Pocono’s ‘Tricky Triangle’ Awaits the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will take a week off to fine-tune their trucks before heading to Pocono Raceway for the CRC Brakleen 175 on Friday, July 12 at 5:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Nestled in the Pocono Mountains, the 14 previous CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at the triangular 2.5-mile track have produced 12 different race winners and nine different pole winners. Four races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Kyle Busch in 2018.

Since the track’s inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race, Cup Series regular Kyle Busch has been the only repeat winner (2015, 2018, 2023). No full-time CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver has ever returned to Victory Lane.

The CRC Brakleen 175 will be broken up into three stages. The first stage will be 15 laps, followed by another 15 in the second stage, and the final stage will be 40 laps for a race total of 70 laps (175 miles).

Practice will begin Friday, July 12 at 2:00 p.m. ET followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 2:30 p.m. ET.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: CRC Brakleen 175

The Place: Pocono Raceway

Track Length: 2.5 Mile Asphalt Tri-Oval

The Date: Friday, July 12

The Time: 5:30 p.m. ET

The Purse: $757,128

TV: FS1, 5:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 175 miles (70 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 15),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 30), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 70)

Conquerors of the ‘Tricky Triangle’

Five current full-time drivers have experience winning at Pocono Raceway outside of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series – Grant Enfinger (2016), Christian Eckes (Spring 2019), Ty Majeski (Fall 2019), Corey Heim (2021), and Taylor Gray (2022) have each taken the checkered flag in the ARCA Menards Series at the 2.5-mile track.

Notably, all five competitors recorded a top-10 finish in last year’s Truck Series race at Pocono.

Eckes and Heim are already multi-winners this season and have locked themselves into the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs. Enfinger, Majeski, and Gray will look to grab their first victory of the season next weekend at the Tricky Triangle.

Let’s take a look at each driver’s CRAFTSMAN Truck Series performance history at the 2.5-mile track:

Grant Enfinger: The veteran behind the wheel of the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet has made seven starts at Pocono Raceway recording one top five and three top 10s. Last year, the 39-year-old finished fifth in the Pocono Truck race.

Christian Eckes: The series’ points leader, who pilots the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet, has consistently ran in the top 10 each week – the only exception being at Atlanta (32nd) due to brake failure. The Middletown, New York native has made five starts posting one top-five and three top 10s as well as led 15 laps. Following Nashville, the 23-year-old has led 14 consecutive races – the second longest in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history, behind only Mike Skinner (19 consecutive races led from 2006-2007). Last year, Eckes finished seventh at the famed track.

Ty Majeski: The driver of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford has made four starts at the Tricky Triangle racking-up two top 10s. Despite starting 34th last year, the Seymour, Wisconsin native persevered to a sixth-place finish.

Corey Heim: Undergoing a tremendous season thus far, the driver behind the wheel of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota is on the hunt to become the first driver to win multiple Regular Season Championships in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Marietta, Georgia native has posted two top fives and two top 10s in just two starts at the 2.5-mile Pocono track as well as led 27 laps. The 21-year-old finished second last year.

Taylor Gray: The driver of the No. 17 TRICON Garage Toyota is on track to a have a career-best season. In just one start at Pocono Raceway, the Denver, North Carolina native has posted one top five and one top 10. The 19-year-old finished third last year.

Three To Go: Eckes can almost taste the Regular Season Championship

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes continues his breakout year after a historic run at Nashville Superspeedway, leading flag-to-flag and becoming the fourth different driver in NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history to complete the feat, joining Mike Skinner, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Timothy Peters.

Eckes currently holds the driver points lead in the series with three races left in the regular season. The 23-year-old is currently 40 points up on Corey Heim in second as the series takes a week to regroup and strategize before returning at Pocono Raceway for the CRC Brakleen 175 on Friday, July 12 at 5:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

If Eckes can hold on and win the Regular Season Championship, he will get an additional 15 Playoff points to take with him into the postseason and will become the eighth different driver to win the regular season title; joining Christopher Bell (2017), Johnny Sauter (2018), Grant Enfinger (2019), Austin Hill (2020), John H. Nemechek (2021), Zane Smith (2022) and Corey Heim (2023).

The Middletown, New York Native has accumulated three wins, seven top-five, and 12 top-10 finishes this season. He also leads the series in laps led this season with 612.

But the driver of the No. 19 Chevrolet cannot yet clinch the Regular Season Championship since there are still three wins and 180 points available.

Time Is Running Out: Six CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff spots left

As the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series prepares for Pocono Raceway, four drivers have earned their spot in the Playoffs by virtue of their wins – Christian Eckes, Corey Heim, Nick Sanchez and Rajah Caruth – leaving six spots in the 10-driver Playoff field still available at Pocono Raceway.

With only three races in the regular season remaining, time is running out to secure the final postseason transfer spot, and with six spots available we know for sure at least three spots will be occupied by drivers on points.

Following Nashville Superspeedway, Daniel Dye is ranked 11th in the Playoff outlook, 14 points back from Tanner Gray in the 10th and final postseason transfer spot on points. Just behind Dye is Stewart Friesen in 12th, -17 points back from the postseason cutoff, and three-time Truck Series champion Matt Crafton is 13th, -54 points back from Gray.

Since the introduction of the Playoffs in the series in 2016, Matt Crafton has not missed the Playoffs, and he leads the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in postseason appearances with eight consecutive (2016-2023).

CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Clinch Scenarios for Pocono:

Can clinch via points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 111 points above the 5th winless driver in the standings.

• Ty Majeski: Would clinch with 45 points

The following drivers could clinch on points with a win by Tyler Ankrum:

• Ty Majeski: Would clinch with 47 points

The following drivers could clinch on points with a win by Taylor Gray:

• Ty Majeski: Would clinch with 49 points

The following drivers could clinch on points with a win by Ben Rhodes or a new winner lower in the standings still eligible for the Playoffs:

• Ty Majeski: Would clinch with 50 points

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

• Ty Majeski, Tyler Ankrum, Taylor Gray, Ben Rhodes, Grant Enfinger, Tanner Gray, Daniel Dye, Stewart Friesen, Matt Crafton, Chase Purdy, Jake Garcia, Layne Riggs, Dean Thompson, Ty Dillon, Bayley Currey, Bret Holmes, Timmy Hill, Matt Mills, Mason Massey, Lawless Alan, Spencer Boyd

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year breakdown – Layne Riggs continues to dominate the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings following 13 races in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

The driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford now sits 130 points over Connor Jones and 158 points over Thadd Moffitt. Jones, the driver of the No. 66 ThorSport Racing Ford was the highest finishing rookie at Nashville (12th).