NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams have a week off before racing Fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, October 14th at 1 pm ET. Coverage is on FOX at 12:30 pm ET with radio coverage available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The Rhodes to Victory
ThorSport Racing driver and 2017 Camping World Truck Series Playoffs contender Ben Rhodes captured his first career victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when he won the Las Vegas 350.
The win was special for Rhodes. Not only was it his first career Camping World Truck Series victory in 45 races, it also advanced him into the Round of 6 – furthering his shot at a championship this season.
Rhodes was the last driver eligible for the 2017 Camping World Truck Series Playoffs – elbowing past Ryan Truex by inches. Now, Rhodes joins Kyle Busch Motorsports’ Christopher Bell as the only two drivers now locked into the next round of the Camping World Truck Series Playoffs.
Rhodes was happy about the win following Las Vegas but knows it proved more to the rest of the Playoffs field.
“We proved tonight that we belong in the Playoffs after we were so close to getting into it from a couple of different times from wins. And then we got in by a tie and we’re proving we belong here. Now we’re going to the Round of 6 and we want to go to Homestead.”
Briscoe Scores Stage Win at Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski Racing driver and Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Chase Briscoe captured his second stage win of 2017 when he won Stage 1 of the Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Briscoe would go on to finish third in the race and sits fourth in the Camping World Truck Series Playoffs standings through two Playoff races.
Briscoe’s third-place finish marked his seventh top-five of the 2017 season and 11th top-ten. He has yet to finish outside the top-25 all season.
Briscoe and ThorSport’s Grant Enfinger are equal at the top of the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points standings, 208-208.
Truex Takes Second Keystone Light Pole
Ryan Truex won the Keystone Light Pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – scoring his second pole in his last three Camping World Truck Series races. His other pole was at Chicagoland Speedway.
His two pole wins this season are the most poles he’s ever won in a single season of his NASCAR national series career.
Despite missing the 2017 Camping World Truck Series Playoffs, Truex remains a resilient driver and has finished top-20 or better in eight consecutive races.
Truex has put Hattori Racing on the map this season and will look to finish the 2017 season strong.
Playoffs Finishers at Las Vegas
With Ben Rhodes winning the Las Vegas 350 and Chase Briscoe scoring third in the race – here is how the entire 2017 Camping World Truck Series Playoffs field finished at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
- 1st – Ben Rhodes
- 2nd – Christopher Bell
- 3rd – Chase Briscoe
- 4th – Austin Cindric
- 5th – Kaz Grala
- 7th – Matt Crafton
- 8th – John Hunter Nemechek
- 10th – Johnny Sauter
Following his 20th-place finish in the opening race of the Round of 8 at New Hampshire, John Hunter Nemechek rebounded at Las Vegas and scored an eighth-place finish. He still remains eighth in the Playoffs standings.
Reigning Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter had some issues in the Las Vegas 350. He cut a tire and was speeding on pit road twice in the early stages of the race. He clawed back for a tenth-place finish and sits fourth in the Playoffs standings.
2017 NASCAR Playoffs Outlook Update: Post-Las Vegas
Following the second Camping World Truck Series Playoffs race in the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, below is an updated Playoffs standings grid:
Camping World Truck Series Playoffs by Round
The 2017 Camping World Truck Series Playoffs continued with the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend.
The first cutoff race for 2017 Camping World Truck Series Playoffs will be next Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway.
Below is a look at the remaining Camping World Truck Series Playoffs rounds and which tracks line up per round.
ROUND OF 8
Fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Talladega Super Speedway
(Saturday, October 14 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
ROUND OF 6
Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville Speedway
(Saturday, October 28 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
JAG Metals 350 at Texas Motor Speedway
(Friday, November 3 at 8 p.m. on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway
(Friday, November 10 at 8:30 p.m. on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
CHAMPIONSHIP 4
Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
(Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Dega Dance
Following the Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Camping World Truck Series will close out the Round of 8 at Talladega Superspeedway for Fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola.
2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Grant Enfinger is the defending race winner, while 2017 Playoffs contenders Christopher Bell (sixth) and Johnny Sauter (seventh) both finished inside the top-ten.
Also Noteworthy…
Camping World Truck Series Owner Standings Update: Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 4 Toyota Tundra leads ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 Toyota by 51 points in the Camping World Truck Series owner standings after 18 races this season. GMS Racing’s No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado (-54), Brad Keselowski Racing’s No. 19 Ford F-150 (-71) and GMS Racing’s No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado (-78) round out the top-five.
Camping World Truck Series Manufacturer Standings Update: Through 18 Camping World Truck Series races this season, Toyota leads Chevrolet by 33 points in the manufacturer standings, 673-640. Ford sits in third place with 570 points.