NASCAR Truck Series at Martinsville 2015: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview
Erik Jones strengthened his lead in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings last weekend, but things could potentially change in a hurry Saturday as the world's top truck drivers converge on Martinsville Speedway.
Only four races remain on the truck series calendar, and Martinsville may very well be the most challenging of them all. The half-mile track leaves little margin for error, which means the likes of Tyler Reddick and Matt Crafton could take a run at the top spot in the standings should Jones falter.
The stakes continue to get higher with each passing week, and the pressure is certainly starting to mount, which could make the Kroger 200 the most exciting race of the year thus far.
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With that in mind, here is everything you need to know about the event, including a look at which drivers have the best chance to come out on top.
Where: Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia
When: Saturday, Oct. 31, at 1:30 p.m. ET
Watch: Fox Sports 1
NASCAR Truck Series Kroger 200 Schedule
| Friday, Oct. 30 | 1 p.m. | Practice | Fox Sports 1 |
| Friday, Oct. 30 | 2:30 p.m. | Final Practice | Fox Sports 1 |
| Saturday, Oct. 31 | 10:15 a.m. | Qualifying | Fox Sports 1 |
| Saturday, Oct. 31 | 1:30 p.m. | Kroger 200 | Fox Sports 1 |
NASCAR Truck Series Standings
| 1 | Erik Jones | 4 | Leader | 2 |
| 2 | Tyler Reddick | 19 | -18 | 2 |
| 3 | Matt Crafton | 88 | -23 | 4 |
| 4 | Johnny Sauter | 98 | -55 | 0 |
| 5 | Timothy Peters | 17 | -100 | 1 |
| 6 | Cameron Hayley | 13 | -120 | 0 |
| 7 | Daniel Hemric | 14 | -130 | 0 |
| 8 | John Wes Townley | 05 | -148 | 1 |
| 9 | Ben Kennedy | 11 | -177 | 0 |
| 10 | Spencer Gallagher | 23 | -183 | 0 |
Drivers to Watch
Erik Jones
Jones has been at or near the top of the standings all season long, but now that the possibility of winning a championship is becoming very real, the 19-year-old phenom will have a ton of pressure to perform in the coming weeks.
Despite his relative lack of experience when compared to most of his opponents, Jones hasn't faltered to this point. He enters Martinsville having registered 11 consecutive top-10 finishes, and he hasn't shown any signs of regression.
That was on full display last week at Talladega, as he avoided the big wreck and came away with a fourth-place finish to extend his points lead. After that result, Jones was extremely pleased with how he set himself up for the season's stretch run, according to KyleBuschMotorsports.com.
"Really, really great day for this No. 4 Tundra team in the points," Jones said. "Never would have thought that we could have come out of this race that far ahead. Everything from the best to the worst can happen here and fortunately the best happened for us."
While getting through Talladega in one piece was huge for Jones and his title aspirations, he isn't out of the woods yet.
Martinsville is a much different track than Talladega, but it can be just as dangerous since one miscue can result in a loss of track position and laps in a hurry.
Jones has enjoyed success at Martinsville as part of the truck series, though, with three top-10 finishes in four starts. If he can maintain that form and go another race without getting swept up in a wreck, then Jones will be one step closer to clinching the truck series championship.
Timothy Peters
The 2015 season had been a frustrating one for Timothy Peters prior to last week, as he was outside the top five in the standings and had yet to win a race, but all that changed at Talladega.
The 35-year-old veteran turned in a dominant performance at Talladega by taking the pole and ultimately winning the race, which allowed him to climb into the No. 5 spot in the standings.
It was such a strong performance that Peters received praise from many, including former Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip:
It is likely too late for Peters to make a run at the championship despite his win, but he may be peaking at the right time in terms of playing spoiler and winning some additional races.
Peters' confidence has to be sky-high after conquering Talladega, which is significant since he has enjoyed his fair share of success at Martinsville over the years.
In addition to a win, Peters has six top-five finishes and 12 top-10 results in 19 starts at the half-mile track.
Going from Talladega to Martinsville is like day and night, but Peters has proven to be an extremely versatile driver over the course of his career.
Because of that and the fact that he finally has some positive momentum on his side, Peters is a huge threat to take the checkered flag for the second week in a row.
Johnny Sauter
The likes of Crafton and Reddick figure to be in the mix Saturday since they are Jones' closest pursuers in the standings, but they won't be alone, as fourth-place Johnny Sauter may have something to say about the Kroger 200 as well.
Sauter's title hopes are fading, but he remains a threat to win whenever he takes the track, especially when it comes to Martinsville.
Among the entrants in Saturday's race, Sauter is the only driver to win multiple times at Martinsville as part of the truck series. He has a pair of victories to his credit, in addition to five top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes in 15 starts.
If Sauter is to have any hope of moving up in the standings before the season is over, he must take risks and go for wins on a weekly basis.
Taking a risk at a track as small as Martinsville is easier said than done, but if Sauter is able to channel his past success and get a little luck along the way, he has a legitimate shot to enter Victory Lane Saturday.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
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