2022 Camping World Truck Series preview: Pocono
Michael Manny previews the CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' 2022 regular season finale.
After 15 races in parts of six months, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series hits Pocono Raceway for its regular season finale, the CRC Brakleen 150 on Saturday, July 23.
With rain canceling practice and qualifying, it will be an all-Smith first row, with Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith starting on pole opposite Kyle Busch Motorsports’ Chandler Smith.
Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar and Halmar Friesen Racing’s Stewart Friesen are starting in third and fourth, with ThorSport Racing’s Christian Eckes rounding out the top five.
Coming into the regular season finale, eight drivers have clinched a spot in the 10-truck playoffs: Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Chandler Smith, Friesen, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Eckes and Hocecar. Of those eight, Zane and Chandler Smith, Nemechek, Friesen and Rhodes clinched a spot via a win, while the other three did so on points.
Zane Smith, the points leader, is just two points away from clinching the regular season title and the 15 playoff points that go with it. He nearly wrapped up the title at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course two weeks ago, but finished second to Parker Kligerman.
Kligerman held off Smith on the final lap at Mid-Ohio to earn his third truck series victory and first since 2017. It was his first win in the series on a road course. Since Kligerman is not eligible for the playoffs, the door is open for another series regular to lock in a spot with a win or on points.
According to NASCAR’s weekly news and notes, the following drivers could clinch a spot with just a Pocono win.
Derek Kraus
Grant Enfinger
Matt Crafton
Tyler Ankrum
Matt DiBenedetto
Tanner Gray
Chase Purdy
Colby Howard
Timmy Hill
Hailie Deegan, Dean Thompson, Austin Wayne Self, Kris Wright, Spencer Boyd and Jack Wood would need additional help to clinch. Lawless Alan would need 60 points.
GMS Racing’s Enfinger and ThorSport Racing’s Crafton are the last two drivers above the cutline at plus-47 and plus-19 points respectively. Crafton, a series mainstay, has not won this year and could miss the playoffs for the first time since the format was introduced at the truck level in 2016.
Enfinger will be starting in eighth while Crafton begins three rows back in 13th.
One driver that could earn another win on the season is Nemechek, who won at Pocono last year. Nemechek has only won once in 2022 compared to five times last season, but sits tied for second in the points standings.
History will also be made this weekend as Todd Bodine is set to make his 800th career national series start. Bodine has started at Pocono four times in the truck series, with his best finish being 11th in 2013.
Bryan Dauzat (No. 28) and Norm Benning (No. 6) did not qualify.
The race will begin at 12:20 p.m. EST Saturday, July 23 with coverage on Fox, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The stages will run through laps 15, 30 and 60.
Starting lineup:
Goodyear tire notes:
NASCAR Xfinity Series – Race No. 19 – 90 laps / 225 miles
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Race No. 16 – 60 laps / 150 miles
Pocono Raceway (2.5-mile triangle) – Long Pond, Pa.
Fast Facts for June 22-23, 2022
Tire: Goodyear Eagle 15-inch Speedway Radials
Set limits:
Xfinity: 5 sets for the event;
Truck: 5 sets for the event
Tire Codes:
Left-side — D-6106;
Right-side — D-6108
Tire Circumference:
Left-side — 2,225 mm (87.60 in.);
Right-side — 2,250 mm (88.58 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 18 psi; Left Rear — 18 psi;
Right Front — 41 psi; Right Rear — 37 psi
Notes – Xfinity, Trucks on multi-zone tread right-side tire at Pocono: Being on 15-inch bead diameter tires, NASCAR Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Cup Series at Pocono this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that Xfinity teams ran at Fontana in February . . . this left-side tire code was also run by teams at Darlington (both series) and Dover (Xfinity only) earlier this season . . . this Xfinity/Truck right-side is a multi-zone tread tire, featuring two distinct tread compounds on the same tire — one for heat and wear resistance on the inboard two inches of the tread (Endurance Zone) and one for grip on the outboard 10 inches (Traction Zone) . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.
— Goodyear Racing —