NASCAR Truck Series News & Notes - Phoenix Raceway Championship Weekend

Yesterday at 04:25 PM

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship
The Place: Phoenix Raceway
Track Type: 1 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Friday, November 8
The Time: 8 p.m. ET
The Purse: $822,570
TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 150 miles (150 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 150)

The Stage Is Set: The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will crown a new champion in Phoenix

The competitors are gearing up for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway this Friday, November 8 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio (Channel 90), where it will decide who of the Championship 4 contenders — Grant Enfinger, Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, and Corey Heim — will finish the highest and take the 2024 title.

The half-mile track has hosted 33 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races since its inaugural Phoenix race — a race won by Mike Skinner piloting the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet on February 5, 1995. Skinner bested legendary drivers Terry Labonte, Ron Hornaday Jr., and Johnny Benson Jr.

Notably, there have been 23 different race winners. Kevin Harvick leads the series with four wins at Phoenix. Eight races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Zane Smith in 2022.

Here‘s a closer look at the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series veterans who have etched their name in the Phoenix Raceway record books:

• Race record: Kevin Harvick 108.014 mph (11/08/2002)
• Qualifying record: William Byron 138.254 mph (11/11/2016)
• Most races: Matt Crafton (23)
• Most poles: Jack Sprague (5)
• Most wins: Kevin Harvick (4)
• Most top fives: Ron Hornaday Jr. (10)
• Most top 10s: Ron Hornaday Jr. and Jack Sprague (13)
• Laps led: Jack Sprague (737)

Since the inception of the Playoff format in 2016, only three of the seven winners in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race have also claimed the championship that season — Brett Moffitt (2018), Sheldon Creed (2020), and Zane Smith (2022).

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will kick off the Championship Weekend with practice on Thursday, November 7 at 8 p.m. ET. They will make their qualifying runs on Friday, November 8 at 4 p.m. ET on FS2.

Scouting the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship 4 contenders

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series concluded the Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway last weekend, locking in the four drivers who will be competing to be crowned the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion.

Christian Eckes won the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 last weekend at Martinsville — his fourth victory of the 2024 season — and punched his ticket to the Championship 4 with the victory.

As for the other three drivers, Grant Enfinger clinched his spot after winning at both Talladega and Homestead and Corey Heim pointed his way in (53 points above the cutoff) after a seventh-place finish at Martinsville. Ty Majeski also pointed his way in (28 points above the cutline), finishing 11th at the 0.526-mile track.

The journey to the Championship 4 was not easy. Let‘s look at how the four championship drivers have done in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series careers to get them to this point.

Grant Enfinger (No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet) heads to Phoenix Raceway ready to make his third career appearance in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship 4 Round. The 39-year-old‘s first year with his new team has gone without a significant hitch.

2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats:

• Two wins (Talladega, Martinsville)
• Seven top five finishes and 12 top 10 finishes
• 263 laps led
• Average start — 11.7
• Average finish — 10.8

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Career (2018 — Present):

• 195 starts, 12 wins, 65 top five finishes, 114 top 10 finishes, six poles
• 1,394 laps led
• Average start — 10.5
• Average finish — 10.4

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Stats (2018-2024):

• Six Playoff wins (Las Vegas, 2018; Martinsville, 2020; Indianapolis, 2022; Milwaukee, 2023; Talladega, Homestead-Miami, 2024)
• 41 starts, 17 top five finishes, 25 top 10 finishes, three poles
• 412 laps led

Crew Chief Jeff Stankiewicz:

Jeff Stankiewicz has crew chief experience dating back to 2010 and has made his mark in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He spent five years in the Xfinity Series compiling 11 top-five finishes and 28 top-10 finishes in 85 races. Some notable names he has worked with in the series are Ben Kennedy (2017) and Sheldon Creed (2022-2023).

In 2011, he began his journey in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series becoming crew chief for Parker Kligerman. Since then, he has accumulated 12 wins, 43 top-five, and 81 top-10 finishes, in 202 races. Other notable names he has teamed up with are Brad Keselowski (2012), Kyle Larson (2016), Chase Elliott (2017) and Sheldon Creed (2020-2021).

Christian Eckes (No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet) heads to Phoenix Raceway to make his first career appearance in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship 4 Round. The 2024 season marks the fourth time the 23-year-old has made the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs.

