Up to Speed: Fr8Auctions 250 at Talladega Preview

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regulars have won 14 of the 18 races so far in the 2018 season. For the 19^th race and first elimination race of the season, the Series heads to the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway. Teams using the NT1 Spec Engine versus those using OEM engines, stage racing, the threat of elimination and the Playoffs are just some of the storylines heading into the 19^th race of the season at Talladega.

Coverage for the Fr8Auctions 250 is scheduled to start Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET. Talladega Superspeedway has been on the Truck Series schedule since the 2006 season. The 2.66-mile Tri-Oval has hosted the 19^th race of the Truck Series season since 2015. In 12 races at the restrictor plate track, nine different drivers have visited victory lane. The last three Talladega races have produced three different winners.

The last time the Truck Series visited Talladega Superspeedway, part-time driver, and NASCAR on NBC Pit Reporter, Parker Kligerman earned the victory in dramatic fashion. He forced his way into the lead and was ahead at the time of a race-ending, five-truck pile-up. Seven drivers that finished in the top-10 that day are entered in Sunday’s race. Grant Enfinger, Kligerman, Johnny Sauter, and Timothy Peters are the only former winners entered in the race.

By the Numbers

What: Fr8Auctions 250, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race 19

Where: Talladega Superspeedway– Talladega, Alabama (Opened: 1969)

TV/Radio:FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET / MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90

Track Size: 2.66-Mile Tri-Oval

Banking: 33 degrees in the turns, 16.5 degrees in the Tri-Oval.

Race Length: 94 Laps, 250 Miles (Three Stages, 20/40/94)

2017 Race Winner: Parker Kligerman – No. 75 Tide Pods / Food Country USA Toyota Tundra (Started 14^th, three laps led).

Track Qualifying Record: Tyler Reddick (51.256 seconds, 186.837 mph – 10/18/2014).

The Playoff Picture:

Talladega marks the third race of the 2018 Playoffs for the Truck Series. After the events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Justin Haley and Grant Enfinger are locked into the Round of Six.

Johnny Sauter holds a 17-point lead over Noah Gragson, and a 33-point lead over the Playoff cutoff, held by Matt Crafton. Brett Moffitt is 22-points behind Sauter and 13-points ahead of the cutoff.

While Crafton is currently in the cutoff position, he is just seven points ahead of his ThorSport Racing teammate Ben Rhodes. Stewart Friesen is 10-points behind the cutoff.

Storylines Heading into the Fr8Auctions 250:

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

• Spencer Gallagher will be in the No. 2 Allegiant Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing.
• Todd Gilliland will have Pedigree Puppy as the primary sponsor of his No. 4 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• John Hunter Nemechek returns in the No. 8 Fleetwing Chevrolet Silverado for NEMCO Motorsports.
• Max Tullman returns to the No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado for Young’s Motorsports.
• Timothy Peters returns to the No. 25 Kingman Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing.
• Scott Lagasse, Jr. returns in the No. 30 Strutmasters.com Toyota Tundra for On Point Motorsports.
• David Gilliland returns in the No. 51 Pedigree Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Bo LeMastus will be in the No. 54 Fred’s Crosley Brands Toyota Tundra for DGR – CROSLEY Group.
• Parker Kligerman returns in the No. 75 Food Country USA Chevrolet Silverado for Henderson Motorsports.
• Joey Gase will be in the No. 83 Sparks Energy, Inc. Chevrolet Silverado for Copp Motorsports.

Weekend Schedule (All Times Eastern)

Friday, October 12

• NCWTS Practice 1 (10:05 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. on Fox Sports 2)
• NCWTS Practice 2 (11:35 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. on Fox Sports 2)
• NCWTS Qualifying (5:35 p.m. tape-delayed on Fox Sports 2, airs at 9:00 a.m. October 13.)

Saturday, October 13

• NCWTS Fr8Auctions 250 (1:00 p.m. – 94 laps, 250 miles – on FOX, SiriusXM Channel 90, and the Motor Racing Network)