Photo courtesy of Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series hits another short track Friday night at Richmond Raceway for the Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation as the Round of 10 continues.
ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski is on pole, seeking to lock in a spot in the Round of 8 with his first career Truck Series win. It’s Majeski’s third pole of the season. Kyle Busch Motorsports’ Chandler Smith is starting opposite Majeski in the first row.
This is the third year since the series returned to the track in 2020, after taking a long break between 2005-2019. Two current playoff drivers have won the last two truck races at Richmond.
GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger won Richmond in 2020, back when he was at ThorSport. Richmond was the third of four wins for Enfinger that season.
Kyle Busch Motorsports’ John Hunter Nemechek led 114 of 250 laps and won last year’s Richmond race. Nemechek will start seventh.
Enfinger is the only driver who has clinched a spot in the next round, thanks to his win a few weeks ago at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Enfinger nearly missed out on the playoffs, not locking up his spot until the regular season finale at Pocono. Entering the playoffs as the ninth seed, Enfinger earned his first win since 2020 at IRP in clutch fashion.
Now, Enfinger will have a chance to make it two-straight short track wins, starting fifth.
Halmar-Friesen’s Stewart Friesen starts in the second row, in third. Friesen, who sits 28 points above the cutline in fourth, has just two starts at Richmond. However, he did finish 10th in 2020.
If Enfinger wins again, or if there is a win by a non-playoff driver, several drivers can clinch a Round of 8 spot on points, according to NASCAR media news and notes: Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Ben Rhodes, Friesen, Nemechek and Majeski.
Just behind Enfinger and Chandler Smith in the playoff standings is Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith. The regular season champion is 50 points above the cutline. His best finish at Richmond is 11th in 2020.
The two drivers perhaps most in need of a solid finish are ThorSport teammates Christian Eckes and Matt Crafton. Both are seven points below the cutline with two races to go in the round. Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar currently has the final transfer spot, seven points above the cutline.
As is the case with many tracks, the 46-year-old Crafton has a leg up on the rest of the field in one area — experience. Crafton has not won at Richmond, but has seven prior starts dating back to 2001, with a best finish of second in 2020.
Crafton will start 15th.
Remarkably, 20-year-old Layne Riggs is starting fourth in just his second-career Truck Series start. Riggs finished 7th in his series debut at IRP a few weeks ago.
Tyler Hill (No. 5), Brennan Poole (No. 46), Justin Carroll (No. 90), Trey Hutchens (No. 14), Mason Maggio (No. 96) and Norm Benning (No. 6) did not qualify.
The race will begin at 8 p.m. ET, with coverage on Fox Sports 1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The stages will run through laps 70, 140 and 250.
Starting lineup:
Pit stall assignments:
Goodyear tire notes:
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series — Race No. 18 — 250 laps / 187.5 miles
Richmond Raceway (0.75-mile oval) – Richmond, Va.
Fast Facts for August 13, 2022
Tire: Goodyear Eagle 15-inch Speedway Radials
Set limits: Truck: 5 sets for the event
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-6114; Right-side — D-6116
Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,218 mm (87.32 in.); Right-side — 2,244 mm (88.35 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 12 psi; Left Rear — 12 psi;
Right Front — 30 psi; Right Rear — 27 psi
Notes – Trucks on popular tire set-up at Richmond: Being on 15-inch bead diameter tires, NASCAR Xfinity Series teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Cup Series at Richmond this weekend . . . this is the same tire set-up NASCAR Xfinity Series teams ran at Richmond in April . . . this is also the same combination of left- and right-side tires NASCAR teams have run at Phoenix (Xfinity and Truck), Gateway (Xfinity and Truck), New Hampshire (Truck only), IRP (Truck only) this season . . . compared to what Truck teams ran at Richmond last season, both of these tire codes feature minor compound changes . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Richmond.
— Goodyear Racing —
