After a two-week break, the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to competition this Saturday at Kansas Speedway for the Heart of America 200 (May 4, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio), the eighth race of the 2024 season.
The Kansas Speedway 1.5-mile track has hosted 27 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races, producing 23 different winners and 18 different pole winners.
Four Truck Series races have been won from the pole or first starting position at Kansas, most recently by John H. Nemechek in 2022.
Here’s a look at the drivers who have etched their names in the Kansas Speedway record books:
- Race record: Matt Crafton 139.857 mph (05/08/2015)
- Qualifying record: Erik Jones 179.396 mph (05/08/2015)
- Most races: Matt Crafton (27)
- Most poles: Ron Hornaday Jr. (3)
- Most wins: Kyle Busch and Matt Crafton (3)
- Most top fives: Matt Crafton (7)
- Most top 10s: Matt Crafton (14)
- Laps led: Kyle Busch (277)
- Laps Completed: Matt Crafton (4,148)
The Heart of America 200 will be broken up into three stages. The first two stages will be 30 laps each and the final stage will be 74 laps for a race total of 134 laps (201 miles).
Practice will begin Saturday, May 4 at 12:05 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 12:35 p.m. ET.
Kansas Speedway’s Fearsome Five
In this Saturday’s Heart of America 200, five previous CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Kansas winners are entered, and all four are hoping to find their way back into Victory Lane.
Matt Crafton: The long-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver owns a vast majority of the records at Kansas Speedway – the race record (139.857 mph – 05/08/2015), most races (27), most wins (3), most top fives (7), top 10s (14), and laps completed (4,148). The driver of the No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford finished 11th in the 2023 Spring Kansas race. Crafton’s most recent win at the 1.5-mile track was in Spring 2020.
Christian Eckes: The breakout star behind the wheel of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet is one of only a handful of drivers who have consistently ran in the top 10 each week – the only exception being at Atlanta (32nd) due to brake failure. In eight starts at Kansas, Eckes has recorded one win (Fall 2023), four top fives, and six top 10s. The 23-year old is the most recent Kansas winner.
Grant Enfinger: The veteran behind the wheel of the No. 9 CR7 Chevrolet has yet to crack the top five this season, but that could change this weekend at Kansas. In 11 starts at the 1.5-mile track, Enfinger’s captured one win (Spring 2023), six top fives, eight top 10s, and has led 132 laps.
Brett Moffitt: The longtime NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series standout and 2018 Truck Series champion begins his multi-race slate in the Sunflower state this weekend behind the wheel of the No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota. In seven starts, the 31-year old has posted one win (Fall 2020), two top fives, four top 10s, and has led 51 laps.
Zane Smith: The 2022 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion returns to the Truck Series this weekend piloting the No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet. The NASCAR Cup Series rookie has made eight starts at the 1.5-mile track in the Truck Series recording one win (Spring 2022), four top fives, and seven top 10s. Smith has also led 221 laps, just 56 laps behind the Kansas Speedway record of 277. The Huntington Beach, California native finished third in the 2023 Spring Kansas race.
Eckes holds onto Truck standings lead with Kansas in his sights
McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes has catapulted himself into the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points lead following his fourth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway, and after his two-week break heads to Kansas Speedway looing to hold-on to the top spot.
This is just the third time in his career he leads the points standings. Through seven races, there have been four drivers from three organizations that have led the standings – Tyler Ankrum, Ty Majeski, Corey Heim, and now Christian Eckes.
The driver of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Chevrolet is currently two points ahead of TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim in second and 12 points ahead of ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski in third.
Eckes will look to hold on to the standings lead at Kansas Speedway. The 23-year old from Middletown, New York has made eight CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Kansas posting one win, four top fives, and six top 10s. Eckes is the most recent Kansas winner in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
Rhodes outside CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff cutoff
Through seven races this season, four drivers have earned their spot in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs by virtue of their wins – Christian Eckes, Corey Heim, Nick Sanchez and Rajah Caruth – leaving six spots still up for grabs heading into Kansas.
Following Texas, Daniel Dye is ranked 11th in the Playoff outlook, five points back from Grant Enfinger in the 10th and final postseason transfer spot on points. Just behind Dye is two-time series champion Ben Rhodes six points back from Enfinger and the postseason cutoff.
| NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Outlook Following Texas Motor Speedway (Race No. 7) | |||||||
| Rank | Driver | Points | Starts | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | +/- Cutoff |
| 1 | Christian Eckes | 287 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 13 | In On Wins |
| 2 | Corey Heim | 285 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 3 | Nick Sanchez | 260 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 4 | Rajah Caruth | 233 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| 5 | Ty Majeski | 275 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 113 |
| 6 | Taylor Gray | 249 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 87 |
| 7 | Tyler Ankrum | 244 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 82 |
| 8 | Matt Crafton | 195 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 9 | Tanner Gray | 171 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 10 | Grant Enfinger | 167 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 11 | Daniel Dye | 162 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -5 |
| 12 | Ben Rhodes | 161 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -6 |
| 13 | Stewart Friesen | 150 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -17 |
| 14 | Bayley Currey | 143 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -24 |
| 15 | Jake Garcia | 143 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -24 |
| 16 | Bret Holmes | 131 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -36 |
| 17 | Chase Purdy | 130 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -37 |
| 18 | Dean Thompson | 122 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -45 |
| 19 | Timmy Hill | 119 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -48 |
| 20 | Ty Dillon | 108 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -59 |
| 21 | Layne Riggs # | 106 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -61 |
| 22 | Mason Massey | 99 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -68 |
| 25 | Spencer Boyd | 91 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -76 |
| 26 | Lawless Alan | 90 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -77 |
| 28 | Matt Mills | 71 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -96 |
| 30 | Thad Moffitt # | 55 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -112 |
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