CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Prepares For Round of 10 Finale at Kansas Speedway Next Weekend

For the second time this season, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will return to Kansas Speedway and this time it will be for the Round of 10 finale – the Kansas Lottery 200 (Friday, September 8 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio).

Located in the booming Village West area near Kansas City, Kansas Speedway houses a 1.5-mile tri-oval. Construction on the speedway began in 1999 in Kansas’ Wyandotte County. Shortly after it began, NASCAR and the Indy Racing League announced they would both bring a slate of events to the area for its inaugural racing season. The grandstands opened on June 2, 2001, for the speedway’s first races.

The 1.5-mile track has hosted 26 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. Next weekend, Kansas Speedway will play host to the Round of 10 finale where only four spots remain to advance to the Round of 8.

Notably, there have been 22 different winners at Kansas Speedway. Sixty-four time CRAFTSMAN Truck Series winner and NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Busch along with CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff contender Matt Crafton are tied for the series-most wins at the track with three wins a piece.

Practice and qualifying for the Kansas Lottery 200 will begin Friday, September 8 at 3:35 p.m. ET.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: Kansas Lottery 200

The Place: Kansas Speedway

The Date: Friday, September 8

The Time: 8 p.m. ET

The Purse: $703,005

TV: FS1, 7:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

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

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

Grant Enfinger sweeps Milwaukee Mile to secure his spot in Round of 8

Just four days after his organization announced it would cease its operations at the end of the season, GMS Racing’s veteran Grant Enfinger grabbed a pivotal win at the Milwaukee Mile.

Enfinger completely took the track by storm, starting on the pole, sweeping both stages, and leading 95 of 175 laps. The driver of the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet passed Carson Hocevar for the lead on lap 159 after methodically picking off drivers one by one from the back on new tires. He then pulled away to win his third race of the season by 1.553 seconds.

The dominant victory was the veteran’s 10th triumph in 168 races and his 10th top-10 finish in 2023. The Fairhope, Alabama native has recorded his 10 wins at 10 different tracks: Talladega (2016), Las Vegas (2018), Daytona, Atlanta, Richmond, Martinsville (2020), IRP (2022), Kansas, Gateway, and Milwaukee (2023).

The competitors have a week off before heading back to Kansas Speedway, where earlier in the year Enfinger prevailed late to collect his first win of the season.

As for the other nine NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff contenders, the return to the Milwaukee Mile had its ups and downs:

• Hocevar (second), Eckes (third), Heim (fourth), Crafton (fifth), Majeski (seventh), Smith (12th), Rhodes, (16th), Sanchez (24th), DiBenedetto (27th).

Rhodes, DiBenedetto on the outside looking in

Following the Clean Harbors 175 at the Milwaukee Mile, ThorSport Racing veteran Ben Rhodes and Rackley W.A.R.’s Matt DiBenedetto find themselves below the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Round of 8 cutline.

Last weekend, 2021 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Champion Ben Rhodes had to battle all afternoon and managed to finish 16th at the Milwaukee Mile and left the 1.015-mile paved oval just three points back from the Round of 8 cutline. The 2023 season is the 26-year-old’s sixth Playoff appearance.

The contenders will head to Kansas Speedway next weekend where Rhodes previously finished 16th but led 17 laps. In 11 starts at the 1.5-mile oval, the Louisville, Kentucky native has two top-five finishes, five top-10 finishes and a total of 59 laps led. His best finish in the Sunflower State was second in Spring 2019.

Unlike the vast Playoff experience Rhodes has, Matt DiBenedetto is in his first appearance in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs. It’s been 19 races since DiBenedetto’s last visit to Victory Lane (Talladega, 2022) but the Grass Valley, California native knows how to race his way into the top 10 – he’s recorded 10 top-10 finishes so far this season. The driver of the No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet had an unfortunate day at the Milwaukee Mile, finishing 27th and is now twenty points back from the Round of 8 cutline and the final transfer position.

Currently, Rev Racing’s rookie Nick Sanchez is in the eighth and final position to transfer to the next round in the Playoffs on points. Just ahead of Sanchez in seventh is ThorSport Racing driver and three-time CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Matt Crafton, up nine points on the Round of 8 cutline.

Playoff Clinch Scenarios: Approaching Kansas Speedway

With two of the three races in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs Round of 10 in the books, here is a look at the clinch scenarios for the 10-driver field:

Already Clinched

The following 4 drivers have clinched a spot in the 8-driver field of the next round: Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski.

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 7th 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, Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith, Matt Crafton or Nicholas Sanchez.

• Carson Hocevar: Would clinch regardless of finish
• Zane Smith: Would clinch with 27 points
• Matt Crafton: Would clinch with 47 points
• Nicholas Sanchez: Would clinch with 53 points
• Ben Rhodes: Would clinch with 55 points (needs help if Nicholas Sanchez wins)
• Matt DiBenedetto: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Ben Rhodes 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 6th winless driver in the standings.

• Carson Hocevar: Would clinch with 2 points
• Zane Smith: Would clinch with 30 points
• Matt Crafton: Would clinch with 50 points
• Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help
• Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help
• Matt DiBenedetto: Could only clinch with help

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith, Matt Crafton, Nicholas Sanchez, Ben Rhodes, Matt DiBenedetto.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

Carson Hocevar to drive No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet in NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway – Legacy Motor Club announced that NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff contender and standout driver Carson Hocevar will pilot the No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 during the Southern Cookout 500 at Darlington Raceway this weekend.

The 20-year-old is currently ranked fourth in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship point standings and has accumulated three wins, nine top-five finishes, 10 top- 10 finishes, and has led a total of 223 laps this season. Hocevar made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Gateway driving the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet where he began a good run, but unfortunately found himself involved in a crash and did not finish.

“This is a great opportunity to get some seat time in the Cup Series and help out the team at LEGACY M.C.,” said Hocevar. “I had the chance earlier this year to race at St. Louis in the Cup Series. I’m looking forward to working with Luke (Lambert) and the No. 42 team, and if anyone knows how to get around Darlington, Erik Jones does, so it will be great to have him as a teammate.”