NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes – Friday, May 5, 2017

This is the last off-week for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as they return to action next Friday, May 12th for the Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway.

Below are some quick facts on the Camping World Truck Series at Kansas.

Races: 16

Pole Winners: 12

Youngest Pole Winner: Erik Jones (05/08/2015 – 18 years, 10 months, 8 days)

Oldest Pole Winner: Ron Hornaday Jr. (05/02/2010 – 51 years, 10 months, 12 days)

Race Winners: 15

Youngest Winner: William Byron (05/06/2016 – 18 years, 5 months, 7 days)

Oldest Winner: Mike Skinner (04/27/2009 – 51 years, 9 months, 30 days)

Races Won from Pole (or First Starting Position): two

Last Race Won from the Pole (or First Starting Position): Kyle Busch (05/09/2014)

Race Record: Matt Crafton 139.857mph (05/08/2015)

Qualifying Record: Erik Jones 179.396mph (05/08/2015)

Bell Climbing NASCAR Ladder

Will Run Handful Of NASCAR XFINITY Series Races

Joe Gibbs Racing announced Monday that Camping World Truck Series driver Christopher Bell will drive seven XFINITY Series races during the 2017 season.

Bell will make his XFINITY Series debut in the JGR No. 18 Toyota Camry in the Hisense 300 on May 27th at 1 pm ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He will then drive the No. 20 Toyota Camry for JGR for two races; June 24th at Iowa Speedway and September 8th at Richmond International Raceway.

He will finish out his last four XFINITY Series races piloting the No. 18 Toyota Camry at Kansas Speedway on October 21st, Texas Motor Speedway on November 4th, Phoenix International Raceway on November 14th and the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18th.

This will be the third NASCAR series that Bell has competed in during his racing career and second NASCAR national series.

In 2015, Bell raced in two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races and finished a season-best second at Iowa Speedway.

That same year, Bell ran in seven Camping World Truck Series races for Kyle Busch Motorsports and won his first career NASCAR national series race at Eldora Speedway.

In 2016, Bell started 23 Camping World Truck Series races for Kyle Busch Motorsports, where he won one race at Gateway Motorsports Park, scored nine top-fives and 17 top-tens. Bell made the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in his Sunoco Rookie season and made it to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Bell has been at it again this season in the Camping World Truck Series. Through three races in 2017, Bell has one win (Atlanta), two top-fives and three top-tens with 201 laps led.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie Report

Heading into Kansas Speedway next weekend for the Toyota Tundra 250, below is a look at how the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders have performed through three races this season:

Kaz Grala: Grala remains in the lead for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award thanks to his season-opening win at Daytona International Speedway. The GMS Racing driver now sits fifth in the Camping World Truck Series points standings and will look to extend his lead in the Sunoco Rookie battle at Kansas. 

Noah Gragson: Gragson skyrocketed in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points standings from seventh all the way to second after a top-five finish at Martinsville Speedway. The fourth-place finish was the best Camping World Truck Series finish of his young career. The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver will be looking for his first career win at Kansas.

Chase Briscoe: Briscoe’s Sunoco Rookie season start has been consistent – scoring three-consecutive top-25s to start his Camping World Truck Series career. The Brad Keselowski Racing driver is now third in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points standings.

Grant Enfinger: Enfinger now sits fourth in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points standings and has had a strong start to the 2017 Camping World Truck Series season. He’s finished top-17 or better through three races this season and has led four laps. If the Camping World Truck Series playoffs began today, the ThorSport Racing driver would own the last playoff spot.

Cody Coughlin: ThorSport Racing and Sunoco Rookie driver Cody Coughlin has been a wizard in place differential during his first full-time Camping World Truck Series season. He owns an average finish this season of 15.3, with an average place differential of +4.7. Coughlin is fifth in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.

Wendell Chavous: Chavous has started out strong in his Sunoco Rookie season, scoring three top-25s through three races in his first full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season with Premium Motorsports. Chavous sits sixth in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points standings. 

Austin Cindric: Brad Keselowski Racing driver Austin Cindric has had a bumpy start to his first full-time season in the Camping World Truck Series. He has two top-25 finishes through three races and sits seventh in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings. He will look to get back on track at Kansas.

Stewart Friesen: Canadian-born Stewart Friesen now sits seventh in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points standings and has two-consecutive top-25s. The rookie is in his first full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season with Halmar-Friesen Racing.

Justin Haley: Haley sits ninth in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points standings in his first season with GMS Racing. He’s raced in one Camping World Truck Series race this season and finished 26th at Martinsville Speedway.

Action Sports Star Travis Pastrana Returns to NASCAR

Action sports icon Travis Pastrana will team up with Niece Motorsports for select NASCAR events during the 2017 season.

Pastrana participated in a XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series Test at Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday.

He is now ready to drive in the Camping World Truck Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 30th in the Las Vegas 350 at 8 pm ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Pastrana couldn’t be more excited in his return to NASCAR and was particularly excited to jump into Camping World Truck Series action,

“NASCAR is something that challenges me,” says Pastrana. “I’ve done a lot of work over the past couple of years to try and improve my pavement skills. I’m racing my first full year of Rally since 2010, and I’m fresh off my first win in over a year, so it’s really exciting to be able to get behind the wheel again and see what we can do in the Truck Series.”

Pastrana has run two career Camping World Truck Series races – most recently in 2015 – when he finished 16th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Rhino Linings 350.

He has run in 42 career XFINITY Series races, including a full-time season in 2013 with Roush Fenway Racing.