After the off-week, the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs heads to Martinsville Speedway to begin the Round of 6 with the Texas Roadhouse 200 Presented By Alpha Energy Solutions on Saturday, October 28th at 1 pm ET on FOX Sports 1 with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Drivers will race 105.2 miles over 200 laps with Stage 1 ending on lap 50, Stage 2 on lap 100 and the last Stage ending on the last lap 200.
What To Watch For: The Camping World Truck Series starts its Round of 6 at Martinsville Speedway. Christopher Bell leads the Playoff Grid (34 points above Ben Rhodes on the cutoff line). He is trailed by Johnny Sauter (+14), Matt Crafton (+1), John Hunter Nemechek (+1), Ben Rhodes (-1) and Austin Cindric (-7).
Reigning Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter is the defending race winner and proved to be a title-contender in last year’s race. He also placed second at Martinsville this spring.
John Hunter Nemechek (third-place finish) and Christopher Bell (fourth-place finish) both finished inside the top-five at Martinsville last year.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion Harrison Burton will compete in the No. 51 for Kyle Busch Motorsports this weekend. His cousin Jeb Burton is racing the No. 20 for Young’s Motorsports.
Camping World Truck Series Champions – Where Bell Stacks Up
There is no arguing Christopher Bell is having a stellar season that could result in a 2017 Camping World Truck Series championship. Through 19 races this season in the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra, Bell has five wins, 13 top-five finishes, and 17 top-ten finishes. He’s led 739 laps.
Here is how Christopher Bell’s 2017 season compares to the last five Camping World Truck Series champions:
With four races remaining in Bell’s 2017 championship campaign, he already has more wins, is tied for top-fives, is second in laps led and has the best average finish of the last five Camping World Truck Series champions through their complete seasons.
Bell will look to advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway and has three chances to do it, beginning with this week at Martinsville.
Last season, Bell finished fourth at Martinsville, 11th at Texas and seventh at Phoenix to advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead.
Racing at Martinsville Speedway – Advantage, Veterans?
Camping World Truck Series former champions Matt Crafton (2013 and 2014) and Johnny Sauter (2016) appear to have the veteran advantage at Martinsville Speedway.
Crafton owns multiple track records at the 0.526-mile track. He has the most Camping World Truck Series starts (31), top-tens (18), lead lap finishes (27) and laps completed (6,915). He has two wins there (fall 2015 and spring 2014) and eight top-fives.
Sauter is equally as impressive. In 19 Camping World Truck Series starts at Martinsville, Sauter has three wins (most among active series drivers), seven top-fives and ten top-tens. He’s led 398 laps, which is the most among active Camping World Truck Series drivers.
Between Crafton and Sauter, the two combined for at least one Camping World Truck Series win at Martinsville over the last four seasons.
- Fall, 2016 – Sauter
- Fall, 2015 – Crafton
- Spring, 2014 – Crafton
- Spring, 2013 – Sauter
Sauter’s other Martinsville Speedway win came in 2011 when he won the Keystone Light Pole and the Camping World Truck Series race. Both Crafton and Sauter will be looking to win at Martinsville and punch their ticket to the Championship 4.
2017 Camping World Truck Series Playoffs Outlook Update: Post-Talladega
Following the elimination race at Talladega Superspeedway, below is an updated NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs grid heading into the Round of 6:
2017 Camping World Truck Series Round of 6 Drivers
As the Round of 8 wrapped up at Talladega Superspeedway, below are some quick hits and 2017 statistics on the Round of 6 drivers:
- Christopher Bell: The top-seed heading into the Round of 6, Christopher Bell has been the top of his class this season. His five wins this season are the most in the Camping World Truck Series. He has led a season-high 739 laps and has 13 top-fives and 17 top-tens in 19 starts.
- Johnny Sauter: Last season’s Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter is gearing up for another strong championship run this season. He has two wins on the season and has yet to finish outside the top-23 all year. The next two Camping World Truck Series Playoffs races in the Round of 6 are at Martinsville and Texas. Last year’s winner at both? Johnny Sauter.
