NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Next Race: UNOH 225
The Place: Kentucky Speedway
The Date: Thursday, July 9
The Time: 7:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: FOX Sports 1, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90
Distance: 225 miles (150 laps)
Bluegrass State Welcomes New Winner
On tap for Friday’s UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway is a guaranteed new winner in Victory Lane as no currently active driver has taken a checkered flag in the Bluegrass State. Among the top contenders at Kentucky are series wins leader Matt Crafton, as well as the drivers from Kyle Busch Motorsports. Crafton has won three of the four races on 1.5-mile tracks this season, while Kyle Busch Motorsports has celebrated in Victory Lane twice at Kentucky, including last year following Kyle Busch’s triumph.
Matt Crafton – Intermediate Track Man Of Mystery
At intermediate tracks, Matt Crafton is “groovy,” baby.
After defending his title at Texas Motor Speedway in April, Crafton and his No. 88 team extended their consecutive top-ten finish streak on 1.5-mile tracks to 12 top-ten finishes in 12 starts beginning at Kansas Speedway in 2014. Included are four wins captured at Texas-1 (2014, 15), Atlanta (2015) and Kansas (2015). The only driver other than Crafton to win at a 1.5-mile track this season was Kasey Kahne at Charlotte.
Jones Readies To Stir Up Winning Kentucky Recipe
Erik Jones will try to make the rest of the field Kentucky Fried Chicken as he goes for his second straight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in Thursday’s UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway.
The 19-year-old NASCAR Next alum won the last Camping World Truck Series race at Iowa in June, leading 112 of 200 laps on his way to Victory Lane.
Jones continues to dominate the Camping World Truck Series loop data statistics. He ranks first in average start (2.3), average running position (3.6), percentage of quality passes (93.1%), fastest laps (402), laps led (592) and driver rating (127.4).
Ray Black Jr. Dives Into Kentucky
Move over Scuba Steve, Scuba Ray is in the house.
Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Ray Black Jr. may have taken last week off in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, but he was busy with his other job as a supervisor in the commercial diving business. A fully licensed deep-sea diver, Black gave media an intro to scuba diving lesson at the Deep Water Training Center in Ocala, Florida. With high waters behind him, Black next sets his sights on Kentucky where he’ll make his first start at the 1.5-mile track.
Essay Contest Winners To Serve As Honorary Pit Crew Members,
Get Guidance From Gallagher
High school students will see the Camping World Truck Series up close and in person on Wednesday, July 8 and Thursday, July 9 as winners of Kentucky Speedway’s S.T.E.M. ESSAY Contest will become honorary pit crew members on select Camping World Truck Series teams. In an effort to expose students to technology, science and engineering principles in NASCAR, teams will integrate each student into their race crew during technical inspections and on race day.
Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Spencer Gallagher is one of the drivers set to host students with his No. 23 GMS Racing team. And he has plenty of insight to offer. Prior to his NASCAR career, Gallagher worked in Silicon Valley as a software tester for a network syncing company and now serves as the impromptu IT department at the race shop.