DAYTONA BEACH, FL. –The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series resumes its 2022 Playoff schedule this week opening the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway racing double-header Saturday afternoon with the Chevy Silverado 250 (12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski is the only driver who has already clinched a position in the Championship 4 Round thanks to his career first win at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway two weeks ago.
Knowing he’s already secured that championship opportunity will be a big relief as the 27-year-old Majeski races in the series at the 2.66-mile Talladega for the first time in his career. He won the pole position and finished top-10 in the Daytona season-opener, the only other superspeedway he has competed on.
This weekend is a big opportunity for another Playoff driver to earn his championship position. The top of the points standings are tightly grouped with Chandler Smith holding a three-point edge on two-time champion runner-up Zane Smith. Stewart Friesen is currently fourth in the standings, 15 points behind Chandler Smith. John Hunter Nemechek is 24 points off Chandler Smith and nine points from Friesen for that fourth and final championship round position.
Talladega has been a “mixed bag” for these contenders.
Chandler Smith has one top five in two starts. Zane Smith has finished 33rd in both his starts at the track. Friesen has one top five in five races and Nemechek, has one top-five finish in six Talladega starts – that coming last year.
The other Playoff drivers, Christian Eckes (-13 from Friesen), Grant Enfinger (-15 from Friesen) and defending series champion Ben Rhodes (-18 from Friesen) remain very much in this tightly contested title run.
Enfinger is the only former Talladega winner among the championship eight and his two top-five and three top-10 finishes in eight starts there are most among those title-eligible drivers as well.
Certainly, last year’s Camping World Truck Series Playoff race included one of the biggest upsets in series history with Tate Fogleman leading only the last lap to claim his first truck win by .052-seconds over Tyler Hill. Only one current Playoff driver (Nemechek) finished among the top-10 in that race.
A one-lap, two-round qualifying session for the race will be held Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Source: Holly Cain/NASCAR Wire Service
