NCWTS: Alpha Energy Solutions 250 Preview

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series travels to Martinsville Speedway for the 18th annual Alpha Energy Solutions 250. The race will serve as the third stop on the schedule in the brand-new 2016 race season. The series will run their first race since Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 27th.

Joey Logano, who is not entered into the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 this weekend, comes into Martinsville as the defending race winner. Logano won the race by leading 150 laps and passing race leader Matt Crafton with two laps remaining in a green-white-checker finish. The win gave Logano his only victory in the series.

A total of 38 drivers are featured on the weekend entry list. Some of these drivers include Cole Custer, Bryce Napier, Shane Lee, William Byron, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Kaz Grala, Ben Rhodes, Daniel Suarez and Parker Kligerman. Six drivers will go home after round one of qualifying.

The weekend will be a family affair for the Decker’s as they will attempt to qualify for the race on Saturday morning. Sisters Paige, Claire and cousin Natalie, will join the series at Martinsville Speedway. Natalie and Claire will make their Camping World Truck Series debuts if they’re able to make the race. Paige made her debut last season at the 0.526-mile track last November.

Kaz Grala will join the Camping World Truck Series fray this weekend to pilot the No. 33 Chevrolet for GMS Racing. Grala currently competes full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for Ben Kennedy Racing. The 17-year old driver holds nine top five and 21 top 10 finishes through 33 K&N Pro Series races.

Grala is excited about joining GMS Racing this weekend for his debut.

“I am looking forward to my NCWTS debut with GMS Racing at Martinsville,” said Grala in a release. “The No. 33 team has run really well so far this year and I believe they will supply me with the best equipment possible. I am going to try and put myself in the best position possible and hope to bring home a solid run for myself and GMS Racing.”

Spencer Boyd will join MB Motorsports this weekend at Martinsville in the No. 63 Go-Parts Dodge Ram. Boyd, a 20-year old from St. Louis, Missouri, is a veteran driver in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. The young driver captured the Super Trucks championship in 2014 at Hickory Speedway.

“Growing up in St. Louis, MB Motorsports was the local NASCAR team, so I’ve followed them since I was a kid,” Boyd said in a release. “This really is a dream come true. There are so many people to thank for helping me get to this point, now I just want to make them proud by putting on a good show for my family, my partners, and certainly Go-Parts who is also making their NASCAR debut.”

Parker Kligerman enters Martinsville Speedway leading the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver standings by one point over Daniel Hemric. John Hunter Nemechek, who scored the win at Atlanta, sits three points behind Kligerman in third. Timothy Peters and Tyler Young round out the top-five.

The Alpha Energy Solutions 250 will air on FOX Sports 1 at 2:30 p.m. ET. on Saturday afternoon. Radio coverage of the event will air on MRN and SiriusXM channel 90.  

Brett Winningham
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