After a week off to regroup and go over some short track strategy, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is headed to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Weather Guard Truck Race on Saturday, March 16 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: Weather Guard Truck Race
The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, March 16
The Time: 8 p.m. ET
The Purse: $761,274
TV: FS1, 7 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 133.25 miles (250 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 65),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 130), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 250)
Beginning in Spring 2021, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series had been competing on the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt track. This season marks the first time the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will have competed on concrete in the Spring since June 5, 1999 – a race won by Jack Sprague in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
There have been 26 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Bristol, producing 21 different winners and 19 different pole winners. Six races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Brett Moffitt in 2019.
Here’s a look at who have etched their names in the 0.533-mile track’s Truck Series record books:
- Race record: Brad Keselowski 91.919 mph (08/21/2014)
- Qualifying record: Kyle Busch 129.413 mph (08/16/2017)
- Most races: Matt Crafton (21)
- Most poles: Kyle Busch (4)
- Most wins: Kyle Busch (5)
- Most top fives: Kyle Busch (7)
- Most top 10s: Matt Crafton (14)
- Laps led: Mike Skinner (562)
Corey Heim is Bristol Motor Speedway’s most recent winner after making a late-race pass on Christian Eckes in the fall to get the victory.
Notably, two NASCAR Cup Series regulars that are no strangers to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series are entered this weekend:
- Kyle Busch (No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet)
- Zane Smith (No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet)
Saturday’s Weather Guard Truck Race will be broken up into three stages. The first two stages will be 65 laps each and the final stage will be 120 laps for a race total of 250 laps (133.25 miles).
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Practice will begin Saturday, March 16 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 3:40 p.m. ET.
Trio of Bristol winners hungry for another trip to Victory Lane
Three previous Bristol Motor Speedway concrete winners are entered in this weekend’s Weather Guard Truck Race, and all three are looking for another trip to Victory Lane.
Kyle Busch: The winningest driver in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will run his second race on his select-tour behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend. In Busch’s 11 starts at the 0.533-mile track, he’s posted five wins (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017), four poles, seven top fives, eight top 10s, and has led 544 laps.
Ty Majeski: In two starts, the driver of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford has posted one win (2022), one top-five, and one top-10 finish. He’s also led 45 laps. The 29-year-old’s win in 2022 was his first in his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series career.
Corey Heim: The driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota has made two starts on the concrete track. In those two starts, Heim’s posted one win (2023), one top-five and two top-10 finishes. If the 21-year-old wins this weekend, he would be the first driver to post back-to-back wins at Bristol since Kyle Busch in 2010.
Rajah Caruth with potential to continue historic run
When Rajah Caruth earned his first NASCAR national series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 21-year-old became the third African American to win a NASCAR national series race, joining the legendary company of Wendell Scott and Bubba Wallace.
Caruth’s victory is part of a string of wins from graduates of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, who have won in each of the first four weeks of the NASCAR season:
- Nick Sanchez, Rev Racing (NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series) at Daytona
- Daniel Suárez, Trackhouse Racing (NASCAR Cup Series) at Atlanta
- Rajah Caruth, Spire Motorsports (NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series) at Las Vegas
- Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports (NASCAR Cup Series) at Las Vegas
In three starts this season, Caruth has tallied one win, one pole, two top-five and three top-10 finishes. The driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet currently sits fourth in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points standings. Last season, Caruth finished sixth at Bristol Motor Speedway.
If Caruth were to win again this weekend, he would become the sixth different driver in NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history to win their first two races back-to-back; joined by:
- Rich Bickle, 1997: Portland, Evergreen
- Kurt Busch, 2000: Milwaukee, New Hampshire
- Ted Musgrave, 2001: Homestead-Miami, Mesa Marin
- Todd Bodine, 2004: Fontana, Texas
- Kasey Kahne, 2004: Darlington, Homestead-Miami
- Kyle Busch, 2005: Charlotte, Dover
- Johnny Benson Jr., 2006: Michigan, Milwaukee
Ankrum extends points lead slightly, Majeski still in pursuit
Tyler Ankrum extended his lead in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points standings at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to five points over Ty Majeski in second.
The driver of the No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet left Las Vegas with a second-place finish accumulating 42 points and retaining his position as the points leader in the series. It was his best finish at Las Vegas in eight starts.
The San Bernadino, California native, Ankrum, has made five starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. His first venture in 2019 netted a 20th-place finish and when he returned in 2020, Ankrum scored a track-best seventh-place finish. Last season, Ankrum finished 23rd. He has led 53 laps at the short track.
Sitting in Ankrum’s rear view mirror is ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski. The driver of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford led a race-high 40 of 134 laps and swept both stages at Las Vegas. But a speeding penalty on pit road on Lap 102 ultimately cost him the chance to win the Vegas race.
Now heading to Bristol, Majeski is hoping for another solid run to close the gap on Ankrum. In two starts at the ‘World’s Fastest Half-Mile,’ Majeski has one win (2022).
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.
Brenden Queen set to join TRICON Garage at North Wilkesboro – CARS Tour late model stock car standout Brenden “Butterbean” Queen will be joining forces with TRICON Garage in his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut to pilot the No. 1 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro at North Wilkesboro.
The Chesapeake, Virginia driver had a breakout campaign in 2023 earning four victories, 13 top fives and 15 top 10s in CARS Tour competition enroute to a second-place finish in the series points standings. Beyond the CARS Tour, Queen captured his second Hampton Heat triumph at Langley Speedway and scored victories in the Battle of the Stars at All-American Speedway and the Thanksgiving Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park.
“I have been dreaming of this since I started racing go karts at six years old,” said Queen. “It’s an honor to have the opportunity to team up with TRICON and Toyota to make my Truck Series debut at the track that put my name on the map last year.”
CRC extends entitlement of NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Pocono – Pocono Raceway will open its July 12-14 NASCAR Tripleheader weekend in grand fashion with the longest scheduled CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race ever to run at the historic venue.
The CRC Brakleen 175 will consist of 80 laps and 175 miles on the 2.5-mile tri-oval – an increase of 10 laps and 25 miles from the most recent races. In addition to the CRC Brakleen 175 becoming the longest NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway, it also will be the first ever contested on a Friday evening at ‘The Tricky Triangle’. Of the previous 14 races run, 12 were on Saturday and two on Sunday (2011, 2020).
“We take tremendous pride in our Pennsylvania roots and having another home state company in CRC Industries and their Brakleen products sponsor our first 175-mile CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race is something we are extremely excited about,” said Pocono Raceway President Ben May, referring to CRC’s global corporate headquarters in Horsham, Pa. “We’re looking forward to seeing the stars of the truck series entertain the world’s best fans at the CRC Brakleen 175.”
CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Upcoming Milestones – Several drivers in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will be making milestone starts in the upcoming races this season.
Matt Crafton is expected to make his 550th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Martinsville Speedway. Crafton leads the Truck Series in starts, all of which are consecutive.
Tanner Gray is expected to make his 100th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Martinsville Speedway.
Bayley Currey is expected to make his 50th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Martinsville Speedway.
Christian Eckes is expected to make his 100th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Darlington Raceway.
Ty Majeski is expected to make his 75th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Darlington Raceway.
Corey Heim is expected to make his 50th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Darlington Raceway.