NASCAR Truck Series at Talladega 2014: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview
Two weeks off the track was more than enough for the Camping World Truck Series. After a lengthy hiatus for the trucks, some of NASCAR's emerging stars will return in Talladega on Saturday afternoon.
The event in Alabama begins five consecutive weeks of races leading to the end of the season, so every race is of the utmost importance. Heading down the final stretch, it appears to be a four-truck battle for the points title.
Last year's champion, Matt Crafton, is still atop the standings but has several strong drivers on his tail. Johnny Sauter, Ryan Blaney and Darrell Wallace Jr. are all within 33 points, so the chase for a championship is far from over.
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Below is a look at the CWTS standings, full schedule and preview of the Fred's 250 in Talladega.
Race Information
Where: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama
When: Saturday, Oct. 18, 1 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
| 1 | Matt Crafton | 644 | 2 | 10 | 13 |
| 2 | Johnny Sauter | 625 | 1 | 8 | 13 |
| 3 | Ryan Blaney | 617 | 1 | 8 | 12 |
| 4 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | 611 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
| 5 | Joey Coulter | 562 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| 6 | German Quiroga Jr. | 559 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| 7 | Timothy Peters | 549 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| 8 | Ben Kennedy | 546 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 9 | Jeb Burton | 527 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 10 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | 484 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
Preview
Without the likes of Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski or any other Sprint Cup regulars in the mix, the race in Talladega is wide open for full-time trucks contenders.
Of those drivers, Crafton appears to be one of the strongest on the track any time he gets in a truck. The defending champ has two wins on the season and took a top 10 last season in Talladega along with leading a lap.
Prior to that great finish in 2013, Crafton ended his day in Talladega in a terrible position for two straight years. Barely on the lead lap in 2012, he was the 18th truck to pass the checkered flag. In 2011, his day ended in a crash and 31st overall.
Crafton referenced his chances at a strong run in Talladega, per an official release (via Catchfence.com):
"Restrictor-plate racing for the fans is exciting, but as a driver, you are just stuck. It doesn’t matter how hard you push the pedal or what you do as a driver, you can’t do anything — you are just stuck in the middle of a pack of trucks. … Racing at Talladega is just like going out and buying a lottery ticket — you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. There’s just no telling — but you’ve got to play the game.
We’ve just got to keep on doing what we’ve been doing, which is racing to win each and every week — being aggressive when we can be — but above all, being smart.
"
The man just behind him in the points race, however, has a great recent history in 'Dega. In his last two races at the track, Sauter has a second-place finish and won the event last year.
Even heading into an event he's dominated recently, Sauter noted the difficulty of maintaining that success, via a ThorSport Racing release.
"Talladega to me is the big question mark," Sauter said. "The last couple years Talladega has been really good to us—we've finished first and second there. That doesn't mean anything though, it's still plate racing and anything can happen."
Currently sitting second in the points, Sauter has a chance to close the gap on Crafton. But for both Crafton and Sauter, the objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.
Just behind the two veteran drivers is a pair of young contenders looking to challenge for a championship. One member of that duo is Blaney, who has been impressive yet again all season and will be pulling double duty this weekend with his second Sprint Cup race.
Blaney notched another top-five result in a Nationwide event in Charlotte and will be looking to do the same in Talladega in the CWTS. Bob Pockrass of Sporting News shared his thoughts on the 20-year-old:
Wallace has a lengthy gap to close, as he's 33 points behind Crafton, but another top five should help make up some of that difference. Finishing 17th last season in Talladega, Wallace will need to make a charge toward the front to keep his hopes alive.
A loaded field of veteran drivers and rising stars will make Saturday afternoon an interesting one in Talladega. The threat of the "Big One" looms large, so nothing is guaranteed for any driver looking to contend for a victory or a title.
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