- Matt Crafton: Two-time Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton has quietly been flying under the radar this season. His lone win of the year came unexpectedly at Eldora as Crafton is known for being a 1.5-mile paved track master. Since the Playoffs began at New Hampshire, Crafton has three-consecutive top-ten finishes. Martinsville and Texas are both places where Crafton has visited Victory Lane.
- John Hunter Nemechek: John Hunter Nemechek survived Talladega to advance to the Round of 6 and now will look for a way to continue advancing. Nemechek has two wins this season and just finds ways to get it done when he needs to. He’s led 100 laps this season and has seven top-fives and ten top-tens.
- Ben Rhodes: Ben Rhodes impressively captured his first career Camping World Truck Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Round of 8. Now, Rhodes will look for an opportunity to get to Homestead. Ranked fifth in the Camping World Truck Series Playoffs standings, Rhodes finished top-20 or better at Martinsville, Texas, and Phoenix last season. Will that be enough to get him to Homestead? Rhodes has six top-fives this season, with 11 top-tens and has led 160 laps on the year.
- Austin Cindric: Austin Cindric is the only remaining Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie left in the 2017 Playoffs field. Since the Playoffs started, Cindric has proved he belongs with the rest. He has finished in the top-eight or better in all three races so far and will look to continue that in the Round of 6. He has six top-fives this season and 12 top-tens. He has not finished outside the top-15 since Texas in early June.
Camping World Truck Series Playoffs by Round
As the Camping World Truck Series begins its Round of 6 at Martinsville Speedway this weekend, below is a look at the remaining Camping World Truck Series Playoffs rounds and which tracks line up per round.
ROUND OF 6
Texas Roadhouse 200 Presented By Alpha Energy Solutions 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)
Martinsville Speedway Quick Facts
As the Camping World Truck Series heads to Martinsville Speedway for the Texas Roadhouse 200 Saturday, below are some series quick facts at the 0.526-mile track:
- Races: 37
- Pole Winners: 25
- Youngest Pole Winner: Cole Custer (10/31/2015 – 17 years, 9 months, 8 days)
- Oldest Pole Winner: Joe Ruttman (04/07/2001 – 56 years, 5 months, 10 days)
- Race Winners: 26
- Youngest Winner: Darrell Wallace Jr. (10/26/2013 – 20 years, 0 months, 18 days)
- Oldest Winner: Jim Hensley (04/17/1999 – 53 years, 6 months, 6 days)
- Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 9
- Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Chase Elliott (04/01/2017)
- Race Record: Jimmy Hensley – 74.282 mph (04/17/1999)
- Qualifying Record: Joey Logano – 97.088 mph (03/28/2015)
Also Noteworthy…
No Rookie Stripes for these Sunoco Rookies: All nine Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders have made previous series starts at Martinsville Speedway. Chase Briscoe (11th), Wendell Chavous (23rd), Austin Cindric (21st), Cody Coughlin (19th), Grant Enfinger(17th), Stewart Friesen (25th), Noah Gragson (fourth), Kaz Grala (15th) and Justin Haley (26th) raced in the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season.
NASCAR Next Drivers Looking to Play Spoiler at Martinsville: NASCAR Next and K&N Pro Series drivers Todd Gilliland and Harrison Burton will both be racing for Kyle Busch Motorsports this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Gilliland will be in the No. 46 Toyota Tundra, while Burton will be in the No. 51 Toyota Tundra. Gilliland scored a career-best finish (third) at New Hampshire earlier this season, while Burton has a string of top-20 finishes in his five Camping World Truck Series starts this season.
Camping World Truck Series Owner Standings Update: Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 4 Toyota Tundra leads GMS Racing’s No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado by a narrow 20 points in the Camping World Truck Series owner standings after 19 races this season. Kyle Busch’s second entry, the No. 51 Toyota Tundra (-25), ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 Toyota Tundra (-33) and NEMCO Motorsports’ No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado (-35) round out the top-five.
Camping World Truck Series Manufacturer Standings Update: Through 19 Camping World Truck Series races this season, Toyota leads Chevrolet by 42 points in the manufacturer standings, 713-671. In third place, Ford sits at 602 points.