Up to Speed: Gander Outdoors 150 at Pocono Preview

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer

For the 14^th race of the season, the series visits the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway for the Gander Outdoors 150. Teams using the NT1 Spec Engine versus those using OEM engines, the return of Kyle Busch, and stage racing are just some of the storylines heading into Pocono.

Coverage for the Gander Outdoors 150 is scheduled to start Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET. Pocono has been on the Truck Series schedule since the 2010 season. Pocono has hosted the 14^th race of the Truck Series season once before in 2011. No driver has ever repeated as winner at the track nicknamed ‘The Tricky Triangle.’

The last time the Truck Series visited Pocono Raceway, Christopher Bell earned the victory. Bell took the lead with seven laps to go and held off Ben Rhodes to win by 1.964 seconds. Five drivers that finished in the top-10 that day are entered in Thursday night’s race. Busch is the only former winner entered in the race.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regulars have won 10 of the 13 races so far in the 2018 season.

By the Numbers

What: Gander Outdoors 150, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race 14

Where: Pocono Raceway – Long Pond, Pennsylvania (Opened: 1971)

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

Track Size: 2.5-Mile Triangle

Banking: 21 degrees in turn 1, 8 degrees in turn 2, and 6 degrees in turn 3.

Race Length: 60 Laps, 150 Miles (Three Stages, 15/30/60)

2017 Race Winner: Christopher Bell – No. 4 SiriusXM Toyota Tundra (Started third, seven laps led).

Track Qualifying Record: Ben Rhodes (52.931 seconds, 170.033 mph – 7/29/2017).

Storylines Heading into the Gander Outdoors 150:

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

• Cody Coughlin will have Coughlin Chevrolet as the primary sponsor of his No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing.
• Joe Nemechek returns in the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado for NEMCO Motorsports.
• Brett Moffitt will be in the No. 16 Toyota Tsusho Toyota Tundra for Hattori Racing Enterprises.
• Kyle Busch returns in the No. 51 Cessna Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports. This will be Busch’s final start of the season due to participation guidelines.
• Bo LeMastus will be in the No. 54 Crosley Brands Toyota Tundra for DGR – CROSLEY Group.
• Bayley Currey will be in the No. 63 G-Style Transportation / Cedar Peaks Chevrolet Silverado for MB Motorsports.
• Todd Peck will be in the No. 83 Chevrolet Silverado for Copp Motorsports.

Weekend Schedule (All Times Eastern)

Friday, July 27

• NCWTS Practice 1 (12:00 p.m. – 12:55 p.m.)
• NCWTS Practice 2 (2:00 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.)

Saturday, July 28

• NCWTS Qualifying (10:00 a.m. on Fox Sports 1)
• NCWTS Gander Outdoors 150 (1:00 p.m. – 60 laps, 75 miles – on Fox Sports 1, SiriusXM Channel 90, and the Motor Racing Network)