CRAFTSMAN Truck Series jumps back into action at Nashville Superspeedway

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to competition for the first time in three weeks at Nashville Superspeedway for the Rackley Roofing 200, the final race of the 2024 Triple Truck Challenge (Friday, June 28, at 8:00 p.m. ET on FS2, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The 16 previous CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at the 1.33-mile track have produced 13 different race winners and 12 different pole winners. Seven of the Truck Series races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Ryan Preece in 2022.

Here’s a look at the drivers who have stamped their names in the Nashville Superspeedway record books:

• Race record: Kyle Busch 136.459 mph (04/02/2010)
• Qualifying record: Erik Darnell 162.116 mph (08/12/2006)
• Most races: Matt Crafton (16)
• Most poles: Todd Bodine, Kyle Busch, and Mike Skinner (2)
• Most wins: Johnny Benson Jr., Kyle Busch, and Ryan Preece (2)
• Most top fives: Ted Musgrave (6)
• Most top 10s: Matt Crafton (9)
• Laps led: Kyle Busch (271)

The Rackley Roofing 200 will be broken up into three stages. The first stage will be 45 laps, followed by 50 in the second stage, and the final stage will be 55 laps for a race total of 150 laps (199.5 miles).

Practice will begin Friday, June 28 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS2 followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 5:00 p.m. ET.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: Rackley Roofing 200

The Place: Nashville Superspeedway

Track Length: 1.33 Mile Concrete Oval

The Date: Friday, June 28

The Time: 8 p.m. ET

The Purse: $897,631

TV: FS2, 8 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 199.5 miles (150 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 95), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 150)

Show Me the Money! Final chance to win Triple Truck Challenge

Notably, the Triple Truck Challenge will close out in Music City this weekend with a new race winner receiving $50,000 or one of the two previous winners – Corey Heim or Nick Sanchez – pocketing an additional whopping $150,000.

Since its inception in 2019, no driver has been able to win all three Triple Truck Challenge races in one season to collect the $500,000 bonus. The streak continues this year after Corey Heim took home the $50,000 bonus at World Wide Technology, following Nick Sanchez’s win and $50,000 bonus at Charlotte.

Let’s take a look at the past winners of the Triple Truck Challenge by season (2019-2024):

Plenty of noteworthy drivers in motorsports entered this weekend

It’s no secret that Nashville Superspeedway has an electric atmosphere, which is why drivers from all over motorsports landscape want a chance to visit Victory Lane this weekend, but their work will be cut out for them with 39 competitors entered in the event.

Brenden Queen: CARS Tour late model stock car standout Brenden “Butterbean” Queen will once again be joining forces with TRICON Garage to pilot the No. 1 Toyota.

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.

In his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut at North Wilkesboro this season, the 26-year-old finished fourth after starting 26th.

Clint Bowyer: Coming out of the booth and making his first NASCAR start since his NASCAR Cup Series retirement, Clint Bowyer will become the seventh different driver to get behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet this season.

The 44-year-old is a 10-time Cup Series winner and a three-time winner in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

In 14 Truck Series races, the Emporia, Kansas native has never made a start at Nashville Superspeedway.

Akinori Ogata: Racing-winner Motocross racer Akinori Ogata is set to pilot the No. 20 Young Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend.

In 2010, Ogata made the decision to leave his home in Kanagawa, Japan, and pursue his dream of racing in NASCAR. He began his journey into American racing in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series racing late model stock cars at Hickory Motor Speedway, eventually getting the opportunity to make his debut in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2014. Since then, the 50-year-old has made 14 previous starts in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, but this will be his first at Nashville Superspeedway.

Frankie Muniz: Former “Malcom in the Middle” star-turned racer, Frankie Muniz, will make his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut this weekend driving the No. 22 Reaume Brothers Racing Ford. After resuming his racing career following a hiatus, the 38-year-old made significant growth and earned a full-time ride in the 2023 ARCA Menards Series where he posted one top-five and 11 top 10 finishes as well as finished fourth in the point standings.

This year, Muniz has made one start at Talladega in the ARCA Menards Series and two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Daytona and Phoenix.

Regular Season Title Watch: Eckes determined to hold point standings with four to go

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes continues to have a breakout year as he holds onto the driver points lead in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series with four races left in the regular season. The 23-year-old is currently 31 points up on Corey Heim in second as the series takes three weeks off before returning at Nashville Superspeedway for the Rackley Roofing 200 on Friday, June 28 at 8 p.m. ET on FS2, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

If Eckes can hold on and win the Regular Season Championship, he will get an additional 15 Playoff points to take with him into the postseason and will become the eighth different driver to win the regular season title; joining Christopher Bell (2017), Johnny Sauter (2018), Grant Enfinger (2019), Austin Hill (2020), John H. Nemechek (2021), Zane Smith (2022) and Corey Heim (2023).

Eckes’ points lead began after a strong showing at Darlington – earning himself a total of 50 points to jump over Heim. The Middletown, New York Native has accumulated two wins, six top-five, and 11 top-10 finishes this season. He also leads the series in laps led this season with 464.

The driver of the No. 19 Chevrolet cannot yet clinch the Regular Season Championship since there are still four wins available.

Right in Eckes’ review mirror is last season’s Regular Season champion and TRICON Garage driver Corey Heim, who is coming off an impressive win at World Wide Technology Raceway. The 21-year-old driver of the No. 11 Toyota has collected four wins (the most of any driver this season), eight top fives, 10 top 10s, and has led 408 laps on the season.

Heim is hoping to catch Eckes within the next four races and become the first driver to win multiple Regular Season Championships in the series.

Cutting It Close: Six CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff spots still up for grabs

Through 12 races this season, four drivers have earned their spot in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs by virtue of their wins – Christian Eckes, Corey Heim, Nick Sanchez and Rajah Caruth – leaving six spots in the 10-driver Playoff field still available heading into Nashville Superspeedway.

With only four races in the regular season remaining, the battle for the final postseason transfer spot is heating up and time is running out.

Following World Wide Technology Raceway, Stewart Friesen is ranked 11th in the Playoff outlook, 26 points back from Grant Enfinger in the 10th and final postseason transfer spot on points.

Just behind Friesen is Daniel Dye in 12th, -37 points back from the postseason cutoff, and three-time Truck Series champion Matt Crafton is 13th, -46 points back from Enfinger.

Since the introduction of the Playoffs in the series in 2016, Matt Crafton has not missed the Playoffs, and he leads the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in postseason appearances with eight consecutive (2016-2023).

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

“Heim Time” in the NASCAR Cup Series – Rising NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series star, Corey Heim will pull double duty in Nashville this weekend, piloting his No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series on Friday night and the No. 50 23XI Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday.

When Erik Jones, driver of the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota, was sidelined with a compression fracture of a lower vertebra following Talladega, Heim was tapped in as the fill-in driver while Jones recovered. The Marietta, Georgia native made his Cup Series debut at Dover, finishing 25th, and then finished 22nd in Kansas.

“We are excited for Corey to join the 23XI team in Nashville as he helps us celebrate our partners at Mobil 1 and its 50th anniversary,” said Steve Lauletta, president of 23XI Racing. “Corey is undoubtedly an up-and-coming star, and we look forward to working with him as he prepares to race at Nashville. Mobil 1 has a history of working with some of the best young talent in racing, and I can’t think of a better person than Corey to drive the No. 50 Toyota at Nashville.”