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NASCAR Truck Series at Texas 2014: Full Schedule, Rankings and Preview
October 29, 2014
Death, taxes and Darrell Wallace Jr. winning at Martinsville. Those are all three things NASCAR fans have grown accustomed to at this point.
In the last three races at the track, Wallace has won twice and finished second back in March. Now, he simply has to find a way to continue his tear and get some luck in order to truly contend for a title down the stretch.
Matt Crafton continues to pace the field in points, while Ryan Blaney is just 18 points behind the defending champion. The two young drivers are in search of their first title, but Crafton has been one of the most consistent drivers all season.
Along with chasing down Crafton, every driver will have to compete with Kyle Busch yet again. Here's a look at the schedule, standings and preview of the Winstar World Casino and Resort 350.
Race Information
Where: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas
Date: Friday, Oct. 31
Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox Sports 1
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Radio: Motor Racing Network
| 2014 NCWTS Standings | |||||
| Pos. | Driver | Points | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
| 1 | Matt Crafton | 716 | 2 | 11 | 14 |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 698 | 1 | 10 | 14 |
| 3 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | 694 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| 4 | Johnny Sauter | 676 | 1 | 8 | 14 |
| 5 | Timothy Peters | 639 | 1 | 7 | 11 |
| 6 | German Quiroga Jr. | 608 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| 7 | Joey Coulter | 607 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| 8 | Ben Kennedy | 590 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 9 | Jeb Burton | 587 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 10 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | 494 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| NASCAR.com | |||||
Race Preview
Of the drivers still in contention, each one has been consistent on nearly every track regardless of the setting. For Crafton, it's been all about remaining in the top five, something he's done a series-high 11 times.
The most recent, of course, came last weekend, when all three drivers at the top of the standings finished fifth or better. Crafton left with a third-place result as he gained points on Blaney, but it was Wallace who closed in on him with the win.
Looking to become the first back-to-back Camping World Truck Series champion, Crafton referenced his chances at winning it all, per Dan Kukla of the Visalia Times-Delta:
"If we lose it, I truly believe it will be bad luck. We won't lose it because we get out ran," Crafton said. "I truly believe that we have the best group of guys in the garage. I believe 100 percent in them. It's really cool to be in situation I'm in."
With three races remaining, it would appear Crafton still holds the upper hand despite Wallace's success. The last time the CWTS visited Texas, it was Crafton who held off the field for the win while Blaney finished fourth and Wallace was 10th.
Chase contender Joey Logano congratulated Wallace and shared his thoughts on Blaney's run:
However, Wallace hasn't finished outside of the top 10 in the last five races, with three of those at second or better. Leaving Martinsville with confidence, he posted this Instagram photo with the caption "We came. We saw. We conquered."
In order to keep pace, he'll need to do the same thing on Friday night to close the gap. Luckily, with teammate and team owner Kyle Busch likely leading the way, Wallace should have a friend near the front of the pack.
Expect to see a heavy dose of both on Friday night along with Blaney making his case for a points title. Both young drivers will need a nearly flawless performance, but they are both driving strong as the end of the season nears.
Whether it's Busch dominant again or one of the title contenders moving out front, Halloween will be an interesting one in Texas. Only three races remain, so it's all or nothing for every driver in the field.
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