Kansas Speedway Awaits the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series In Two Weeks

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is taking two weekends off while the Xfinity Series and Cup Series tackle the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway and then head to the concrete oval of Dover Motor Speedway.

The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will return to competition under the lights at Kansas Speedway for the Heart Of America 200 (Saturday, May 4 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio).

The 1.5-mile track has hosted 27 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.

The Heart Of America 200 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 will begin Saturday, April 4 at 12:05 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio followed by qualifying at 12:35 p.m. ET.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: Heart Of America 200

The Place: Kansas Speedway

The Date: Saturday, May 4

The Time: 8 p.m. ET

The Purse: $770,294

TV: FS1, 7 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)

Triad of Kansas winners look to repeat

So far only three previous winners are entered in the Heart Of America 200 at Kansas Speedway, and all are hoping to find their way back into Victory Lane.

Christian Eckes: The breakout star behind the wheel of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet is one of only a handful of drivers who have consistently ran in the top 10 each week – the only exception being at Atlanta (32nd) due to brake failure. In eight starts at Kansas, Eckes has recorded one win (fall 2023), four top fives, and six top 10s. The 23-year old is the most recent Kansas winner.

Matt Crafton: The long-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver owns a vast majority of the records at Kansas Speedway – the race record (139.857 mph – 05/08/2015), most races (27), most wins (3), most top fives (7), top 10s (14), and laps completed (4,148). The driver of the No. 88 ThorSport Ford finished 11th in the 2023 spring Kansas race. Crafton’s most recent Kansas win was in spring of 2020.

Grant Enfinger: The veteran behind the wheel of the No. 9 CR7 Chevrolet has yet to crack the top five this season, but that could change at Kansas. In 11 starts at the 1.5-mile track, Enfinger’s captured one win (spring 2023), six top fives, eight top 10s, and has led 132 laps.

Chevrolet dominates early in 2024 season, but Toyota rules Kansas

Chevrolet has won six of the seven NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race this season. The last non-Chevrolet to win was the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota driven by Corey Heim at the Circuit of the Americas. But when it comes to Kansas Speedway it’s the Toyotas that have dominated in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

Toyota wins at Kansas Speedway:

Chevrolet follows closely behind with 10 wins after winning the last two races at Kansas and Ford with six.

The Toyota drivers will look to power the manufacturer to its second victory of 2024 in the Heart Of America 200 at Kansas Speedway in two weeks.

Eckes jumps to Truck standings lead with Kansas in his sights

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes has catapulted himself into the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points lead following his fourth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway.

This is just the third time in his career he leads the points standings. Through seven races, there have been four drivers from three organizations that have led the standings – Tyler Ankrum, Ty Majeski, Corey Heim, and now Christian Eckes.

The driver of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Chevrolet is currently two points ahead of TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim in second and 12 points ahead of ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski in third.

Eckes will look to hold on to the standings lead at Kansas Speedway in two weeks. The 23-year old from Middletown, New York has made eight CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Kansas posting one win, four top fives, and six top 10s. Eckes is the most recent Kansas winner in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

Jeffrey Earnhardt set to make his return to the series at Charlotte Motor Speedway – Set to return to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series for the first time since the 2011 season, Jeffrey Earnhardt will join MBM Motorsports at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Earnhardt has found success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in recent years. In 169 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, Earnhardt has recorded two top-five finishes and six top-10s. Earnhardt finished eighth at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February, his only NASCAR Xfinity Series start this season.

While he only has 10 career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts to his name, the North Carolina native scored a top-10 finish driving for Rick Ware Racing in the 2011 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.

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

The driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford now sits 12 points over Connor Jones and 21 points over Thadd Moffitt. Jones, driver of the No. 66 ThorSport Racing Ford was the highest finish rookie at Texas (18th).