For the second time this season, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will return to Bristol Motor Speedway. The competitors will get four weeks off to prepare and go over strategy for the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (Thursday, September 19 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio).
In total, this will be the sixth time Bristol has hosted a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Race (2019-2024). This season marks the second time that Thunder Valley will host an event in the Round of 10. Previously, the half-mile track in the mountains served as the elimination race in 2021.
To date, the legendary short track has hosted 27 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Bristol, producing 22 different winners and 19 different pole winners. The winningest driver in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Kyle Busch, holds the most wins at the ‘Holy Grail of Short Tracks’ with five (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017).
Eight races have been won from the pole, most recently by Christian Eckes earlier this season.
Practice for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at the Bristol Motor Speedway kicks off at 3 p.m. EST on Thursday, September 19, followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 3:35 p.m. EST.
Trio of Playoff drivers hungry for more
Three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff drivers are previous Bristol winners, and all are looking to double down to secure their spot in the Round of 8.
Christian Eckes: The 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Regular Season Champion has made four starts at the 0.533-mile track. Behind the wheel of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet, Eckes has posted one win (Spring 2024), two top fives, three top 10s, and has led 294 laps. The 23-year-old has the opportunity to be the first driver to post back-to-back wins at Bristol since Kyle Busch in 2010.
Ty Majeski: In three starts, the driver of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford has posted one win (2022), one top five, and one top 10. He’s also led 45 laps. The 29-year old’s win in 2022 was his first in his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series career.
Corey Heim: The driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota has made three starts at ‘The Last Great Colosseum’. In those three starts, the Marietta, Georga native has posted one win (2023), one top five, three top 10s, and has led six laps.
Eckes with potential to continue historic run
McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes continues his breakout year with arguably a historic run. This season the 23-year-old became the eighth different driver to win the regular season title: joining Christopher Bell (2017), Johnny Sauter (2018), Grant Enfinger (2019), Austin Hill (2020), John H. Nemechek (2021), Zane Smith (2022) and Corey Heim (2023).
Eckes has led the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series point standings following 10 of the 17 races this season – series-most in 2024. Through the first 17 races of the 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule, there have been five lead changes among four leaders in the point standings.
Over the weekend, the driver of the No. 19 collected his fourth pole of the 2024 season. This is the second consecutive season he has posted three or more poles (2023-2024). Eckes also leads the series in laps led this season with 833 through 17 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races. Milwaukee was the fifth time this season that he led the most laps of the field.
Following Milwaukee, the Middletown, New York native has led 18 consecutive races – the third longest in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history. Kyle Busch holds the series record with 28 races. If Eckes finds himself at the front of the pack at Bristol, he will tie Mike Skinner with the second longest run in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Outlook Following Milwaukee Mile (August 25, 2024)
| Rank | Driver | Points | Starts | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | +/- Cutoff |
| 1 | Christian Eckes (P) | 2,090 | 17 | 3 | 9 | 39 | 60 |
| 2 | Ty Majeski (P) | 2,074 | 17 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 44 |
| 3 | Corey Heim (P) | 2,071 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 41 | 41 |
| 4 | Nick Sanchez (P) | 2,064 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 34 |
| 5 | Taylor Gray (P) | 2,043 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| 6 | Tyler Ankrum (P) | 2,043 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 13 |
| 7 | Daniel Dye (P) | 2,039 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 8 | Grant Enfinger (P) | 2,032 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| 9 | Ben Rhodes (P) | 2,030 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| 10 | Rajah Caruth (P) | 2,028 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 9 | -4 |
Playoff Bubble: Rhodes, Caruth on the outside looking in
Following the LiUNA! 175 at the Milwaukee Mile, ThorSport Racing veteran Ben Rhodes and Spire Motorsports Rajah Caruth find themselves below the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Round of 8 cutline.
Last weekend, 2021 and 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Champion Ben Rhodes had to battle all afternoon and managed to finish ninth at the Milwaukee Mile and left the 1.015-mile paved oval just two points back from the Round of 8 cutline. The 2024 season is the 26-year-old’s seventh Playoff appearance.
The contenders will head to Bristol Motor Speedway in a few weeks where Rhodes previously finished 16th In 11 starts at the 0.533-mile oval, the Louisville, Kentucky native has one top-five finish, six top-10 finishes and a total of one lap led. His best finish in Thunder Valley was fifth in 2017.
Unlike the vast Playoff experience Rhodes has, Rajah Caruth is in his first appearance in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs. It’s been 14 races since Caruth’s first (and last) visit to Victory Lane (Las Vegas) but the Washington, D.C. native knows how to race his way into the top 10 – he’s recorded eight top-10 finishes so far this season, the most in his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series career. The driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet had a decent day at the Milwaukee Mile, finishing 18th, but is now just twenty points back from the Round of 8 cutline and the final transfer position.
Currently, CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger is in the eighth and final position to transfer to the next round in the Playoffs on points. Just ahead of Enfinger in seventh is McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s driver Daniel Dye, up nine points on the Round of 8 cutline.
Clinch Scenarios for Bristol Motor Speedway:
Already Clinched
None of the Playoff drivers have clinched a spot in the 8-driver field of the next round
Can Clinch Via Points
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 8th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Corey Heim or Nicholas Sanchez.
- Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 49 points
- Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
- Corey Heim: Could only clinch with help
- Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help
- Taylor Gray: Could only clinch with help
- Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help
- Daniel Dye: Could only clinch with help
The following drivers could clinch on points with a win by Taylor Gray or Tyler Ankrum:
- Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 51 points
- Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
- Corey Heim: Could only clinch with help
- Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help
- Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help
- Daniel Dye: Could only clinch with help
The following drivers could clinch on points with a win by Daniel Dye:
- Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 52 points
- Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
- Corey Heim: Could only clinch with help
- Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help
- Taylor Gray: Could only clinch with help
- Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Grant Enfinger or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 7th winless driver in the standings.
- Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 54 points
- Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
- Corey Heim: Could only clinch with help
- Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help
- Taylor Gray: Could only clinch with help
- Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
- Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Corey Heim, Nicholas Sanchez, Taylor Gray, Tyler Ankrum, Daniel Dye, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Rajah Caruth
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.
2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year breakdown – Layne Riggs continues to dominate the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings following 13 races in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
The driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford collected his first win this past weekend at the Milwaukee Mile and now sits 249 points over Connor Jones and 277 points over Thadd Moffitt.
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