CRAFTSMAN Truck Series To Wrangle Martinsville Speedway In Playoffs’ Penultimate Race

For the first time since 2021, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to Martinsville Speedway for the Playoffs’ penultimate race – the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 – on Friday, November 1 at 6 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio (Channel 90).

The historic 0.526-mile track has hosted 47 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races since its inaugural event on September 25, 1995 – a race won by Joe Ruttman piloting the No. 84 Irvan-Simo Racing Ford.

Notably, there have been 34 different race winners at Martinsville in the Truck Series. Johnny Sauter, who will be making his return to the series with ThorSport Racing this weekend, leads the Truck Series with four wins at Martinsville. In total, nine of the 34 races have been won from the pole, most recently by Chase Elliott in 2017.

Here’s a closer look at the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series veterans who have inscribed their name in the Martinsville Speedway record books:

• Race record: Jimmy Hensley 74.282 mph (04/17/1999)
• Qualifying record: Ty Majeski 97.523 mph (04/05/2024)
• Most races: Matt Crafton (41)
• Most poles: Jack Sprague (4)
• Most wins: Johnny Sauter (4)
• Most top fives: Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter (11)
• Most top 10s: Matt Crafton (23)
• Laps led: Kyle Busch (627)

On-track activity for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway kicks off with practice at 1:30 p.m. on FS2 followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 2:05 p.m. EST on Friday, November 1.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200

The Place: Martinsville Speedway

The Date: Friday, November 1

The Time: 6 p.m. ET

The Purse: $672,417

TV: FS1, 6 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

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

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

Crunch Time: Clinch Scenarios for Martinsville Speedway

With one race left in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs, here are the clinch scenarios to decide this season’s Championship Four.

Already Clinched

The following driver has clinched a spot in the four-driver field of the next round: Grant Enfinger.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the fourth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Corey Heim, Christian Eckes or Ty Majeski.

• Corey Heim: Would clinch with 7 points
• Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 18 points
• Ty Majeski: Would clinch with 34 points
• Rajah Caruth: Could only clinch with help
• Taylor Gray: Could only clinch with help
• Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help
• Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Rajah Caruth or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the third winless driver in the standings.

• Corey Heim: Would clinch with 29 points
• Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 40 points
• Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
• Rajah Caruth: Could only clinch with help
• Taylor Gray: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Rajah Caruth, Taylor Gray, Tyler Ankrum, Nicholas Sanchez

Martinsville Speedway offers one last chance to advance

Martinsville Speedway has not participated in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs since 2021. Before that, it had been on the schedule since the inception of the Playoffs in 2016.

The 0.526-mile track, Martinsville Speedway, has occupied three different spots on the postseason schedule: the fourth race (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021), the fifth race (2019), and the sixth race (2020, 2024) – the same event as this year.

The previous six Playoff races hosted at Martinsville Speedway have produced five different winners, led by Johnny Sauter with two postseason victories (2016 and 2018).

In addition, two of the six previous Martinsville Speedway Truck Series Playoff races were won by non-Playoff drivers – Noah Gragson (2017) and Todd Gilliland (2019).

This weekend, the only one of the Round of 8 drivers has previously won a Martinsville Playoff race, and its CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger (2020).

Martinsville, Phoenix and Homestead are the three tracks that have hosted the penultimate race in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs.

Notably, the Round of 8 finale has not been won by a non-playoff driver since Daniel Suarez at Phoenix in 2016 and the winner of the penultimate race has gone on to win the title that same season only once – Brett Moffitt in 2018.

Below are the finishes in the sixth race of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs by the eventual champions of those seasons:

• In 2016, second by Johnny Sauter at Phoenix.
• In 2017, eighth by Christopher Bell at Phoenix.
• In 2018, first by Brett Moffitt at Phoenix.
• In 2019, sixth by Matt Crafton at Phoenix.
• In 2020, eighth by Sheldon Creed at Martinsville.
• In 2021, seventh by Ben Rhodes at Martinsville.
• In 2022, second by Zane Smith at Homestead-Miami.
• In 2023, second by Ben Rhodes at Homestead-Miami.

