NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes – Friday, April 28, 2017

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is less than a month away from action. The series hits the track next at Kansas Speedway for the Toyota Tundra 250 on Friday, May 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

William Byron is the defending race winner. Matt Crafton (second), Christopher Bell (fourth), Ryan Truex (sixth) and Timothy Peters (eighth) all scored top-ten finishes at Kansas last season.

Losses are Frugal for Fugle at Kyle Busch Motorsports

Ryan ‘Rudy’ Fugle has been one of the preeminent crew chiefs in the Camping World Truck Series over the last couple of seasons. He has guided his team at Kyle Busch Motorsports to three Camping World Truck Series owner’s championships in all three of his seasons with the team (2013, 2015 and 2016). Fugle captured a driver’s championship with Kyle Busch Motorsports driver and Sunoco Rookie Erik Jones in 2015.

Fugle (33), a New York native, went to UNC Charlotte and studied engineering. He started his career as a crew chief in NASCAR in the XFINITY Series in 2009 when he was atop of the pit box for driver Michael Annett for seven races. In 2010, Fugle was the crew chief for Annett for the entire season.

Fugle went to the Camping World Truck Series in 2011 and was the crew chief for Justin Lofton for nine races.

In 2013, he found his calling as a crew chief in the Camping World Truck Series at Kyle Busch Motorsports. He was atop of the pit box that season for a multitude of drivers including current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. In 21 Camping World Truck Series races, he helped guide the No. 51 Toyota Tundra to six wins, ten top-fives and 15 top-tens. Fugle delivered the owner’s championship to Kyle Busch Motorsports that season.

In 2015, Fugle led Sunoco Rookie Erik Jones to one of the most dominant rookie seasons to date…at the time. Fugle and Jones combined to win the Camping World Truck Series driver’s and owner’s championship, and Jones was awarded the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. The two won three races, scored 11 top-fives and 20 top-tens in 23 races.

In 2016, Fugle and Sunoco Rookie William Byron partook in a Camping World Truck Series record-shattering season. The two won seven races; breaking the previous Camping World Truck Series rookie wins record of five set by Kurt Busch in 2000. The combo secured the Camping World Truck Series owner’s championship and Byron was bestowed the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award as a result of his record-breaking season with Fugle at the helm.

From 2013 to present, Fugle’s drivers have combined for 17 wins, ten poles and 35 top-five finishes across his 71 races calling the shots for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Fugle is now the crew chief for Camping World Truck Series driver Christopher Bell. Through three races this season, he and Bell have accounted for one win, two stage wins, two top-fives, three top-tens and have led 201 laps. 

Camping World Truck Series Young Guns Make the Jump

The Camping World Truck Series has often been viewed at as a talent bed of drivers that have potential to make it to the next level in NASCAR.

Over the last three seasons, the Camping World Truck Series has seen young, talented drivers such as Erik Jones, Darrell Wallace Jr., William Byron, Brandon Jones, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Hemric make the jump to the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

The 2017 XFINITY Series field has four Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates who all drove full-time in the Camping World Truck Series a season ago in William Byron, Daniel Hemric, Cole Custer and Spencer Gallagher.

Each driver has shown flashes of greatness in the ‘Series Where Names Are Made’ this season.

Byron has opened his rookie season strong as he now leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year race and is second in the XFINITY Series points standings.

Hemric cleaned up at Bristol Motor Speedway this past weekend where he won the XFINITY Dash 4 Cash and captured his first stage win of the 2017 season.

If the XFINITY Series playoffs began today, Cole Custer would be the last driver in as he now sits 12th in the XFINITY Series points standings. He’s had one top-five and two top-tens in seven starts this season.

After having a slow start to the 2017 season, Gallagher has straightened it out but scoring four consecutive finishes of 19th or better. He now is 17th in the XFINITY Series points standings.

The Camping World Truck Series remains a talent pool for both the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and XFINITY Series. With nine Sunoco Rookies in this year’s Camping World Truck Series class, expect to start to see those names make the jump as early as next season.

Camping World Truck Series Owner Standings Update

After three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this season, GMS Racing (No. 21 Chevrolet) holds a narrow lead of four points over Kyle Busch Motorsports (No. 4 Toyota) in the owner’s standings.

Kyle Busch is going for his fifth-consecutive and sixth all-time owner’s championship in the Camping World Truck Series this season. Busch’s team broke a series record in 2015 when it earned its third-consecutive and fourth all-time owner’s championship.