Race Weekend Central

Zane Smith, Johnny Sauter Lead Truck Practice Sessions at Daytona

2020 Daytona NGROTS Johnny Sauter Truck NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Zane Smith and Johnny Sauter led the opening two practice sessions for the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at Daytona on Thursday afternoon under cloudy skies. In the first practice, it was Smith who led the field at 193.174 mph. Riley Herbst was second, followed by Ty Majeski, Joe Nemechek and his son, John …

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Truckin’ Thursdays: The More, The Merrier

2019 Homestead NGOTS Matt Crafton Champion CCK

Matt Crafton celebrated the championship last time he raced in Florida (Photo: Christian Koelle)

A Crowded House The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series kicks off its 26th season of competition on Friday night and the division finds itself in a unique position. It appears to be the healthiest of the three major touring levels in terms of participation and the number of entries compared to the available …

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2019 Truck Series Review, Pt. 1: Playoff Drivers

2019 Homestead NGOTS Matt Crafton Champion CCK

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Another year with the tough trucks of NASCAR has come and gone. With a familiar face hoisting the championship trophy, seven drivers were left wanting more as the checkered flag fell on 2019. 8. Tyler Ankrum In a season that saw him miss the first three events (age restriction), this teenager, coming off a ARCA …

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2019 NASCAR Top Storylines: Matt Crafton’s Winless Truck Series Championship

2019 Homestead NGOTS Matt Crafton Burnout CCK

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Matt Crafton is certainly a driver worthy of three NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series crowns. It’s a shame that he has to be the face of a 2019 title, however, that rings entirely hollow.  Securing the 2019 Truck championship on the back of a second-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Crafton became only the …

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Frontstretch Podcast: Breaking Down Homestead, Tyler Reddick Chats Xfinity Title

NASCAR Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In this week’s edition of the Frontstretch Podcast, Dustin Albino and Mike Neff discuss the championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway that saw Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick and Matt Crafton be crowned NASCAR champions. Busch came in as a slight underdog for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title, snapping a 21-race winless streak in the process. Reddick had an …

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Truckin’ Thursdays: The Storylines of 2019

2019 Homestead NGOTS Matt Crafton Burnout CCK

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

The 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season is complete. Matt Crafton won the championship, his third career title, tying him for second-most championships. With 23 races in the history books, what were the prevailing storylines of this Truck Series season? Ross Chastain’s Breakout Year 2019 was the year of Ross Chastain. The 26-year-old from …

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Beside the Rising Tide: Closing Time

2019HomesteadMENCSKyleBuschVictoryLapCCK

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Exactly nine months after it left port with the Daytona 500, the 2019 Cup season came to its end with a very displeasing sneezing and wheezing as the calliope crashed to the ground — trailing smoke, clanking loudly, a bit rusted in some places and busted in others. As I watched the screen fade to …

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5 Points to Ponder: A Worthy Champion

2019HomesteadMENCSKyleBuschPolishVictoryLaneCCK

ONE: A Worthy Champion In the last 10 years, no one has won more Cup races than Kyle Busch, so it seems apt that he finish up the decade with a second title, four years after he secured his first. Busch’s undoubted driving prowess has always suggested multiple titles, but as the years passed since …

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Pace Laps: Kyle Busch Seals Legacy, Tyler Reddick & Matt Crafton Take Home Championships

NASCAR Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Kyle Busch’s Second Title Changes His Legacy Denny Hamlin had Michael Jordan in his corner. Kevin Harvick had every resource at Stewart-Haas Racing. Martin Truex Jr. had the most time to prepare and the most wins on the Cup circuit this season (seven). Kyle Busch had a 21-race winless streak …

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Tracking The Trucks: Inside Winless Wonder Matt Crafton’s Championship Season

2019 Phoenix NGOTS Matt Crafton Truck NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In a Nutshell: Austin Hill placed the perfect bookend on his 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series season by cruising to victory in the Homestead-Miami Speedway season finale. His Ford 200 trophy earned Friday night (Nov. 15) matched up perfectly with a victory in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Unfortunately for Hill, though, …

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Austin Hill Wins Ford EcoBoost 200; Matt Crafton Claims 3rd Truck Championship

2019 Homestead NGOTS Matt Crafton Burnout CCK

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

Hattori Racing Enterprises’ Austin Hill took advantage of slightly fresher tires on the final run of the race to run down Matt Crafton and take the lead with 23 laps to go.  From there, Hill opened up a gap and held on to take his fourth win of 2019.  However, Crafton kept Hill in sight …

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Don’t Call Matt Crafton an Underdog

2019 Michigan NGOTS Matt Crafton Face NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Matt Crafton is a Truck Series lifer. And at Thursday’s (Nov. 14) Championship 4 Media Day, he made it known he’s not an underdog for the title this season. Crafton, 43, enters championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the only Truck Series driver eligible for the championship not to win a race this season. Hell, …

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