Make It or Break It: Playoffs Contender’s Career Performances at Martinsville

As the competitors head to Martinsville this weekend, the pressure to advance to the coveted Championship 4 Round is on. A win at the historic 0.526-mile track by a Playoff contender would ensure their spot.

All Playoff drivers have given Martinsville Speedway a go in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, making this weekend that much more intense.

Here’s a look at how our eighth Playoff drivers have performed there previously.

Of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff field, Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim, and Christian Eckes are the only previous Martinsville Speedway winners.

Last Chance Race: Caruth, Gray, Ankrum, and Sanchez outside Championship 4 cutline

With one spot in the Championship 4 Round secured by Grant Enfinger, who has won both of the Round of 8’s first two races at Talladega and Homestead, the rest of the competitors are certainly starting to feel the heat as the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series heads to Martinsville Speedway, especially the drivers currently sitting below the cutline Rajah Caruth, Taylor Gray, Tyler Ankrum, and Nick Sanchez.

Spire Motorsport’s Rajah Caruth finished eighth at Homestead-Miami Speedway and left the 1.5-mile paved oval -22 points back from the Championship 4 cutline.

Below the cutline and in his first Playoffs appearance is TRICON Garage’s Taylor Gray. The 19-year-old finished 10th at Homestead and is -24 points back from the final transfer position.

McAnally-Hilgemann’s Tyler Ankrum heads to Martinsville ranked seventh in the Playoff stands. Although the 23-year-old had a decent day in South Florida and finished fifth, he is currently 41 points back from the fourth and final spot in the championship round.

Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez returned to his home track hoping to capture the checkered flag and secure his spot in the Championship Four for the first-time. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old did not have the day he planned, finishing 13th and now the driver of the No. 2 Rev Racing Chevrolet sits -43 points back from the cutline.

Currently, ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski is in the fourth and final position to transfer to the Championship 4 Round. Just ahead of Majeski in third is McAnally-Hilgemann driver Christian Eckes, up +38 points on the Championship 4 cutline.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Outlook Following Homestead-Miami Speedway (October 26, 2024)

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

Hot streak: 11 different winners in last 11 races at Martinsville – Martinsville Speedway continues to uphold its race winner streak with 11 different NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series winners in the last 11 races at the historic track. The streak is currently second to Bristol Motor Speedway with 12 (8/20/2014 – 09/19/2024) 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), Corey Heim (2023), and most recently, Christian Eckes (2024 spring).

Three Playoff contenders, one of which is already locked into the Championship 4, are the only previous winners are entered in Friday night’s 200-lap tilt: Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim, and Christian Eckes.

As the series returns to the half-mile this weekend, all eyes will be on these three stars to see if Heim and Eckes can make the Championship 4 Round or if Enfinger sweeps the Round of 8.

Hettinger Racing Acquires Bret Holmes Racing – Chris Hettinger, a longtime and late model team owner from Dryden, Michigan, has purchased the assets of Bret Holmes Racing. The organization will complete the 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule with 2018 Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt under its new name, Hettinger Racing.

The team will debut on Friday at Martinsville and plans to run the season finale at Phoenix. 2018 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt will pilot the No. 4 Hettinger Racing Chevrolet in both events.

“Between the investments I’ve made over the years in our late model program and the opportunity to purchase Bret Holmes Racing, the time was right to grow Hettinger Racing into a team that can further drivers’ development by seamlessly transitioning them from Late Models to ARCA to Trucks,” Hettinger said. “We’ll continue our late model program by running the zMAX CARS Tour, and we’ll run select ARCA and Truck Series races that fit best with our overall schedule.”

“I said earlier this year that when it came to racing, I wanted quality over quantity, and the equipment Chris Hettinger already had was second to none,” Moffitt said. “With his purchase of Bret Holmes Racing, Chris’ operation is scaled up and ready to tackle the Truck Series. I feel like the potential is there, and I’m really looking forward to driving their Chevy and getting Hettinger Racing prepared for next year.”