CTS: Previewing Loves RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is gearing up for an exciting race at Talladega Superspeedway, kicking off the Playoffs’ Round of 8 with the Love’s RV Stop 225 on Friday, October 4 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio. This will be the fourth race in the seven-race postseason.

Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66-mile track, has hosted 18 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races since its first event on October 7, 2006, which was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin. Over the years, the track has seen 13 different race winners and 16 different pole winners. Timothy Peters leads the series with three wins at Talladega, and he also holds the record for the most top-five finishes with five. Peters is tied with veteran Matt Crafton for the most top-10 finishes, with six each.

The last eight Truck Series races at Talladega have produced eight different winners: Grant Enfinger (2016), Parker Kligerman (2017), Timothy Peters (2018), Spencer Boyd (2019), Raphael Lessard (2020), Tate Fogleman (2021), Matt DiBenedetto (2022), and Brett Moffitt (2023). This unpredictability makes the upcoming race anyone’s game.

On-track activities for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Talladega will begin with Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 1 p.m. ET on FS2, Friday, October 4.

Talladega has been a key part of the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs since 2016, hosting eight Playoff races. This year marks the second time the superspeedway will host the fourth race in the Playoffs, the Round of 8 opener. Previously, from 2016-2018 and in 2020, Talladega hosted the third race in the Playoffs, the Round of 12 elimination race. From 2021-2023, it hosted the fifth race, the second race of the Round of 8.

Interestingly, all eight previous CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff races at Talladega have been won by non-Playoff drivers.

Spire Motorsport’s Rajah Caruth finished seventh at Kansas Speedway, leaving him eight points behind the Championship 4 cutline. Another driver making his first Playoff appearance and currently below the cutline is McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum. The 23-year-old has recorded 10 top-10 finishes this season, tied for the most in his career. Ankrum finished 14th at Kansas Speedway and is 11 points behind the Championship 4 cutline.

Grant Enfinger, who outdueled two-time series champion Ben Rhodes for the final transfer spot into the Round of 8, also sits 11 points back from the cutline. The driver of the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet is entering the Round of 8 for the second consecutive season, still chasing his first championship after last year’s disappointment at Phoenix.

TRICON Garage’s Taylor Gray heads to Talladega ranked eighth in the Playoff standings, 15 points behind the fourth and final spot in the championship round. The 19-year-old’s Playoff experience has been inconsistent, with finishes of fifth at Milwaukee, 12th at Bristol, and 18th at Kansas.

Currently, Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez holds the fourth and final position to transfer to the Championship 4 Round. Just ahead of Sanchez in third is ThorSport Racing driver Ty Majeski, who is up 14 points on the Championship 4 cutline.

The stakes are high as the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series heads to Talladega, where anything can happen and every point counts.

Truck Clinch Scenarios: Talladega Superspeedway

The math gets simple when it comes to clinch scenarios in the first race of a Playoff round – win.

Here are this week’s Playoff clinch scenarios:

Already Clinched

No drivers have clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round.

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

  • Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Nicholas Sanchez, Rajah Caruth, Grant Enfinger, Tyler Ankrum, Taylor Gray

Notes:

Kaden Honeycutt has been promoted to a full-time role with Niece Motorsports for the 2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season. The 21-year-old will drive the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST after a successful part-time stint this year, where he secured five top-10 finishes in 10 starts. Honeycutt’s performance helped the No. 45 team qualify for the Owner’s Playoffs.

This move is part of Niece Motorsports’ broader 2025 plans, following the recent contract extension for Matt Mills, who will continue driving the No. 42 entry. Honeycutt expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, highlighting the support from team owner Al Niece and general manager Cody Efaw. He is optimistic about competing at a high level next season.

In other news, Ryan Reed will return to the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Talladega Superspeedway, driving the No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet. This will be Reed’s first Truck Series start since 2021. The Bakersfield native has five career starts in the series, with a best finish of ninth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Reed is experienced on superspeedways, having won two NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Daytona International Speedway in 2015 and 2017.