Up to Speed: PPG 400 at Texas Preview

BySeth Eggert, Staff Writer

For the eighth race of the season, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visits the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway for the PPG 400. Teams using the NT1 Spec Engine versus those using OEM engines, no Cup drivers, and stage racing are just some of the storylines heading into the seventh race of the season at Texas.

Coverage for the PPG 400 is scheduled to start Friday night at 9:00 p.m. ET. Texas has been on the Truck Series schedule since the 1997 season and has been the eighth race on the schedule just three times (1998, 2009, and 2010). In 40 races at the 1.5-mile Quad-Oval, 22 drivers have claimed victory. Ford last visited victory lane in 2000 with Greg Biffle.

The last time the Truck Series visited Texas Motor Speedway, Johnny Sauter earned the victory in exciting fashion. Sauter inherited the lead with 13 laps to go and had to hold off Austin Cindric. The 2016 Series Champion beat Cindric to the line by 0.170 seconds. Five drivers that finished in the top-10 that day are entered in Friday night’s race. Sauter and Matt Crafton are the only former winners entered in the race.

Truck Series regulars have won five of the seven races so far in the 2018 season.

By the Numbers

What: PPG 400, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race No. 7 of 23

Where: Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, Texas (Opened: 1996)

TV/Radio: FOX Sports 1, 9:00 p.m. ET / MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90

Track Size: 1.5-Mile Quad-Oval

Banking: 20 degrees in turns 1 & 2, 24 degrees in turns 3 & 4.

Race Length: 167 Laps, 400 KM, 250 Miles (Three Stages, 40/80/167)

2017 Race Winner:Christopher Bell – No. 4 JBL.vom Toyota Tundra (Started 21^st, 92 laps led).

Track Qualifying Record: Justin Haley (29.004 seconds, 186.181 mph – 11/3/2017).

Storylines Heading into the PPG 400:

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

• Jordan Anderson will have Sefton Steel / Mark Martin Podcast as the sponsor of his No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado.
• Todd Gilliland will have Mobil 1 as the primary sponsor of his No. 4 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Korbin Forrister returns in the No. 7 Now Matters More Chevrolet Silverado for All Out Motorsports.
• Joe Nemechek returns in the No. 8 ROMCO Equipment Co. Chevrolet Silverado for NEMCO Motorsports.
• Bo Le Mastus will be in the No. 17 Crosley Brands Toyota Tundra for David Gilliland Racing – CROSLEY Group.
• Austin Wayne Self will have GO TEXAN has the primary sponsor of his No. 22 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado.
• Spencer Davis returns to the No. 51 JBL / SiriusXM Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Chris Eggleston will be in the No. 54 Globe Sprinkler / H2O Fire Protection Toyota Tundra for David Gilliland Racing – CROSLEY Group.
• Clay Greenfield returns in his own No. 68 AMVETS Please Stand Chevrolet Silverado.

Weekend Schedule (All Times Eastern)

Thursday, June 7

• NCWTS Practice 1 (4:05 p.m. to 4:55 p.m. – No TV)
• NCWTS Practice 2 (6:05 p.m. to 6:55 p.m. – No TV)

Friday, June 8

• NCWTS Qualifying (5:45 p.m. on Fox Sports 1)
• NCWTS PPG 400 (9:00 p.m. – 167 laps, 250 miles – on FOX Sports 1, SiriusXM Channel 90, and the Motor Racing Network)