Five Fantastic Races Lead to Record Start in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

The first five races of the 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season have passed the eye-test producing intense side-by-side, action-packed competition, and the stats are in to back it up.

This season is just the fourth-time since the inception of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 1995 that the series has started a season with five different race winners and five different pole winners through the first five events of a season; joining the 1996, 2005 and 2012 seasons.

The 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season has seen 23 different drivers lead laps producing an average of eight different lap leaders per race; which is tied with 2005 for the second-most average lap leaders through the first five races in series history, behind only the 2022 season with 8.4 lap leaders per race. Christian Eckes, driver of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet, has led the most laps this season with 173.

The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series first five races have also generated an average of 16.20 lead changes per race; which is the series record for the most average lead changes through the first five races of season in series history (1995-2024). The previous record was 15.20 set in 2022.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: Long John Silver’s 200

The Place: Martinsville Speedway

The Date: Friday, April 5

The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

The Purse: $746,572

TV: FS1, 6:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 105.2 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 50),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 100), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

Hot streak: 10 different winners in last 10 races at Martinsville

Martinsville Speedway continues to uphold its race winner streak with 10 different NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series winners in the last 10 races at the historic track. The streak is currently second to Bristol Motor Speedway (8/21/2014 – 03/16/2024) for the longest active streak in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

The different winners streak began in 2017 when Chase Elliott took the checkered flag in the spring race, followed by Noah Gragson in the fall, John Hunter Nemechek (2018 spring), Johnny Sauter (2018 fall), Kyle Busch (2019 spring), Todd Gilliland (2019 fall), Grant Enfinger (2020), Zane Smith (2021), William Byron (2022), and most recently, Corey Heim (2023).

So far only two previous winners are entered in next Friday’s under-the-lights 200-lap tilt. Let’s take a look at how they have fared overfall at Martinsville:

Grant Enfinger: The veteran driver from Alabama, has yet to crack the top-five this season with his new team, but has two top-10 finishes under his belt. The driver of the No. 9 CR7 Chevrolet has made 11 starts at Martinsville Speedway and posted one win (2020), three top fives, and five top 10s. In addition, he’s led 56 laps at the paper-clip shaped track.

Corey Heim: The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ most recent winner is on course for another breakout year. In two starts, the driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota has posted one win (2023), one top five, and one top 10. The Marietta, Georgia native has also led 82 laps.

As the series returns to the half-mile Martinsville track next weekend, all eyes will be on the two stars to see if they will make another trip to Victory Lane.

It’s beginning to look like ‘Heim Time’ in 2024

After remarkable restarts all day long, Corey Heim triumphed at Circuit of The Americas to earn his first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory of the year. The overtime finish was Heim’s sixth win of his career, winning three times last season.

Heim had to fend off teammate Taylor Gray to the checkered flag, which ultimately was the first 1-2 finish in TRICON Garage’s history. The team had a banner day that saw all five of its trucks finish in the top-10: Corey Heim (first), Taylor Gray (second), Jack Hawksworth (sixth), Dean Thompson (ninth), and Tanner Gray (10th).

There were 14 lead changes among eight drivers, but only the driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota led double-digits. The 21-year old has finished sixth or better in all five races this season, a feat no other driver in the series has accomplished this season.

“Just great consistency and that was the name of the game last year to make it as far as we did,” Heim said. “Didn’t have the result at the end [of 2023] but I think this year we can make it back and prove we’re champions. Super excited for the rest of the year, we’re really just getting started and I think our best tracks are in front of us, so really can’t wait.”

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will return to competition with the Long John Silver’s 200 at Martinsville Speedway on April 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

CRAFTSMAN Truck point standings heat up at the top

The first five races have also made for an interesting battle in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points standings. With 207 points, TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim has overtaken the lead from McAnally-Hilgemann’s Tyler Ankrum.

Sitting 10 points back from Heim in second is ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski. The San Bernadino, California native has made two previous starts at Martinsville. His first venture in 2022 netted a 16th-place finish and when he returned in 2023, Majeski scored a track-best fourth-place finish. The 29-year old has never led laps at the short track.

Ankrum, who sat atop of the standings through the first four races, now sits 11 points back in third. The driver of the No. 16 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet has made seven starts at Martinsville posting only one top-10 finish (2022).

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

Sammy Smith set to join Spire Motorsports for four races – NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Sammy Smith will pilot the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races, beginning with the April 5 Long John Silver’s 200 at Martinsville Speedway. In addition, the 19-year old will be in the cockpit at North Wilkesboro (May 18), Indianapolis Raceway Park (July 19), and the Milwaukee Mile (August 25).

Smith is the full-time driver of the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He has logged three top-10 finishes in five races this season and earned a season-best eighth place effort earlier this month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Johnston, Iowa native has three previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the legendary Virginia speedway where he finished second and third last season. Smith made his lone NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start in last year’s season opener at Daytona International Speedway where he started 20th and raced his way to a respectable 14th-place finish.

“Sammy Smith is a versatile talent who is a great addition to our all-star driver lineup for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevy Silverado,” said Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt. “He’s a remarkably talented short-track racer who has already won at the Milwaukee Mile and North Wilkesboro, so he’s a perfect fit for this four-race schedule. We’re excited to see him in the seat in a couple of weeks at Martinsville.”

2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year breakdown – Layne Riggs has jumped ahead to lead the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings following five races in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

The driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford was the highest-finishing Sunoco Rookie contender at COTA (27th) and now sits 12 points over Connor Jones and 21 points over Thadd Moffitt.