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The three weeks of preparing and planning has come to an end as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action this weekend at Martinsville Speedway for the penultimate race of the season, the United Rentals 200 (Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) to decide who advances to the Championship 4 Round. 

With the first two races of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs Round of 8 being won by non-Playoff drivers – Christian Eckes at Las Vegas and Tate Fogleman at Talladega – none of the eight postseason contenders have secured a spot in the Championship 4 Round – which is the second-time since the inception of the Playoffs in the series in 2016 none of the Championship 4 drivers are locked-in heading into the Round of 8 elimination race; joining 2019. 

Martinsville Speedway had participated in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs since its inception into the series in 2016. Martinsville Speedway has occupied three different spots on the postseason schedule. From 2016-2018 Martinsville hosted the fourth race of the Playoffs, in 2019 it hosted the fifth race and last season it hosted the sixth race of the Playoffs – the same event as this year.

The 2021 season marks just the second-time Martinsville Speedway has hosted the penultimate race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs (2020-2021). Martinsville Speedway is the second track to host the Round of 8 elimination race in Playoffs joining Phoenix Raceway (2016-2019).

The sixth race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs has produced five different winners in as many races (2016-2020). Only once has a non-Playoff driver won the sixth race in the seven-race NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs and that was Daniel Suarez in 2016, who had elected to run for the title in the NASCAR Xfinity Series that season. The last four winners in the sixth race of the Truck Playoffs catapulted them into the Championship 4 Round. 

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff Race No. 6 Winners

The five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff races Martinsville Speedway has hosted have produced four different winners, led by ThorSport Racing’s Johnny Sauter with two postseason victories at the half-mile track (2016, 2018). 

Martinsville Speedway Playoff Race Winners

Of the Playoff contenders this season, Halmar Friesen Racing’s Stewart Friesen is the only former series winner that has won the sixth race in the Playoffs to clinch his spot in the Championship 4 Round. He accomplished the feat in 2019 with a win at Phoenix.

The winner of the sixth race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs has gone to win the title that same season only once – Brett Moffitt accomplished the feat in 2018. Moffitt won at Phoenix Raceway in the penultimate event and then won again in Homestead-Miami for the championship finale to secure the title.

The winner of the Martinsville Speedway race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs has gone to win the title that same season only once as well – Johnny Sauter accomplished the feat in 2016. Sauter won at Martinsville Speedway, then the fourth race in the postseason, and then went on to win the championship later that season.

This year’s Martinsville Speedway NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff race will be 200 laps (105.2 miles) and will be broken up into three stages. The first two stages will be 50 laps each and the final stage will be 100 laps. ThorSport Racing’s Grant Enfinger is the defending winner of this event. 

This weekend’s starting lineup was decided by Metric Qualifying and as a result Kyle Busch Motorsports driver John Hunter Nemechek with start from the pole and Front Row Motorsport’s Todd Gilliland will join him on the front row. 

Clinch Scenarios: Championship 4 Round still wide open at Martinsville

With non-Playoff drivers taking the first two races of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs Round of 8, the race for the Championship 4 Round is wide open and all eight drivers still have a shot at the coveted four spots as it all comes down to final race of the round at Martinsville Speedway.

Already Clinched

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

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 5th 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 or Sheldon Creed.

• John Hunter Nemechek: Would clinch with 20 points
• Ben Rhodes: Would clinch with 21 points
• Matt Crafton: Would clinch with 46 points
• Sheldon Creed: Would clinch with 51 points
• Stewart Friesen, Chandler Smith, Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith: Could all only clinch with help.

If there is a new winner from Stewart Friesen or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 4th winless driver in the standings.

• John Hunter Nemechek: Would clinch with 25 points
• Ben Rhodes: Would clinch with 26 points
• Matt Crafton: Would clinch with 51 points
• Sheldon Creed: Could only clinch with help
• Stewart Friesen, Chandler Smith, Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith: Could all only clinch with help.

