Pit Stops : Charlotte Motor Speedway

• Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024
• NASCAR Wire Service -

CRAFTSMAN Truck Series ready to kick off Memorial Day weekend in their backyard

Ready to honor the fallen this weekend, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is returning home to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (Friday, May 24, at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio).

Located in ‘America’s Home for Racing’, the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway has hosted 21 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races, producing 12 different winners and 12 different pole winners. Four races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Johnny Sauter in 2018.

Here’s a look at the drivers who have stamped their names in the Charlotte Motor Speedway record books:

• Race record: Matt Crafton 141.855 mph (05/21/2016)
• Qualifying record: Kyle Busch 183.773 mph (05/16/2014)
• Most races: Matt Crafton (21)
• Most poles: Kyle Busch and Mike Skinner (3)
• Most wins: Kyle Busch (8)
• Most top fives: Kyle Busch (12)
• Most top 10s: Kyle Busch (14)
• Laps led: Kyle Busch (789)

The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 will be broken up into three stages. The first two stages will be 30 laps each and the final stage will be 74 laps for a race total of 134 laps (201 miles).

2024 Triple Truck Challenge kicks off at Charlotte Motor Speedway

The Triple Truck Challenge was introduced in 2019 as a three-race program that provides drivers in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series an opportunity to win up to $500,000 in bonus money.

A $50,000 bonus will be awarded to the race winner of any one of the three events. If a driver wins two of the three races, they pocket an additional $150,000. Win all three races and they collect half a million dollars.

Charlotte Motor Speedway returns to the top of the Triple Truck Challenge rotation for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (Friday, May 24, at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Following Charlotte Motor Speedway, “The Trip” continues at World Wide Technology Raceway (June 1) before closing out on June 28 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Since its inception in 2019, no driver has been able to win all three races in one season to collect the $500,000 bonus.

Former Triple Truck Challenge Winners:

Practice and Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 will begin Friday, May 24 at 1:35 p.m. ET on FS1.

Six spots in the Playoffs still up for grabs with six races remaining

Through 10 races this season, four drivers have earned their spot in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs by virtue of their wins – Christian Eckes, Corey Heim, Nick Sanchez and Rajah Caruth – leaving six spots still up for grabs heading into Charlotte – with only six races left in the regular season.

Following North Wilkesboro, Matt Crafton is ranked 11th in the Playoff outlook, two points back from Tanner Gray in the 10th and final postseason transfer spot on points. Just behind Crafton is Daniel Dye, 17 points back from the postseason cutoff.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

Dean Thompson attempting triple duty this weekend – NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regular Dean Thompson will attempt his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend, piloting the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota.

Thompson will be the sixth driver to get behind the wheel for the team in 2024, joiningJeffrey Earnhardt,John Hunter Nemechek,Corey Heim,Ed JonesandSage Karam.

The Anaheim, California native will run in the ARCA Menards Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races on Friday before attempting to make his debut in the Xfinity Series on Saturday.

ARCA points leader Andrés Pérez set to make CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut with Spire Motorsports – Spire Motorsports has signed 19-year old ARCA Menards Series points leader Andrés Pérez de Lara to pilot the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet for the June 1 Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Pérez is the full-time driver of Rev Racing’s No. 2 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series and is part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. He has earned one top-five, and three top-10 finishes in the division’s first five races of the 2024 campaign and has a one-point advantage heading into the division’s next stop at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I am very thankful and excited for the opportunity to make my NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut with a team like Spire Motorsports, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet at World Wide Technology Raceway,” said Pérez. “Having Herdez Brand involved in the project makes it even better, especially with all the racing background Herdez has in both USA and Mexico and even in my dad’s racing career. That gives me extra motivation to represent my partners, team and country as best as I can. I’m fully committed to making this chance count and I’m really looking forward to the race.”

• North Carolina Education Lottery 200
• Pole Winner: Tanner Gray
• Age: 25
• Team : No 15 - Dead On Tools Toyota
• Owner: David Gilliland
• Crew Chief: Jerame Donley
• Tanner Gray won the Pole Award for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 with a lap of 30296 seconds, 178241 mph
• This is his second pole in 105 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races
• This is his first pole and fifth top-10 start in 2024
• This is his second pole in five races at Charlotte Motor Speedway
• Corey Heim (second) posted his fourth top-10 start of 2024 and his second in two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway
• Ty Majeski (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Charlotte Motor Speedway It is his ninth in 11 races this season
• Layne Riggs (fifth) was the fastest qualifying rookie

• Friday, May 24th, 2024
• NASCAR Wire Service - Reid Spencer

Nick Sanchez triumphs at Charlotte for second NASCAR Truck Series win

Nick Sanchez showed what an opportunist can do when the right moment presents itself.

