For only the second time in series history, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will head to Mid-Ohio for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 (Saturday, July 8 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio).
Sitting on 380 acres of land, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Road Course is often touted as the “Most Competitive in the U.S.” and currently plays host to IMSA, the NTT IndyCar Series, and now the ARCA Menard’s Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events.
The classic road course had hosted eight NASCAR Xfinity Series events up until last year when the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series took their place. This 2.26-mile, 13-turn layout will act as the last road course race on the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule.
Nestled inside the limits of Lexington, the track is set directly between Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. The facility, opened in 1962, hosts a road course with two different configurations: a 2.4-mile, 15 turn circuit or a 2.26-mile, 13 turn layout with the latter being what the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will run on.
In the inaugural CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race last year, Parker Kligerman, driving the No. 36 Henderson Motorsports Chevrolet, dominated his way into Victory Lane after leading 56 of 67 laps. He claimed his third win of his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series career and his first on a road course.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio
The Place: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
The Date: Saturday, July 8
The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $671,050
TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 151.28 miles (67 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 67)
CRAFTSMAN Truck Series drivers to watch: Road course ringers edition
In total, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series has run 31 road course races all-time (1995-Present) producing 24 different winners, led by Joe Ruttman and NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. with three road course wins each. Two road course winners in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series are active this weekend – Ben Rhodes (Daytona RC, 2021) and Zane Smith (COTA, 2022 and 2023).
In 2021, Ben Rhodes became the third driver in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history to win the first two races of the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season after dominating the Daytona opener and the Daytona Road Course. The driver of the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford has yet to win another road course race but has finished in the top-10 three times since. Last year, Rhodes finished 23rd at Mid-Ohio.
The 2022 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Zane Smith has been particularly dominant on road courses. Smith became the first repeat NASCAR winner at COTA and made the Front Row Motorsports team a perfect three-for-three in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at the famed road course, after taking the reins from Todd Gilliland.
Although he is still seeking his first career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win, the driver of the No. 2 Rev Racing Chevrolet, Nick Sanchez, has been strong. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate finished seventh at COTA earlier this season. The 22-year-old will look to build off his momentum and claim his first victory this weekend.
Regular Season Title Watch: Corey Heim leads point standings with three to go
TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim continues to have a strong year as he continues to hold the driver points lead in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series with just three races left in the regular season. The 20-year-old is currently 16 points up on reigning CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion, Zane Smith.
Heim’s points lead began after a strong finish at North Wilkesboro – winning Stage 1 and finishing sixth overall – gaining him a total of 48 points to jump from third in the standings over Ty Majeski and Zane Smith. The Georgia native has accumulated one win (Martinsville), five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
The driver of the No. 11 Toyota cannot yet clinch the Regular Season Championship since there are still 180 points and 3 wins available.
Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith (-16 point back from the points leader) continues to stay close to the top spot. Although Smith had a tough stretch from Darlington to Gateway, he managed to bounce back in Nashville and finish second.
The 24-year-old, who swept the Regular Season and Post-Season Championship in 2022, has accumulated two wins, five top-five and five top-10 finishes this season.
Six competitors locked into NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs
With three races to go in the regular season, here’s a look at the current CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff standings:
Locked In:
Six drivers have locked themselves into the 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs by virtue of win this season – Zane Smith (Daytona, COTA), Christian Eckes (Atlanta, Darlington), Carson Hocevar (Texas, Nashville), Corey Heim (Martinsville), Grant Enfinger (Kansas, WWTR), and Ben Rhodes (Charlotte).
Currently in on Points:
Two drivers have built up a points cushion of 14 points or more over the Playoff cutoff following Nashville – ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski (86 points above the Playoff cutoff) and Matt DiBenedetto (+14) of Rackley W.A.R.
With 10 points above the cutoff and ranked ninth in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff outlook is ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton. Following behind the driver of the No. 88 Ford is Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez, six points above the cutoff.
On the Outside Looking In:
Another 10 drivers sit outside the Playoff cutline but still have three races to earn their way into the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs.
Halmar Friesen’s Stewart Friesen is 11th in Playoff standings, six points behind Nick Sanchez. TRICON Garage’s Tanner Gray also sits six points off the final Playoff position.
Following Gray and Sanchez is Chase Purdy (-39 points back from Playoff cutoff), Jake Garcia (-63), Tyler Ankrum (-72), Rajah Caruth (-123), Daniel Dye (-126), Hailie Deegan, (-130), Taylor Gray (-134), and Colby Howard (-135).
Clinch Scenarios For Mid-Ohio:
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 3rd winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Ty Majeski or Matt DiBenedetto.
- Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Matt Crafton or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 111 points above the 2nd winless driver in the standings.
- Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
- Ty Majeski, Matt DiBenedetto, Matt Crafton, Nicholas Sanchez, Stewart Friesen, Tanner Gray, Chase Purdy, Tyler Ankrum, Rajah Caruth, Daniel Dye, Hailie Deegan, Colby Howard, Bret Holmes, Dean Thompson, Lawless Alan, Spencer Boyd
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.
NTT IndyCar Series Veteran Conor Daly to return to Mid-Ohio – Conor Daly looks to return to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend to pilot the No. 41 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet.
In the IndyCar Series, Daly has eight career starts at Mid-Ohio. His best finish, sixth, came in 2016 with Dale Coyne Racing. He led 22 laps in that race. In 105 IndyCar starts, he has one podium finish, a runner-up finish at Belle Isle, and one pole position at Iowa Speedway.
The Indiana native, who raced in the Daytona 500 this season, also has two NASCAR Cup Series starts at road courses. He raced at COTA earlier this season and at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in 2022.
In addition to his multiple Cup Series starts, Daly competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America in 2018. In CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events, the NTT Indy Car Series veteran has two starts, both at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Between those two starts, Daly has a best finish of 18th.
“Mid-Ohio is one of my favorite tracks and the experience I have there – I think it will be really beneficial in getting me up to speed quickly,” Daly said.
Marco Andretti to attempt to make CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut at Mid-Ohio – Marco Andretti will attempt to make his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut this weekend behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend.
The Nazareth, Pennsylvania native made his NASCAR national series debut in 2022 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – driving the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. He finished 26th.
The third generation NTT IndyCar Series racer has over 250 IndyCar starts with two victories. He’s also started 18 consecutive Indianapolis 500s. Additionally, Andretti is the reigning Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series champion, beating Ryan Newman and Bobby Labonte to the title. He knows Mid-Ohio very well, having over a dozen IndyCar starts at the road course and a best finish of sixth.
“I can’t wait to get my feet wet in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series,” said Andretti. “I’m grateful for Group 1001 and Spire Motorsports for making this happen. I have a lot of laps in an Indy car around Mid-Ohio. It’s going to be a bit different but a lot of fun. The Cup Series guys I have spoken to said I will love it.”