Up to Speed: N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Preview

BySeth Eggert, Staff Writer

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regulars have won four of the six races so far in the 2018 season. For the seventh race of the season, the series visits 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. 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 the seventh race of the season at Charlotte.

Coverage for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 is scheduled to start Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET. Kansas has been on the Truck Series schedule since the 2003 season and has been the seventh race on the schedule just three times (2005, 2010, and 2011). In 15 races at the 1.5-mile Quad-Oval, just seven drivers have claimed victory. The last three races at Charlotte have produced three different winners.

The last time the Truck Series visited Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch earned the victory in exciting fashion. Busch had to hold off Johnny Sauter on a restart with three laps to go. The 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion beat Sauter to the line by 0.986 seconds. Eight drivers that finished in the top-10 that day are entered in Friday night’s race. Busch and Matt Crafton are the only former winners entered in the race.

By the Numbers

What: North Carolina Education Lottery 200, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Seven

Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, North Carolina (Opened: 1960)

TV/Radio:Fox Sports 1, 8:30 p.m. ET / MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90

Track Size: 1.5-Mile Quad-Oval

Banking: 24 degrees in turns, 5 degrees on the straightaways.

Race Length: 134 Laps, 200 Miles (Three Stages, 40/80/134)

2017 Race Winner: Kyle Busch – No. 51 Cessna / Beechcraft Toyota Tundra (Started fourth, 90 laps led).

Track Qualifying Record: Kyle Busch (29.384 seconds, 183.773 mph – 5/16/2014).

Storylines Heading into the North Carolina Education Lottery 200:

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

• Todd Gilliland will now pilot the No. 4 Pedigree Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports for the remainder of the season.
• Korbin Forrister returns in the No. 7 Now Matters More Chevrolet Silverado for All Out Motorsports.
• John Hunter Nemechek returns in the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado for NEMCO Motorsports.
• Chris Eggleston will make his first start since 2014 in the No. 17 Globe Sprinkler / H2O Fire Protection Toyota Tundra for David Gilliland Racing – CROSLEY Group.
• Brandon Jones will be in the No. 46 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Kyle Busch returns to the No. 51 Cessna Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Clay Greenfield returns in his own No. 68 AMVETS Please Stand Chevrolet Silverado.
• Parker Kligerman returns in the No. 75 Food Country USA Chevrolet Silverado for Henderson Motorsports.
• Timothy Peters returns in the No. 92 BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors Ford F-150 for Ricky Benton Racing.
• Jesse Little returns in the No. 97 Ford F-150 for JJL Motorsports.

Weekend Schedule (All Times Eastern)

Friday, May 18

• NCWTS Practice 1 (9:05 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.)
• NCWTS Practice 2 (10:35 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. on Fox Sports 1)
• NCWTS Qualifying (4:40 p.m. on Fox Sports 1)
• NCWTS North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (8:30 p.m. – 134 laps, 200 miles – on Fox Sports 1, SiriusXM Channel 90, and the Motor Racing Network)