2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats:

• Four wins (Bristol, Martinsville-1, Nashville, Martinsville-2)
• 14 top five finishes and 21 top 10 finishes
• 1,050 laps led
• Average start — 6.9
• Average finish — 5.5

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Career (2018 — Present):

• 113 starts, nine wins, 44 top five finishes, 72 top 10 finishes, nine poles
• 1,821 laps led
• Average start — 8.3
• Average finish — 10.4

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Stats (2020 — Present):

• Three Playoff wins (Kansas, Phoenix, 2023; Martinsville, 2024)
• 27 starts, 12 top five finishes, 20 top 10 finishes, three poles
• 536 laps led

Crew Chief Charles Denike:

Charles Denike has five years of knowledgeable experience in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. In 111 races, he‘s accumulated 10 wins, 34 top fives, 56 top 10s, eight poles, and his drivers have led 1,594 laps. Denike has spent the last two season with Christian Eckes and has bolstered the No. 19 team‘s performance tremendously.

Notable names Denike has also teamed up with in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series are Greg Biffle (2020), Chase Elliott (2020), Justin Haley. (2020), Sam Mayer (2020), Tyler Ankrum (2021), and Championship 4 contender Grant Enfinger (2022).

Ty Majeski (No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford) heads to Phoenix Raceway to compete in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship 4 Round for the second time in his career. With steady performances week-in and week-out, the 38-year-old hopes to earn ThorSport Racing a championship.

2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats:

• Two wins (Indianapolis, Richmond)
• 9 top five finishes and 13 top- 10 finishes, 5 poles
• 468 laps led
• Average start — 5.0
• Average finish — 11.1

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Career (2019 — Present):

• 88 starts, 5 wins, 27 top five finishes, 47 top 10 finishes, 10 poles
• 1,258 laps led
• Average start — 8.3
• Average finish — 12.4

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Stats (2022 — Present):

• Three Playoff wins (Bristol, Homestead-Miami, 2022; Indianapolis, 2023)
• 20 starts, six top five finishes, 11 top 10 finishes, three poles
• 595 laps led

Crew Chief Joe Shear Jr.:

Joe Shear Jr. has experience in all three NASCAR national series. His NASCAR journey first began in 1995 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Robbie Reiser. He spent six years with several different drivers in the series compiling one win, two top-five, and 13 top-10 finishes in 97 races.

Since then, Shear Jr. has been with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series for 20 years, accumulating one championship (2016), 29 wins, 125 top five finishes, 200 top 10 finishes, and 21 poles. He spent most of his time in the series with 2016 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter before joining Ty Majeski and ThorSport Racing.

Corey Heim (No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota) returns to Phoenix Raceway after finishing third in the Championship 4 Round last year. The 22-year-old is in his second consecutive Playoff appearance.

2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats:

• Six wins (COTA, Kansas-1, North Wilkesboro, Gateway, Pocono, Kansas-2)
• 13 top five finishes, 17 top 10 finishes, 1 pole
• 666 laps led
• Average start — 10.1
• Average finish — 7.4

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Career (2021 — Present):

• 63 starts, 11 wins, 31 top five finishes, 46 top 10 finishes, 7 poles
• 1,348 laps led
• Average start — 8.8
• Average finish — 9.3

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Stats (2023 — Present):

• Two Playoff wins (Bristol, 2023; Kansas, 2024)
• 13 starts, eight top five finishes, 11 top 10 finishes, two poles
• 400 laps led

Crew Chief Scott Zipadelli:

Scott Zipadelli has crew chief experience dating back to 2000 and has made his mark in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He spent 10 years in the Xfinity Series compiling three wins, 35 top five finishes, and 91 top 10 finishes in 272 races. Some notable names he has worked with in the series are Kenny Wallace (2011, 2012), Justin Allgaier (2013), and Kyle Larson (2014).

In 2015, he made his move to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series becoming crew chief for Ben Kennedy. Since then, he has accumulated 18 wins, 68 top-five, 117 top-10 finishes, and nine poles in 204 races. Other notable names he has teamed up with are Ryan Truex (2017), Brett Moffitt (2018), Austin Hill (2019-2021), and Tyler Ankrum (2023).

Time to Name a Champion: Playoffs Contender‘s Career Performances at Phoenix

It‘s the moment the Playoff contenders have been waiting for: Championship Weekend. As the competitors head to Phoenix this weekend, the pressure to win and hoist the coveted championship trophy is on.

All drivers in the Championship 4 have given Phoenix Raceway a go in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, making this weekend that much more intense. Here‘s a look at how our contenders have performed there previously.

Of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff field, Christian Eckes is the only previous winner at Phoenix Raceway.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

2024 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Manufacturers Championship breakdown — Following 22 races, Chevrolet has mathematically clinched the 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Manufacturers Championship with 12 wins and 825 points on the season.

CRAFTSMAN Truck Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings — Through 22 races, Front Row Motorsports Layne Riggs has mathematically clinched the 2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors but will not be officially awarded until he finishes the season in good standing, per the program guidelines and eligibility.

— NASCAR —