by Reed Spencer, NASCAR
There’s no doubt who the headliner will be in Friday’s Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event is the first of a tripleheader weekend and the first in Kyle Larson’s quest to sweep all three national-series races at the 0.533-mile short track—a feat accomplished only by Kyle Busch in 2010 and 2017.
Larson will make his second Truck Series start of the season and the 17th of his career. On March 21, he drove the No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet to victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where a late restart in the Xfinity Series race cost him a chance at a weekend triple at that track.
“I am excited for the weekend,” Larson said. “I love Bristol. Hopefully, the track widens out for the truck race like it did last fall. If it is locked on the bottom, qualifying good is going to be huge.
“If we can get it done on Friday, I like our chances Saturday and Sunday (in the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup races).”
While Larson pursues the triple, series regulars will compete for the $50,000 Triple Truck Challenge bonus, which is not available to NASCAR Xfinity or Cup Series regulars.
On March 28 at Martinsville Speedway, Daniel Hemric won the first Truck Series race of his career and the first Triple Truck Challenge bonus of the season.
Bristol is a track where Truck Series drivers have shared the wealth. The last 12 races at the track have produced 12 different winners, and the last six trophies have gone to six different racing organizations.
Layne Riggs of Front Row Motorsports is the most recent winner at the track.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: Weather Guard Truck Race
The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
Track Length: 0.533 Mile Concrete Oval
The Date: Friday, April 11
The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $782,900
TV: FS1, 7:30 p.m. ET
Radio: NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 133.25 miles (250 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 65),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 130), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 250)
Where To Watch NASCAR This Week:
Friday, April 11
NCTS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (FS2 at 3:30 p.m. ET)
NCTS Race: Weather Guard Truck Race (FS1, NRN, SiriusXM at 7:30 p.m. ET)
Saturday, April 12
NXS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (The CW App at 11:30 a.m. ET)
NCS Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (Amazon Prime, PRN, SiriusXM at 2 p.m. ET)
NXS Race: SciAps 300 (The CW, PRN, SiriusXM at 5 p.m. ET)
Sunday, April 13
NCS Race: Food City 500 (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM at 3 p.m. ET)