Following a week off, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will again hit the track this week at Dover International Speedway for the Bar Harbor 200 on Friday, June 2 at 5:30 pm ET with coverage available on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 5 pm ET.
Matt Crafton is the defending Camping World Truck Series race winner at Dover, while Christopher Bell (third) and Johnny Sauter (fourth) both finished in the top-five in last season’s race.
Drivers will race 200 miles over 200 laps on the one-mile oval with Stage 1 ending on lap 45 and Stage 2 on lap 90. The last Stage will end on the last lap 200.
What To Watch For: Matt Crafton hopes to defend his 2016 Dover win.
Johnny Sauter tries to extend his 15-point lead over second-place Christopher Bell.
Christopher Bell returns to Camping World Truck Series action after finishing fourth in his XFINITY Series debut at Charlotte.
Dover International Speedway Quick Facts
With the Camping World Truck Series back in action this weekend for the Bar Harbor 200 at Dover International Speedway, below are some series quick facts at the Monster Mile:
Races: 17
Pole Winners: 13
Youngest Pole Winner: Darrell Wallace Jr (05/31/2013 – 19 years, 7 months, 23 days)
Oldest Pole Winner: Ron Hornaday Jr (05/30/2009 – 50 years, 11 months, 10 days)
Race Winners: 14
Youngest Winner: Tyler Reddick (05/29/2015 – 19 years, 4 months, 18 days)
Oldest Winner: Ron Hornaday Jr (06/01/2007 – 48 years, 11 months, 12 days)
Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): three
Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Kyle Busch (05/30/2014)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series King Ron Hornaday Jr.
Voted into NASCAR Hall of Fame
Last Wednesday, Ron Hornaday Jr. was one of the five icons voted into the 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
Considered one of the fore-fathers of the Camping World Truck Series, Hornaday is a second-generation racer from Palmdale, California, boasting a record four Camping World Truck Series championships and 51 series wins. Hornaday also holds the all-time marks for top-fives (158) and top-tens (234).
In 2009, Hornaday won five straight Truck Series races, a feat matched only three other times in NASCAR national series history.
Hornaday was overwhelmingly appreciative of being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame but was quick to praise to the rest of his 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame classmates.
“I think it was cool to be a part of this class, but I am happy for Evernham, Byron, Mr. Yates and Ken Squier. If wasn’t for everyone who played a role in my career, I wouldn’t haven’t been able to be here.”
Turning the Tides
On his way to the Camping World Truck Series championship last season, the race at Dover changed everything for Johnny Sauter.
Following his season-opening win at Daytona, Sauter failed to score a top-15 finish over his next three races at Atlanta (28th), Martinsville (32nd) and Kansas (16th).
After starting 15th last spring at Dover International Speedway, Sauter finished fourth and went on to finish top-13 or better in every race for the rest of the season – capturing the 2016 title.
Dover proved to change his luck last season and Sauter has driven well there in his career.
In eight career Camping World Truck Series at Dover, Sauter has three top-fives and five top-tens, including four-consecutive top-tens.
Sauter is having another championship-like season, as the Camping World Truck Series veteran now leads the series points standings by 15 points.
Crafton Looking to Go Back-to-Back at Dover
ThorSport Racing driver Matt Crafton is looking to win back-to-back Camping World Truck Series races at Dover International Speedway.
Last season, Crafton captured his first Camping World Truck Series win of the year at Dover.
He is looking to do the same this year, as he is winless through five Camping World Truck Series races this season.
Crafton holds a multitude of Camping World Truck Series track records at Dover International Speedway, including:
Races: 16
Top-Fives: five
Top-Tens: ten
Lead Lap Finishes: Tied, 11 (David Starr)
Laps Completed: 2,775
NASCAR Next Driver Todd Gilliland Making Series Debut at Dover
NASCAR Next Driver Todd Gilliland will make his Camping World Truck Series debut in the No. 46 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports in Friday’s Bar Harbor 200 at Dover International Speedway.
The Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, native is a third-generation NASCAR driver, whose father David Gilliland most recently competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2016.
Todd won the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship on the strength of six wins.
In six K&N Pro Series West races this season, Gilliland has won four races and five poles. He has yet to finish outside the top-six.
Gilliland will make three more Camping World Truck Series starts this season for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Five after Five: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff Bubble Drivers
After five Camping World Truck Series races this season, it’s time to take a look at five Camping World Truck Series Playoff bubble drivers.
- Ryan Truex: Truex is having a playoff-caliber season. He’s improved his finishing position in each Camping World Truck Series race this season. With three-consecutive top-tens, Truex could land himself in the top-eight sooner than later.
- Brett Moffitt: Moffitt has yet to finish outside the top-22 to start the season. He’s been consistent this season – averaging a 12.8 finish through five races.
- John Hunter Nemechek: Nemechek has had two stout races this season, finishing fourth at Daytona and third at Kansas. In his other three, he’s finished 29th at Atlanta, 28th at Martinsville and 22nd at Charlotte. If Nemechek can put it all together, he could be a playoff contender before long.
- Regan Smith: Smith, driving part-time in the Camping World Truck Series for RBR Enterprises, has raced in all five Camping World Truck races so far this season. Prior to Charlotte, Smith had only finished 12th or better in four-consecutive races. Following Charlotte, Smith is looking to move up in the standings at Dover.
- Noah Gragson: Gragson has started his Sunoco Rookie season out strong and sits a couple of spots away from a potential Camping World Truck Series playoff spot. He’s finished top-15 in three of his last four races, and is looking to do the same at Dover.
Also Noteworthy…
Eight Sunoco Rookies Making Track Debut at Dover: There are eight Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders making their track debut at Dover International Speedway in Friday’s Camping World Truck Series Bar Harbor 200. They include: Chase Briscoe, Wendell Chavous, Austin Cindric, Grant Enfinger, Stewart Friesen, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley and Kaz Grala.
Harrison Burton Driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports at Dover: NASCAR Next driver Harrison Burton is making his track debut at Dover in the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota. This is Burton’s second Camping World Truck Series race this season. He will run four more Camping World Truck Series races in 2017 for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Christopher Bell Scores Top-Five in NASCAR XFINITY Series Debut: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rising star Christopher Bell made his career debut in the XFINITY Series last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bell started seventh in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and finished fourth.
XFINITY Series Going Camping at Dover: The are three XFINITY Series drivers slated to compete in the Camping World Truck Series race at Dover. Brandon Jones, Ross Chastain and JJ Yeley. All three drivers have competed in at least one Camping World Truck Series race this season.