Can Clinch Via Win

All eight drivers would clinch on their win alone this weekend: John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, Sheldon Creed, Stewart Friesen, Chandler Smith, Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith.

First-time winners a trend in Camping World Truck Series

Young’s Motorsports’ Tate Fogleman was the fifth different first-time winner this season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with his surprising win three weeks ago at Talladega Superspeedway; joining Martin Truex Jr. (Bristol Dirt), Ryan Preece (Nashville), Chandler Smith (Bristol) and Christian Eckes (Las Vegas).

With Fogleman’s victory, the 2021 season becomes the third consecutive season and 14th overall (since 1995-Present) the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has produced five or more first-time winners in a single season. Every season since the inception of the series in 1995 has it produced at least one first-time winner. The 2012 season holds the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series record for the most first-time winners in the series in a single season at nine. 

Martinsville Speedway has been home to 11 different first-time winners in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the most recent was Todd Gilliland’s win in 2019.

First-Time Camping World Truck Winners at Martinsville Speedway

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Round of 8 Contenders at Martinsville

When the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action at Martinsville Speedway expect a lot of beaten and banging on the race track as a lot will be on the line. Below is a quick look at the Round of 8 challengers at Martinsville Speedway. 

John Hunter Nemechek currently leads the Playoff standings with a 36-point edge over the Championship 4 Round cutline. Nemechek is looking to advance to the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his career. Nemechek has made 12 starts at Martinsville posting one win (2018), four top fives and five top 10s.

Ben Rhodes currently sits second in the Playoff standings with a 35-point cushion above the Championship 4 Round cutoff. Rhodes is attempting to qualify for the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his career. Rhodes has made 10 series starts at Martinsville putting up three top fives and five top 10s.

Matt Crafton heads to Martinsville third in the Playoff standings with just a 10-point lead on the Championship 4 Round cutoff. Crafton is looking to advance to the Championship 4 Round for a series leading fourth time in his career (2016, 2017, 2019) – he is currently tied with Johnny Sauter and Brett Moffitt for the series-most Championship 4 Round appearances with three each. Crafton leads the series in starts at Martinsville with 37. His 37 starts have produced two wins (2014, 2015), 10 top fives and 21 top 10s.

Sheldon Creed, the defending series champion, finds himself in the fourth and final transfer position to the Championship 4 Round just five point ahead of Stewart Friesen in fifth – the first spot outside the final round’s cutoff. Creed is looking to make the Championship 4 Round for the second time in his career (2020). Creed has made four series starts Martinsville collecting one top-10 finish. 

Stewart Friesen resides in the fifth position in the Playoff standings – the first spot outside the Championship 4 Round cutoff – just five points behind Sheldon Creed in the fourth and final transfer position to the final round. Friesen is looking to make the Championship 4 Round for the second time in his career (2019). Friesen has made seven series starts at Martinsville posting one top five and four top 10s.

Chandler Smith currently sits sixth in the Playoff standings 34 points behind Sheldon Creed in the fourth and final transfer spot to the Championship 4 Round. Smith, a rookie this season, is looking to make the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his career. Smith will have his work cut out for him this weekend, as he will be making his series track debut at Martinsville Speedway.  

Carson Hocevar is seventh in the Playoff standings heading to Martinsville, a stout 37 points back from Sheldon Creed in the fourth and final transfer spot to the Championship 4 Round. Hocevar, a rookie this season, is looking to make the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his career. Hocevar made his series track debut at Martinsville Speedway last season where he started 33rd and raced his way up to a 13th-place finish.   

Zane Smith heads to Martinsville Speedway ranked eighth in the Playoff standings, 40 points back from Sheldon Creed in the fourth and final transfer spot to the Championship 4 Round. Smith is in a ‘must-win’ situation this weekend. Smith is looking to make the Championship 4 Round for the second time in his career (2020). Smith has made just series start at Martinsville Speedway last season when he started second and finished third.