Place: Circuit of The Americas
The Date: Saturday, March 23
The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $794,098
TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 143.22 miles (42 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 12),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 26), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 42)
Top performers on road courses in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series has competed on road courses all throughout its history, including the inaugural season in 1995. This season, the series will take on just one road course – this weekend’s Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
Before the trucks take to the track this weekend, here is a look at some of the top road course performers in the series.
In total, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series has run 32 road course races all-time (1995-Present) producing 25 different winners, led by Joe Ruttman and NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. with three road course wins each.
Only two road course winners in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series are active this weekend – Ben Rhodes (Daytona RC, 2021) and Corey Heim (Mid-Ohio, 2023).
Drivers from far and wide entered this weekend
It’s no secret that Circuit of The Americas is an iconic road course, which is why drivers from far and wide in motorsports want a chance to visit Victory Lane this weekend in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race.
Jack Hawksworth: Vasser Sullivan Lexus standout and reigning IMSA GTD PRO Champion Jack Hawksworth will be joining forces with TRICON Garage to pilot the No. 1 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro this weekend. The Bradford, U.K. native made a NASCAR Xfinity Series start in 2019 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for Joe Gibbs Racing, qualifying on the outside front row, earning a stage win, and finishing 15th.
Marco Andretti: The Nazareth, PA native made his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut in 2023 at Mid-Ohio where he finished in 19th. This weekend, Andretti will be behind the wheel of the No. 04 Roper Racing Chevrolet. The third generation NTT IndyCar Series racer has over 250 IndyCar starts with two victories. He’s also started 18 consecutive Indianapolis 500s. Additionally, Andretti is the reigning Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series champion, beating Ryan Newman and Bobby Labonte to the title.
Connor Zilisch: The 17-year-old will be making his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut at COTA behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Zilisch is an accomplished karting and road racer who, most notably, was part of Era Motorsport’s LMP2 class win at the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway – making him the second-youngest driver, ever, to win the iconic race. He is a 10-time Trans-Am TA2 class race winner and a central component of Trackhouse Racing’s driver development program. The Mooresville, N.C., native is the 2022 Mazda MX-5 championship runner-up where he also claimed rookie-of-the-year honors for Hixon Motor Sports.
Vicente Salas: A lifelong dream will become a reality for Vicente Salas this weekend. The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series competitor will make his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut piloting the No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet. The 21-year-old will become the latest driver with eNASCAR experience to compete in a NASCAR national series event, joining drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr., William Byron, Josh Berry, Parker Retzlaff and Kaden Honeycutt, among others.
Carter Fartuch: Skip Barber Racing School’s Director of Instructors Carter Fartuch will be making his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut behind the wheel of the No. 22 Reaume Brothers Racing Ford. While this weekend is the 29-year-old’s debut, he has previously competed in GT4 America, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and TC America.
Ross Chastain: NASCAR Cup Series regular Ross Chastain will be piloting the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend. Chastain had made 51 starts for Niece Motorsports since the 2018 Truck Series season. This includes 2019 when he ran full-time, won three races, and finished second in the championship standings. Chastain also won at Charlotte with Niece in 2022. Last season in his first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at COTA, Chastain started on the pole and went on to finish fifth.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.
Chevrolet On Hot Streak – Chevrolet has won every NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race since October 21, 2023, at Homestead-Miami Speedway – a race won by Carson Hocevar in the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet. The last non-Chevrolet to win was the No. 31 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by Brett Moffitt at Talladega in September 2023.
The Chevrolet drivers will look to power the manufacturer to its fifth-straight victory this season in the XPEL 225 at Circuit of The Americas this weekend.
CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Upcoming Milestones – Several drivers in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will be making milestone starts in the upcoming races this season.
Matt Crafton is expected to make his 550th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Martinsville Speedway. Crafton leads the Truck Series in starts, all of which are consecutive.
Tanner Gray is expected to make his 100th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Martinsville Speedway.
Bayley Currey is expected to make his 50th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Martinsville Speedway.
Christian Eckes is expected to make his 100th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Darlington Raceway.
Ty Majeski is expected to make his 75th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Darlington Raceway.
Corey Heim is expected to make his 50th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Darlington Raceway.