The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series strolls into the 0.533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway for the 19th annual UNOH 200. The race for the Camping World Truck Series will mark the 13th race for the series in 2016. Ryan Blaney, who is not entered into the UNOH 200, is the defending race winner.
The entry list features 36 drivers and teams. Some of those faces include Clay Greenfield, Austin Hill, Austin Cindric, Matt Mills, Cody McMahan, Stewart Fresen, Kaz Grala, Bryce Napier, Daniel Suarez, Donnie Levister, Jesse Little and Brandon Brown. Four drivers will not make the field for this race.
Austin Cindric will run a third Brad Keselowski Racing entry on Wednesday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Cindric recently signed a deal to pilot the No. 2 entry in three races that include Bristol and also Mosport and Talladega Superspeedway. He was also scheduled to run the truck at Dover International Speedway but did not qualify.
“I’m definitely being thrown into the deep end of the pool again going into Bristol,” said Cindric in a release. “The most important thing I need right now is laps under my belt. The team has a great history at Bristol and excellent knowledge of that track. From what I understand, Dover is actually like a bigger version of Bristol, so that gives me a little bit of confidence, especially with how quickly we got up to speed and how fast our PIRTEK Ford F-150 was there. I’ve learned a lot more about how to drive a truck and a stock car since my past experience at Phoenix and Dover. We’ll just go to Bristol and be a sponge.”
Daniel Hemric and Tyler Reddick will serve as Cindric’s teammates during the midweek event. Cindric enters the weekend fresh off a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory at Watkins Glen International. He also scored a K&N Pro Series East win this year at Virginia International Raceway.
William Byron has been on a tear in the Camping World Truck Series. Byron, the hottest driver in the series right now, heads into Bristol Motor Speedway with five victories in the last nine truck races in 2016. The North Carolina native captured his first win at Kansas and scored his most recent the last time out at Pocono Raceway. He also broke the record for the most wins by a rookie in a single season.
“It means a lot to me and our team to achieve that goal. Getting that checked off the list and not having to stress about whether we were going to get another win really helps the determination of the team,” said Byron in a team release. “Every week I go to the track worried about if we are going to get another win this year. I told myself after Pocono we could go to the track every weekend and win, but Bristol is like no other, so we’re going to prepare as best we can to keep that streak going.”
Byron enters the weekend with five victories, six top five and seven top 10 finishes through 12 races. It also marks the 18-year old’s first visit at Bristol in the Camping World Truck Series.
Parker Kligerman will rejoin the Camping World Truck Series after taking a hiatus due to low funding. Kligerman showed very consistent through the first three races after taking his No. 92 Ford to three consecutive top 10 finishes. A DNF at Kansas due to an accident and rear gear issue at Dover prevented the team from competing.
“We had a run of bad luck and, unfortunately, Parker got caught up in some other people’s wrecks and we tore up some good trucks,” said crew chief Mike Hester. “We have used the time away from the track to get some of our equipment back in order so that when we head back to the track, we will put the driver in a better position to be successful.”
“I was glad to be able help those guys and fill in (for Townley) and I am having a blast with the pit reporter duties with the NBC networks,” Kligerman said, “but I can’t wait to be back together with the RBR guys representing TECHNET, Black’s Tire and Valvoline. Bristol should be interesting for the trucks this week. They have done some work to help rubber lay down on the track. Not really sure how that is going to play out and we will be the first ones out there to see how it is going to race.”
Kligerman filled-in for John Wes Townley at Kentucky Speedway after suffering with concussion like symptoms in a crash at Gateway Motorsports Park in June. The NBC pit reporter finished 19th in the Jive Communications / Zaxby’s Toyota. The 25-year old driver holds one top five and three top 10 finishes through nine starts.
The UNOH 225 will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET. on August 17. The Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM Channel 90 will carry the live radio broadcast.
About Me: Brett has been following the sport of NASCAR since the beginning of the 2006 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Since Brett was 13, he has had a passion of chasing a job in sports that not many get the opportunity of doing. He has been in the NASCAR media since the middle of the 2010 season. Since then, he has been a part of many racing podcast shows to improve his talents. He has written for racingonfuel.com and theracingwheel.com. Currently, Brett writes for motorsportsnat.com and TracksideChatter.com. You can find him on twitter @NASCAR_Brett.
- NCTS: Eckes Scores Second Victory of 2024 at Martinsville - April 5, 2024
- NWMT: Justin Bonsignore Noses Ron Silk for 41st Career Victory at Richmond - March 29, 2024
- NCS: William Byron Scores EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Victory in Austin - March 24, 2024