Race Weekend Central

Tracking the Trucks: Chandler Smith Snags 2nd Career Win, Ben Rhodes Wins Championship in Phoenix

2021 Phoenix Ii Trucks Ben Rhodes Celebrate Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In a Nutshell: Chandler Smith scored his second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win in Friday night’s (Nov. 5) Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway. The rookie led five times for 39 laps, including the final 18 for his second victory in five races, just one week after being eliminated from the championship battle. …

Read more

Chandler Smith on Pole for Truck Series Finale at Phoenix

Chandler Smith at Knoxville 2021, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Chander Smith may have been the last to qualify for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finale at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 5, but he certainly was not the least. In his one lap, Smith put down a blistering pace of 136.576 mph, more than a quarter of a second faster than second-fastest Sheldon Creed. …

Read more

Truckin’ Thursdays: 4 Potential Playoff Spoilers at Martinsville Speedway

Johnny Sauter NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After back-to-back races to open the Camping World Truck Series Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, the series continues to sit idle while the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series work their way through their respective playoffs to get to Martinsville Speedway in a few weeks. Christian Eckes and Tate Fogleman …

Read more

Truckin’ Thursdays: No One Safe Heading to Martinsville

2021 Talladega Trucks Matt Crafton Wrecked Truck Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

After Tate Fogleman’s victory Saturday (Oct. 2) at Talladega Superspeedway, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Martinsville Speedway on the verge of its first playoff round with three non-postseason-eligible winners. Christian Eckes‘ triumph at Las Vegas Motor Speedway kicked off the Round of 8, leaving only Martinsville on Oct. 30 to decide the Championship …

Read more

Issues Plague Playoff Drivers, Mar Truck Series Race in Las Vegas

2021 Trucks Las Vegas Zane Smith, No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet, Pit Road (Credit: Steph Chambers/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images via NASCAR Media

It took some time for chaos to strike the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but once one playoff driver was involved in a crash, the dominoes kept falling. A whopping five of the eight championship competitors had issues, ended up sideways or wound up crashed on …

Read more

4 Burning Questions: Rookie Report Card

Chase Briscoe at Charlotte, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

How have the two NASCAR Cup Series rookies performed? Now that all three NASCAR national touring series have headed into the playoffs, it’s a good time to take a look at the rookies in each series and how they did this season, especially with just two of them actually in the playoffs. Unlike traditional classes, …

Read more

Frontstretch 5: Feuds That Could Brew Again in NASCAR Playoffs

NASCAR Brad Keselowski Kyle Busch

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

This past weekend’s events at Bristol Motor Speedway brought out the best of moods for spectators and the worst of moods for the drivers. New feuds were born and they all may be something for fans to keep an eye on as these playoffs continue. Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick’s memorable post-race scrum at Bristol …

Read more

Tracking the Trucks: Chandler Smith Scores 1st Career Win at Bristol Motor Speedway

2021 Bristol Ii Trucks Chandler Smith Woohoo Victory Lane Brian Lawdermilk Getty

(Photo: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

In a Nutshell: Chandler Smith scored his first career victory in Thursday night’s (Sept. 16) UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway to win his way into the Camping World Truck Series playoffs Round of 8. The driver of the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota bounced back from an early tire rub and utilized a …

Read more

Chandler Smith Wins Truck Series at Bristol, Advances to Playoffs Round of 8

Chandler Smith burnout after winning Bristol NASCAR Truck race, fall 2021, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In a seemingly must-win situation, Chandler Smith had the restart of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career Thursday night (Sept. 16). On the final restart with six laps remaining, he drove aggressively to pass Sheldon Creed, who won both stages and dominated the race, to win the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. It’s …

Read more

Truckin’ Thursdays: Elimination Looms Large at Bristol

Tyler Ankrum racing in a pack at Bristol Motor Speedway, 2020 NASCAR Truck race, NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Sheldon Creed and John Hunter Nemechek are safe with one race left in the first round of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs as the series takes to the (paved) Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday (Sept. 16) night. Anyone who’s been paying attention to the tour at all this year would probably figure that, …

Read more

Fire on Fridays: Lower-Series Drivers Who Deserve Late-Season Call-Ups

Ty Gibbs smiling at 2021 Michigan NASCAR Xfinity race, holding a Monster drink, Photo NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

This would’ve been easier before 2020. Back in the days of qualifying before every NASCAR race (remember those?), anyone approved by NASCAR could show up to a track on the national series schedule and try to put their car in the show. Whether they should’ve been there was of little importance; as long as they …

Read more

Sheldon Creed Dominates Darlington, Scores Second Straight Win

Sheldon Creed on pit road at World Wide Technology Raceway in Gateway, Ill. (Photo: Getty Images)

(Photo: Jeff Curry/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

Sheldon Creed finished Sunday (Sept. 5) afternoon’s In It To Win It 200 at Darlington Raceway where he started: out front. Creed dominated throughout the race’s 147-lap running, holding off challenges from Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates John Hunter Nemechek and Chandler Smith to win the second stage and, ultimately, the race. Creed’s third win of …

Read more