Previewing the NASCAR CWTS Jag Metals 350 at Texas

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer

20 races into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season eight series regulars have scored a victory (Christopher Bell five times, John Hunter Nemechek and Johnny Sauter twice, Austin Cindric, Ben Rhodes, Noah Gragson, Matt Crafton, and Kaz Grala once). Bell has a three-point lead over Sauter heading into the 21^st race of the season. This weekend marks the second race for the Round of Six, and fifth race of the 2017 Playoffs for the Truck Series competitors.

The last time the Truck Series visited Texas Motor Speedway, Bell edged out Chase Briscoe in a dramatic photo finish as the race ended under caution. An accident between Sauter, Austin Wayne Self, and Timothy Peters saw Peters’ No. 99 Metabo Chevrolet Silverado flip end-over-end in dramatic and terrifying fashion. Grant Enfinger, Ryan Truex, and Rhodes rounded out the top-five that night.

Bell, Crafton, and Sauter are the only former winners at Texas entered in this weekend’s race. In the last six Texas races, there have been six different winners.

Truck Series Championship

After the race at Martinsville Speedway, which Gragson played spoiler by winning, Bell has 3,083 points with a three-point lead over Sauter. Crafton is third with 3,068 points. Rhodes is still 34-points behind Bell and now nine-points ahead of the cutoff for the Championship Four.

Austin Cindric is fifth with 3,038 points. Nemechek drops to sixth in the Playoff standings after an early wreck at Martinsville. He is now 28-points behind Rhodes, and 62 behind Bell.

At Texas, the first stage ends on lap 35, the second stage on lap 70, and the final stage on lap 147.

What to Watch For in the Jag Metals 350 Driving Hurricane Harvey Relief

There are several storylines going into this weekend’s race to watch for:

• Austin Hill will be in the No. 02 United Rentals Ford F-150 for Young’s Motorsports.
• John Hunter Nemechek will have ROMCO Equipment Co. as the primary sponsor of his No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado.
• Ryan Truex will have Chiba Toyopet as the primary sponsor of his No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota Tundra.
• Tyler Young will be in the No. 20 Randco / Young’s Building Systems Chevrolet Silverado for Young’s Motorsports.
• Tommy Joe Martins returns in the No. 42 Diamond Gusset Jeans Chevrolet Silverado for Martins Motorsports.
• Ted Minor returns in the No. 44 Shawn Magee Designs Chevrolet Silverado for Faith Motorsports.
• Austin Wayne Self returns in the No. 45 AM Technical Solutions Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports. Earlier this week, the team announced the Self will compete for them full-time in 2018.
• Myatt Snider will be in the No. 51 Liberty Tax Service Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Landon Huffman returns in the No. 63 Chevrolet Silverado for the Mittler Brothers.

Where and When to Watch (All Times Eastern)

Practice 1: Thursday, November 2, 3:00 p.m., not televised.

Practice 2: Thursday, November 2, 5:00 p.m., not televised.

Qualifying: Friday, November 3, 4:00 p.m., on Fox Sports 1.

Race: Friday, November 3, 8:00 p.m., on Fox Sports 1, SiriusXM Channel 90, and the Motor Racing Network.