Up to Speed: UNOH 200 at Bristol Preview

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regulars have won 11 of the 15 races so far in the 2018 season. For the 16^th race of the season, the series visits the high banked 0.5-mile Bristol Motor Speedway for the UNOH 200. No Cup drivers, teams using the NT1 Spec Engine versus those using OEM engines, stage racing, and the regular season finale are just some of the storylines heading into the 16^th race of the season at Bristol.

Coverage for the UNOH 200 is scheduled to start Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. ET. Bristol has been on the Truck Series schedule off and on since the 1995 season. The 0.5-mile concrete track has hosted the 16^th race of the Truck Series season six times since rejoining the schedule in 2003. In 20 races at Bristol, 15 drivers have visited victory lane. The last four races have produced four different winners.

The last time the Truck Series visited Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch earned the victory in dramatic fashion, starting the second triple-header sweep in NASCAR history. Busch restarted in the back to begin the second stage. He regained the lead with 37 to go and won by 0.962 seconds in overtime. Six drivers that finished in the top-10 that day are entered in Saturday’s race. Timothy Peters is the only former winners entered in the race.

By the Numbers

What: UNOH 200, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race 16

Where: Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tennessee (Opened: 1961)

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

Track Size: 0.5-Mile High-Banked Concrete Oval

Banking: 26-30 degrees in the turns, 6-10 degrees on the straights.

Race Length: 200 Laps, 107 Miles (Three Stages, 55/110/200)

2017 Race Winner: Kyle Busch – No. 46 Banfield Pet Hospital Toyota Tundra (Started on the pole, 109 laps led).

Track Qualifying Record: Kyle Busch (14.827 seconds, 129.413 mph – 8/16/2017).

Storylines Heading into the UNOH 200:

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

• Cory Roper returns in his No. 04 Preferred Industrial Contractors, Inc Ford F-150.
• Todd Gilliland will have Banfield Pet Hospital as the primary sponsor of his No. 4 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Codie Rohrbaugh will attempt his series debut in the No. 9 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet Silverado for CR7 Motorsports.
• Stefan Parsons will make his series debut in the No. 15 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet Silverado for Premium Motorsports.
• Tanner Thorson returns to the No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado for Young’s Motorsports.
• Scott Lagasse, Jr. returns in the No. 30 Toyota Tundra for On Point Motorsports as the team attempts their series debut.
• Chad Finley returns in his No. 42 Auto Value Certified Service Centers Chevrolet Silverado.
• Harrison Burton returns in the No. 51 Hunt Brothers Pizza Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Riley Herbst will be in the No. 54 Advance Auto Parts / Terrible Herbst / NOS / ORCA Toyota Tundra for DGR – CROSLEY Group.
• Timothy Peters returns in the No. 92 BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors / Carquest Auto Parts Ford F-150 for Ricky Benton Racing Enterprises.
• Jesse Little returns in his family owned No. 97 Wings Over North Georgia / Visit Kingsport Ford F-150.

Weekend Schedule (All Times Eastern)

Thursday, August 16

• NCWTS Practice 1 (9:05 a.m. – 9:55 a.m. on Fox Sports 1)
• NCWTS Practice 2 (11:05 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. on Fox Sports 1)
• NCWTS Qualifying (4:10 p.m. on Fox Sports 1)
• NCWTS UNOH 200 (8:30 p.m. – 200 laps, 107 miles – on FOX, SiriusXM Channel 90, and the Motor Racing Network)