By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service
Fresh from a convincing victory at Bristol Motor Speedway—a win that denied runner-up Kyle Larson a sweep of NASCAR’s three national series—Chandler Smith comes to Rockingham Speedway second in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series standings, with his sights set on the top spot.
Smith is the only driver to have finished in the top 10 in all six CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races this season, and he’ll try to extend that streak in Friday’s Black’s Tire 200 (5 p.m. ET on FS1, NRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“I can’t wait for Rockingham,” said Smith, who drives for Front Row Motorsports. “This 38 team is on a tear right now, and we have a lot of good momentum heading into Rockingham.
“There’s a lot less pressure heading into the weekend knowing we are locked into the Playoffs, but we want more. I think we have a good shot at the Regular Season Championship.”
Smith trails series leader Corey Heim by 18 points. Neither driver has ever raced at the 0.94-mile track, which last hosted a Truck Series race in 2013.
Saturday’s race is the final Triple Truck Challenge event of the season. Both Smith and Martinsville winner Daniel Hemric are eligible for a $150,000 bonus, should they win a second Triple Truck Challenge race this season.
A $50,000 prize is available to any other highest-finishing series regular.
Four drivers in Friday’s field raced at The Rock in the Truck Series during its two-year presence in 2012 and 2013. Matt Crafton and Norm Benning, with two starts each, and Grant Enfinger and Parker Kligerman with a single start each.
Photo: FRM PR
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: Black’s Tire 200
The Place: Rockingham Speedway
Track Length: 0.94 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Friday, April 18
The Time: 5 p.m. ET
The Purse: $782,900
TV: FS1, 5 p.m. ET
Radio: NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 188 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
Where To Watch NASCAR This Week:
Friday, April 18
NCTS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (FS2 at 12:30 p.m. ET)
NXS Practice (The CW App at 3 p.m. ET)
NCTS Race: Black’s Tire 200 (FS1, NRN, SiriusXM at 5 p.m. ET)
Saturday, April 19
NXS Kennametal Pole Qualifying (The CW App at 11:30 a.m. ET)
NXS Race: North Carolina Education Lottery 250 presented by Black’s Tire (The CW, MRN, SiriusXM at 4 p.m. ET)