The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in September as a replacement event for Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), NASCAR confirmed to CATCHFENCE.com.
The ongoing logistical challenges stemming from the coronavirus pandemic contributed to the decision to keep teams from competing North of the Border for the second consecutive season.
The 17th race of the 2021 NCWTS season will remain the second race of the Playoffs and will still occur on Sunday, Sept. 5, but will serve as the opening act for the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in the annual Cook Out Southern 500 set for 6:00 p.m. ET. on NBCSN.
Darlington’s 1.366-mile track also served as the CTMP realignment race for the Truck Series last year when Ben Rhodes edged Derek Kraus for his third career victory.
Despite the shift of events, NASCAR will keep the original starting time of 1:30 p.m. for the 147-lap race, a half-hour earlier than last year’s 2:00 p.m. ET. start.
Canada’s 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course has been a popular event for the Truck Series tour since its inaugural race in 2013 which saw reigning Cup Series champion Chase Elliott win his first career Truck Series race in a controversial finish with Ty Dillon.
In the series’ most recent trip to Bowmanville, Ontario in 2019, Brett Moffitt scored his fourth and final victory of the season from the pole driving for GMS Racing.
“The Silverado 250 weekend has been incredibly exciting to host here at CTMP since 2013,” Canadian Tire Motorsport Park president and general manager Myles Brandt said in July 2020. “We’re sure fans, drivers, and teams alike are feeling the same disappointment that we are in having to cancel the event.”
Defending Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed won at Darlington Raceway earlier this year in the Truck Series LiftKits4Less.com 200 race that was plagued by cautions and a massive 17-truck accident on a Lap 131 late-race restart.
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