Pocono plays host to the last race before the Truck Series playoffs begin. Who will make the playoffs and who will be the regular season champion?
Fourteen races since the season began and we are at the final race of the regular season. So far we have seen Zane Smith battling Corey Heim and Ty Majeski for the regular season championship and it all comes down to this weekend’s CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway.
2022 CRC Brakleen 150
In 2022, we saw Chandler Smith get his second win of the season, holding off Ryan Preece on the final lap. Smith won stage one, and Christian Eckes won stage two and finished eighth. There was only one major caution during the race, a large wreck on lap 12, which ended the race for Todd Bodine and Jack Wood. Hailie Deegan would DNF due to a brake failure.
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway is a 2.5-mile-long speedway built in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1968, its triangular shape has given it the nickname ‘The Tricky Triangle’. Each turn is modeled after different tracks across the United States.
Turn one is modeled after Trenton Speedway, in New Jersey, which has 14 degrees of banking. Turn two is banked 8 degrees and is based on Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Lastly, turn three, is based on the Milwaukee Mile, in Wisconsin, and has 6 degrees of banking. Due to the three unique turns and the longest straightaway of all the NASCAR tracks, drivers will utilize shifting during a race.
Pocono first hosted the Truck Series in 2010. Elliott Sadler won the race that year. Kyle Busch holds the record for wins at Pocono in a truck with two. Sheldon Creed holds the lap record with a 53.06-second lap, set in 2021.
Entry List
This weekend we will see some Cup Series drivers return to the Craftsman Truck Series alongside some part-timers. They are:
- Kaz Grala: #1 Toyota, TRICON Garage
- Stefan Parsons: #02 Chevrolet, Young’s Motorsport
- Norm Benning: #6 Chevrolet, Benning Racing
- Austin Hill: #7 Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports
- Chad Chastain: #20 Chevrolet, Young’s Motorsports
- Stephen Mallozzi: #22 Ford, AM Racing
- Ross Chastain: #41 Chevrolet, Niece Motorsports
- Kaden Honeycutt: #44 Chevrolet, Niece Motorsports
- Kyle Busch: #51 Chevrolet, Kyle Busch Motorsports
- Christopher Bell: #61 Toyota, Hattori Racing
- Parker Kligerman: #75 Chevrolet, Henderson Motorsports
With 39 drivers entering the CRC Brakleen 150 and only 36 spots for the race, three will not make the race.
Predictions
With three Cup Series drivers in the field for the race, it is hard not to pick any of them to win. All have won here in a truck, and Busch has won in all three series. I can see them stinking up the race and taking points away from the regulars, making the points battle even more intense.
For our Truck Series regulars; Corey Heim has some momentum after a win at Mid-Ohio, his second of the season. He finished fourth in this race last year, can he make it two in a row? Carson Hocevar, qualified third, finished fifth, and has the most recent oval win in the series. Look for the #42 to be quick.
Ty Majeski has yet to win in 2023 but has been consistent every week. Last year at Pocono he qualified sixth and finished seventh. Austin Hill is returning to Pocono in the same truck he drove to a sixth-place finish.
Zane Smith has been defending his title with speed everywhere. He earned the pole but finished thirteenth. He finished second at Mid-Ohio and Nashville, so he is due for a win.
Regular Season Champion and Points Cut-Off
The Regular Season championship could be won by four drivers this weekend. Corey Heim is leading with 530 points. Zane Smith is next, 26 points back, followed by Ty Majeski, 51 points behind. Ben Rhodes is the last driver who can earn the championship at 53 points behind Heim.
The maximum amount of points a driver can earn during the race is 60, 10 for each stage win, and 50 for the race win.
There is also a battle for the last driver locked into the playoffs. That is between Nick Sanchez, Matt DiBenedetto, Matt Crafton, and Stewart Friesen. They are all separated by five points.
Keep your eyes on this battle. Tanner Gray and Chase Purdy have enough points that they could potentially make the tenth spot if they have clean races and go for the points.
How to Watch
- Friday, July 21st:
- Saturday, July 22nd:
- The CRC Brakleen 150: 12:00 p.m. ET, FS1
With three Cup Drivers and an exciting points battle, this weekend’s Truck Series race at Pocono is going to be exciting. Tune into FS1 to watch.
Featured image credit: Matthew O’Haren/USA TODAY Sports