Taking advantage of fresh tires and a quick pit stop, Sanchez charged from the 10thposition on a restart with nine laps left in Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and held off Corey Heim to win his second NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race of the season — and of his career.

Sanchez crossed the finish line 0.507 seconds ahead of Heim, who fell just short after two snafus on pit relegated him to the runner-up position — temporarily. Sanchez collects a $50,000 bonus as the winner of the first Triple Truck Challenge event of the season.

After the race, Heim’s troubles multiplied when inspectors found three lug nuts not safe and secure on his No. 11 Toyota, resulting in a disqualification that promoted Stewart Friesen to the runner-up position.

“It’s awesome — my No. 2 Gainbridge Chevrolet,” said Sanchez, who qualified 16thfor the 11thTruck Series race of the season. “What can I say more about this (Rev Racing) team? We started off bad. It didn’t affect us. We went to work. We put ourselves in position when it mattered most.

“This is for Chris Showalter, my car chief. Birthday today, 700thtruck start. This is for him, and it’s great to get number two.”

Remarkably, Showalter has been a part of the series for every race since its inception in 1995.

Sanchez led only the final nine laps. Heim led 72 before the penalty and Christian Eckes 37.

After dominating the first two stages of the race, Heim dropped to 27thunder caution for Matt Crafton’s collision with then outside wall on Lap 79 when the jack malfunctioned and failed to lift his No. 11 Toyota.

Heim roared through the field to fifth before Chase Purdy slammed the Turn 2 wall to cause the fifth caution. Like Sanchez, Heim pitted for fresh tires, but a problem with the lug nuts on the right rear wheel cost him valuable time — and ultimately cost him dearly with the disqualification.

Grant Enfinger was credited with third, followed by Matt Mills, Ben Rhodes and Jake Garcia.

Eckes, who entered the race as the series leader, started from the rear after contact from Kaden Honeycutt’s Chevrolet during practice damaged his No. 19 Chevy and prevented him from making a qualifying run.

That was just the start of Eckes’ problems. Alternator issues kept him on pit road for extended stops during the stage breaks and relegated him to starting spots of 28thand 27thfor the second and final stages, respectively.

But Eckes recovered to take the lead after staying out for a restart on Lap 88, and he was still in front — albeit close on fuel — when the caution for Purdy’s accident slowed the field. Eschewing a pit stop for new tires under the final caution, Eckes slipped to 10that the finish.

Honeycutt, who won Stage 1 after Heim’s penalty and finished third in Stage 2, also went to the rear after leaving his pit stall during the second stage break with a fuel dump can still attached to the input valve of his truck.

Despite the setback, Honeycutt had enough speed in his Chevrolet to recover to seventh at the finish. Connor Mosack, Dean Thompson and Eckes completed the top 10.

• Drivers Entered: 38 (2 drivers will not make the race)
• Laps Scheduled: 134
• Margin of Victory: 0.507 Seconds
• Time of Race: 1 Hours 45 Minutes 40 Seconds
• Average Speed: 114.132
• Cautions: 5 for 31 laps
• Lead Changes: 8
• Green Flag Passes: 1,654 (16.1 passes per green flag lap)

• North Carolina Education Lottery 200
• Race Winner: Nick Sanchez
• Age: 22
• Team : No 2 - Gainbridge Chevrolet
• Owner: Max Siegel
• Crew Chief: Kevin Manion
• Nick Sanchez won the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, his second victory in 34 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races
• This is his second victory and eighth top-10 finish in 2024
• This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway
• Stewart Friesen (second) posted his fifth top-10 finish in eight races at Charlotte Motor Speedway It is his second top-10 finish in 2024
• Grant Enfinger (third) posted his fifth top-10 finish in eight races at Charlotte Motor Speedway
• Conner Jones (11th) was the highest finishing rookie
• Christian Eckes leads the point standings by 30 points over Corey Heim