NCWTS: Preview Phoenix International Raceway

This weekend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will head off to Phoenix International Raceway for the 19th annual Lucas Oil 150. Tonight will mark race 21 of the 22 scheduled events of the 2013 season. The entry list currently features 36 unique drivers scheduled to race tonight.

Some fresh faces include Dj Kennington, Daniel Hemric, Steve Smith, Ross Chastain, John Hunter Nemechek, Cale Gale, Mason Mingus, Chad Frewaldt, Erik Jones, Chris Jones, Chase Elliott and Steve Wallace.

Only 36 drivers are scheduled to qualify tonight so no drivers will go home.

Matt Crafton goes into tonight’s race leading the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points standings by 46 points over James Buescher. If Matt can come out of Phoenix Raceway with a 49-plus point lead, he will clinch the championship. It will also be his first NASCAR national series championship if he wins it this year.

“I’ll say it every week until the season’s done because nothing ever changes with this race team and our record shows it,” Crafton said. “We’ll unload at Phoenix prepared to win the race and that’s all we’ll look at. At the same time, we’ll keep trying to make smart decisions. And it’s a given that my guys at ThorSport never give up, as they proved at Texas.”

Toyota can clinch the manufactures championship if they can come out of Phoenix with third place point standings or better.

Darrell Wallace, Jr. comes into Phoenix with strong momentum after a seventh place finish last Friday at Texas. He currently leads Ryan Blaney by one point in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings going into tonight. After winning at Martinsville two weeks ago, Wallace joined rookies Jeb Burton and Ryan Blaney with at least a win this year.

“I’m excited to head to Phoenix this weekend. It’s another new track for me in the No. 54 Toyota Tundra, but we still have momentum on our side and I’m confident we will have another strong run this weekend,” said Darrell Wallace, Jr. “Phoenix is a track where we can actually drive it and don’t have to depend on the air that much so I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully we can get us another top-10 finish and be the top finishing Rookie for the fifth race in a row.”

You can catch tonight’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event live at 7:30 p.m. Et. on Fox Sports One. The Motor Racing Network will provide live radio coverage of the event. You can listen to MRN live on MRN.com, TuneIn applicaton and AudioNow by dialing 1-832-999-1717 on your mobile phone.

Brett Winningham
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