By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer
The last time the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visited Eldora Speedway, Christopher Bell took home the victory in a thrilling finish as he held off a hard charging Bobby Pierce. Bell scored the victory on half-mile dirt oval in his third career Truck Series race, while Pierce scored the first ever top five for his MB Motorsports team.
Truck Series Chase
10 races into the 2016 Camping World Truck Series Season, there have been six different winners. Only one of those winners, Kyle Busch, is not eligible for the Truck Series Chase. Matt Crafton, William Byron, John Hunter Nemechek, Johnny Sauter, Christopher Bell have all won at least one race, and are likely to be in the Chase thanks to those wins. Byron, who has four wins, is currently the only driver who is locked into the 2016 Truck Series Chase. Crafton with two wins, has likely boosted his odds of locking himself into the Truck Series Chase.
The reason why no driver is locked in as of now is the fact that only eight drivers will make the Truck Series Chase. Even though there is less than half of the regular season left, there is still a strong possibility that the series will have more than eight winners.
The other drivers currently in the Chase on points are Timothy Peters, Daniel Hemric, and Tyler Reddick. Reddick currently has a 12 point lead over Ben Kennedy, the first driver on the outside looking in.
Kyle Busch Motorsports
The last time the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was on track, Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) made history when William Byron scored the organizations’ 51st victory in the Truck Series. This broke a tie with Roush Fenway Racing that previously held the record with 50 wins. What is remarkable about KBM’s accomplishment, is that they have reached this milestone in just seven years. It took Roush Fenway Racing 15 years to reach 50 wins.
KBM’s wins can be broken down by driver:
- Kyle Busch, 29 wins
- Erik Jones, seven wins
- Darrell Wallace, Jr., five wins
- William Byron, four wins
- Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin have two wins each
- Brian Scott and Kasey Kahne have one win each
What to Watch For
There are several storylines going into this weekend’s race to watch for:
- Many Truck Series regulars are looking at scoring their first win of the season and to lock themselves into the Truck Series Chase, while those with a win are looking for more security with their Chase position.
- Will those with dirt racing backgrounds, such as Rico Abreu, Christopher Bell, and Tyler Reddick be the ones to watch?
- ARCA Racing Series Regular Brady Boswell will be in No. 05 Athenian Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado in place of John Wes Townley. Townley, who missed the race at Kentucky will once again be sidelined due to concussion-like symptoms.
- Off-Road Racing veteran and ARCA Racing Series regular Sheldon Creed will be in the No. 07 Chevrolet Silverado
- Jake Griffin will be in the No. 11 Toyota Tundra for Red Horse Racing.
- Kyle Larson will be in the field, driving the No. 24 DC Solar GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverado.
- JR Heffner will be in the No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado for Martin Motorsports in place of Tommy Joe Martins.
- Cody Coughlin will be in the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
- Last year’s runner-up Bobby Pierce returns to the MB Motorsports No. 63 Chervolet Silverado.
- Ken Schrader will be in the No. 71 Hunt Brothers Pizza Toyota Tundra for Contreras Motorsports.
- Sean Corr returns to attempt his first start of the season in the No. 82 Ford F-150 for Empire Racing.
- Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron looks to increase his 41 point lead on teammate Christopher Bell. Meanwhile, Cole Custer, Ben Rhodes, and Rico Abreu continue to try to gain ground on the rookie point leaders.
- Points leader William Byron is looking to extend his 13 point lead over Matt Crafton.
Where and When to Watch
Qualifying: Thursday, June 20th, 5:00pm Eastern, Fox Sports 1
Race: Thursday, July 20th, 9:00pm Eastern, Fox Sports 1, SiriusXM Channel 90, MRN Radio
