The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to action after an off-weekend with Friday’s Navy 250 (7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) getting the first NASCAR green flag on the San Diego Street Course weekend.
For the first time in his career, Front Row Motorsports driver Layne Riggs is leading the championship standings – up 26 points on TRICON Garage driver Kaden Honeycutt after winning two of the last three races. Riggs’ Front Row Motorsports teammate Chandler Smith is third, 90 points off Riggs pace.
It’s reasonable to expect the weekend trophy to be settled by these title favorites. Riggs won the season’s first road course – and series’ first ever street course – at St. Petersburg in March and Honeycutt won the most recent one – at Watkins Glen, N.Y. in May.
Five drivers in the field have won at road courses – also including former series champ Ben Rhodes, Justin Haley and Parker Kligerman. It’s McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Daniel Hemric (5.86) that boasts the best average finish in the field on road courses.
Six races remain to set the 10-drive Chase field and the battle for the final spots is close with eighth place Tyler Ankrum only 14 points up on 11th place Stewart Friesen, who has the same number of points as ninth place Hemric and 10th place Jake Garcia – the points based on finishes.
Not only is this weekend a big chapter for the sport in terms of locale – but Friday’s truck race will feature four of the sport’s very best in rare appearances on the grid.
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson will make his first Truck Series start in 17 years – the San Diego native driving the No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota in front of the hometown fans. Fellow Californian, Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks will make his first series start since 2022 in the Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet.
Popular former full-timer, Brendon Gaughan who last raced in the series in 2013 will steer the No. 20 Chevrolet for the McAnally-Hilgemann. And NASCAR on Fox commentator and 2010 Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray will make his first series start since 2008. He’ll drive Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 Ram truck, which has featured a list of all-star drives this season. So far, the best finish for the No. 25 belongs to NASCAR Cup Series regular A.J. Allmendinger, who finished sixth at Watkins Glen.
Back to back practice sessions for the Truck Series open the weekend on track Friday at Noon ET and 1 p.m. ET followed immediately by Kennametal Pole Qualifying at 2 p.m. ET – all three sessions on FS2 – and the race at 7 p.m. ET (FS1).
— NASCAR Wire Service —