The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rolls into South Carolina for the second-time this season to take on the ‘Track Too Tough To Tame’, Darlington Raceway, for the In It To Win It 200 (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as part of a Sunday doubleheader with the NASCAR Cup Series (6 p.m. ET).
The 2021 season marks the first year Darlington Raceway has participated in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs since the postseason’s inception in 2016. Darlington Raceway is a 1.366-mile egg-shaped paved oval that has hosted eight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
The first Truck Series race at Darlington Raceway was held on May 12, 2001 and the race was won by Bobby Hamilton driving his own Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge. In total, the eight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Darlington Raceway has produced five different pole winners and six different race winners.
This weekend’s In It To Win It 200 will be 147 laps (200.1 miles) and will be broken up into three stages. The first two stages are scheduled for 45 laps each and the final stage will be 57 laps. The starting lineup for this weekend’s race was determined by Metric Qualifying and as a result GMS Racing’s Sheldon Creed will start from the pole and ThorSport Racing’s three-time series champion Matt Crafton will join Creed on the front row.
Surprisingly, none of the eight Truck Series races at Darlington have been won from the pole or first starting position. Bobby Hamilton (2001 and 2003) and Kasey Kahne (2004 and 2011) lead the series in wins at Darlington Raceway with two wins each. Sheldon Creed (2021) and Ben Rhodes (2020) are the only two active Darlington winners entered in the event this weekend.
GMS Racing’s Sheldon Creed opens Playoffs with dominating win at WWTR at Gateway
2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and GMS Racing driver Sheldon Creed just put every Playoff competitor on notice – he’s here to repeat.
Creed opened the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs with a dominating win at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, leading 142 of the 163-lap race that went to overtime. It was his second win of the season and seventh of his career.
The victory at Gateway guarantees Creed a spot in the next round of the Playoffs.
Last season, Creed earned a spot in the Championship 4 Round of the Playoffs and won the season finale at Phoenix Raceway to take home the title. This season, Creed is motivated at the opportunity to become just the second driver all-time to win back-to-back championships in the Camping World Truck Series joining Matt Crafton (2013, 2014). If he were to win the championship again this season, he would also become just the fifth driver with multiple titles in the series.
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champions | |||
| Rank | Titles | Drivers | Years |
| 1 | 4 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | 2009, ’07, ’98, ‘96 |
| 2 | 3 | Matt Crafton | 2014, ‘13, ’19 |
| Jack Sprague | 2001, ’99, ‘97 | ||
| 4 | 2 | Todd Bodine | 2010, ‘06 |
| 5 | 1 | Sheldon Creed | 2020 |
| Brett Moffitt | 2018 | ||
| Christopher Bell | 2017 | ||
| Johnny Sauter | 2016 | ||
| Erik Jones | 2015 | ||
| James Buescher | 2012 | ||
| Austin Dillon | 2011 | ||
| Johnny Benson Jr. | 2008 | ||
| Ted Musgrave | 2005 | ||
| Bobby Hamilton | 2004 | ||
| Travis Kvapil | 2003 | ||
| Mike Bliss | 2002 | ||
| Greg Biffle | 2000 | ||
| 18 | Mike Skinner | 1995 |
Playoff Clinch Scenarios: Looking to Darlington Raceway
One race into the seven-race NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs and GMS Racing’s Sheldon Creed has already locked himself into the next round of the postseason with his win last weekend at Gateway. While the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend, the series will return next weekend at Darlington Raceway for the In It To Win It 200 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Already Clinched
The following driver has clinched a spot in the 8-driver field of the next round of the Playoffs: Sheldon Creed.
Can Clinch via Points
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance in the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 7th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, Stewart Friesen, Austin Hill or Carson Hocevar.
- John Hunter Nemechek: Could only clinch with help
- Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help
- Matt Crafton: Could only clinch with help
- Stewart Friesen: Could only clinch with help
- Austin Hill: Could only clinch with help
- Carson Hocevar: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Todd Gilliland or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance in the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 6th winless driver in the standings.
- John Hunter Nemechek: Could only clinch with help
- Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help
- Matt Crafton: Could only clinch with help
- Stewart Friesen: Could only clinch with help
- Austin Hill: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, Stewart Friesen, Austin Hill, Carson Hocevar, Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith, Chandler Smith.
| Rank | Driver | Points | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | Pts From Cutoff |
| 1 | Sheldon Creed | 2,071 | 2 | 3 | 18 | In On Wins |
| 2 | John H. Nemechek | 2,073 | 5 | 9 | 49 | 55 |
| 3 | Ben Rhodes | 2,070 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 52 |
| 4 | Matt Crafton | 2,051 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 33 |
| 5 | Stewart Friesen | 2,049 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 31 |
| 6 | Austin Hill | 2,039 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 21 |
| 7 | Carson Hocevar | 2,031 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 |
| 8 | Todd Gilliland | 2,028 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 10 |
| 9 | Zane Smith | 2,018 | 0 | 3 | 9 | -10 |
| 10 | Chandler Smith | 2,010 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -18 |
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Etc.
Sunoco Rookie Update – Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar continues to hold the 2021 Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings lead with 2,031 points following Gateway; up 21 points on Kyle Busch Motorsport’s Chandler Smith with 2,010. Hocevar and Smith are the only two rookies to have earned a spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs. Hocevar made his series track debut at Darlington earlier this season posting a third-place finish. Smith has made two series starts at Darlington posting a best finish of 23rd last season.
Hailie Deegan scores third-best finish by a female in the series – Team DGR’s Hailie Deegan scored her career-best finish of seventh two weeks ago at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway – the third best finish by a female competitor in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the first top-10 finish by a female not at Daytona International Speedway.
Deegan will be making her second career start next weekend at Darlington Raceway. Earlier this season she became the seventh different female competitor to compete at Darlington Raceway in the series; joining Jennifer Jo Cobb (2010, 2020), Johanna Long (2011), Deborah Renshaw (2004), Kelly Sutton (2004), Teri MacDonald (2003) and Tina Gordon (2003).
The best finish by a female competitor in the Truck Series at Darlington Raceway is 14th by Jennifer Jo Cobb on August 14, 2010 – it was Cobb’s series track debut.
Deegan finished 20th in her series debut at Darlington earlier this year.
