NASCAR Truck Series at New Hampshire 2014: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview
In his eighth start of the year in the Camping World Truck Series, Kyle Busch collected his sixth win at Chicagoland Speedway.
Busch is not competing for points but has thoroughly dominated the trucks all year, including fending off Matt Crafton on multiple occasions. That rivalry continued in Joliet, as Crafton led 14 laps before falling short.
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He might not have come away with a victory, but Crafton took over the lead in points following the Lucas Oil 225. Johnny Sauter and Ryan Blaney both finished outside of the top 10, helping Crafton clinch a five-point lead with 560 points.
The truck series hasn't been to Loudon since 2011, with the last winner being Busch. Ironically enough, he has not lost a trucks race at the track since 2009, winning three straight before the two-year hiatus.
In anticipation of the UNOH 175, let's take a look at the schedule, standings and preview for the 16th race of the season.
Race Information
Where: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire
When: Saturday, Sept. 20, 1 p.m. ET
TV: Fox Sports 1
Radio: Motor Racing Network
| 1 | Matt Crafton | 560 | 2 | 8 | 11 |
| 2 | Johnny Sauter | 555 | 1 | 7 | 12 |
| 3 | Ryan Blaney | 544 | 1 | 8 | 10 |
| 4 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | 525 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 5 | German Quiroga Jr. | 501 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| 6 | Joey Coulter | 492 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 7 | Ben Kennedy | 478 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 8 | Timothy Peters | 475 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| 9 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | 460 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| 10 | Jeb Burton | 459 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
Race Preview
Anyone getting sick of seeing Busch control the truck series is in luck. The Sprint Cup circuit is heading to Loudon this weekend, but Busch is not currently on the entry list.
Busch noted the strength of his truck following the win after coming from the back of the pack, per Jeff Wackerlin of MRN.com:
"I knew we had a good truck. I was just trying to pace myself there early. I knew what I had and when I had that pit road penalty and got stuck behind then I could try to charge back through harder. The truck was good and got back to the front there.
... Can’t say enough about all these guys at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) and the pit crew was great tonight.
"
Sunday was not quite as kind to Busch, but he still finished seventh at the track—also his standing in the Chase Grid. His success on both levels has been evident this season, but Saturday will belong to trucks drivers working toward a championship.
Crafton left Chicagoland frustrated, as John Morris of NASCAR Productions passed along:
Second isn't where Crafton wants to be, but the consistent results have him in contention for a second straight championship. The ThorSport Racing driver overtook teammate Sauter and is now at the top of the standings.
Toyota Racing pointed out how the result helped him in the points race:
During the last three events from 2009-11, the 2013 champion has finished fourth twice and had a sixth-place result in 2011. Now that Busch isn't in the field, this might finally be Crafton's time to separate from the pack in the title chase.
Johnny Sauter was just behind Busch in the last event as well, so he will likely be a strong contender on Saturday. Young guns like Darrell Wallace Jr. and Erik Jones don't have the experience at Loudon but could bring Kyle Busch Motorsports back to Victory Lane.
Another week of Busch running up front is giving way to a race where the trucks drivers can finally shine. Whoever steps up and takes control could wind up being a top contender for the championship with the season nearing an end.
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