The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns from a week off for Friday night’s MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (5 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
It’s been a busy summer for the teams, which raced six consecutive weekends between May 2 and June 7 – a string of races that featured five different winners and two first-time winners on the season (Rajah Caruth and Stewart Friesen).
The series championship leader, TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim is the defending Pocono race winner. And there’s absolutely no reason he won’t be the favorite this weekend. Heim led a dominating 55 of the 70 laps last year, including the final 34 and beat Grant Enfinger to the line by nearly a second.
Chandler Smith is the only other full-time driver with a previous Pocono victory – taking the trophy in 2022.
With only five races remaining to set the 10-driver Playoff field, There are six drivers eligible based on wins. Enfinger, Layne Riggs, Kaden Honeycutt, and reigning series champion Ty Majeski currently hold the four positions based on points-only. Majeski is only four points up on Jake Garcia, however, in 11thplace. Two-time series champion Ben Rhodes is 55 points behind Garcia.
There are 12 drivers making their first Pocono start. The last six Pocono races have been won by six different drivers – half of them by full-time Truck Series competitors.
Practice is Friday at 12:35 p.m. ET followed immediately by Kennametal Pole Qualifying at 1:40 p.m. ET. – both sessions available on FS2. Christian Eckes, now an Xfinity Series rookie, started from pole position in this race last year.
— NASCAR News Wire —