For many drivers in the Craftsman Truck Series, the season begins now at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  After taking a week off, the Truck Series returns for some racing in the desert with the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200.

Joining the regular Truck Series drivers is Cup Series driver and Las Vegas native Kyle Busch, “Melon Man” Ross Chastain, and John Hunter Nemechek who returns to race in the Truck Series after moving up to the Xfinity Series this season.

With a lot of changes over the off season, many of the crews had issues making it through tech inspection; but everyone made it with no penalties.

Thirty-five teams brought trucks to Las Vegas so everyone will make the race.

Ty Majeski set a new track record with a 30.149 second lap in practice to lead.

Last week, Kyle Busch set a new record for winning at least one race in the Cup Series for the past 19 years; making his first of five Truck Series starts to kick off a triple header weekend, Busch is hoping to add to his 10 year streak of winning at least one race in the Truck Seriers.  He also holds the record for the most wins in the Truck Series with 62 career wins. 

The first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Josh Reaume in the number 34 truck and posts a time of 32.227 seconds around the mile and a half track. 

Driving the number 51 truck, Kyle Busch makes his first qualifying run in a Chevrolet Silverado and posts a time of 30.222 seconds. 

After 33 trucks posted a qualifying time, Brennan Poole and Matt Mills did not post a qualifying time, Kyle Busch sits on the pole and will bring the field to the green flag with rookie driver Nick Sanchez alongside on the front row.  KBM driver Chase Purdy will start in third behind truck owner Kyle Busch.

The starting lineup for the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200:
Kyle Busch
Nick Sanchez
Chare Purdy
Ty Majeski
Hailie Deegan
Bret Holmes
Zane Smith
Carson Hocevar
Ben Rhodes
Kaz Grala
Matt Crafton
Christian Eckes
John Hunter Nemechek
Jake Garcia
Corey Heim
Tanner Gray
Grant Enfinger
Tyler Ankrum
Matt DiBenedetto
Daniel Dye
Lawless Alan
Stewart Friesen
Ross Chastain
Rajah Caruth
Dean Thompson
Timmy Hill
Colby Howard
Kris Wright
Kaden Honeycutt
Max Gutierez
Spencer Boyd
Mason Massey
Josh Reaume
Brennan Poole
Matt Mills

Several of the Truck Series crews Have been delayed getting to Las Vegas due to plane issues.  A plan has been put into place to ensure the crews make it to the track as quickly as possible once they land; but there is some question as to whether they will be in place in time for race start.

The approximate 10 teams short crew members have pulled crew members in from wherever they could find them to fill out the crews until the regular crews get to the track.

The crews have made it to the Las Vegas airport as of 5:49pm local time with the race start scheduled to begin shortly after 6pm local time.  The plane originally scheduled to transport the crew members broke down and had to be replaced.

Stage one and two of the race are 30 laps each with stage three lasting 74 laps for a total of 134 laps around the mile and a half track.  The drivers can run 50 to 55 laps on a single load of fuel.  While they can complete stages one and two on a single load of fuel; they will have to make a pit stop during stage three.

Tanner Gray, Matt Mills, Ross Chastain, and Brennan Poole will have to start the race from the back of the field after the crews made unapproved adjustments to the trucks.

This weekend is the annual Wendell Scott tribute with all of the drivers carrying special decals to commemorate NASCAR’s driver of colour to win a race in the Cup Series.

Kyle Busch brings the field down for the green flag start of the race from the outside lane with Nick Sanchez on the inside with Busch jumping out in front for the lead.  Drivers are getting three and four wide across the track.

Lap two, Kyle Busch has a quarter of a second lead on Nick Sanchez; Chase Purdy, TY Majeski, and Zane Smith round out the top five.

Stewart Friesen pulled out of line early and has to serve a pass through penalty and is now one lap down.

Lap seven, Nick Sanchez challenges boss man Kyle Busch for the lead but Busch holds him off.

Daniel Dye spins out with a flat tire but makes it down pit road and the track stays green.

Lap nine, Nick Sanchez has passed Kyle Busch to take the lead.

Lpa 10, the top five are Nick Sanchez, Kyle Busch, Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes, and Zane Smith.

Lap eleven, Ty Majeski passed Kyle Busch for second briefly.

Lap 12, Kyle Busch retakes the lead.

Lap 13, Bret Holmes hits the wall and is slowed on the track and the track stays green.

Lap 19 Bret Homes hits the wall again and has a flat tire; this time bringing out the caution flag.

At 6:30pm local time, the pit crews have arrived at the track!

Stewart Friesen is the “lucky dog”.

Some of the drivers come down pit road for service including the leaders.  Team have just three sets of tires for tonight’s race.

Kyle Busch – one of the teams whose pit crew was delayed – has to make a second trip down pit road for a loose tire.  The wrecker on pit road trying to get Bret Holmes’ truck was in the way.

Brennan Poole’s crew took his truck to the garage.

John Hunter Nemechek was caught speeding on pit road.

Nick Sanchez brings the field down for the green flag restart with just six laps remaining in stage one.

Nick Sanchez and Ty Majeski battle for the lead with drivers there wide behind them.

Lap 25, Zane Smith comes down on the inside and takes the lead.

Nick Sanchez makes contact with Ty Majeski and slaps the wall but the track stays green.

The top five are Zane Smith, Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes, Ben Rhodes, and Matt DiBenedetto.

Drivers are in a three wide battle for the lead.

Zane Smith holds on to the lad with Matt DiBennedetto in second after making a save to keep the truck off the wall; Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger, and Rajah Caruth round out the otp five.

After having to start the race from the back of the field, Ross Chastain is in the top 10.

Nick Sanchez makes a trip down pit road.

Zane Smith wins stage one.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Zane Smith
Ty Majeski
Matt DiBenedetto
Grant Enfinger
Rajah Caruth
Matt Crafton
Carson Hocevar
Ben Rhodes
Ross Chastain
Tanner Gray

Drivers come down pit road for service.  Zane Smith’s crew made it to the track with six laps remaining in stage one and serviced the car. 

After staying out on the track, Grant Enfinger leads the race.  Kyle Busch is up to fifth after a slow pit stop that resulted in a second trip down pit road.

Grant Enfinger brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two from the outside lane with Carson Hocevar alongside on lap 37.  Drivers get three wide across the track with Carson Hocevar out front.

Lap 38, the top five are Carson Hocevar, Tanner Gray, Kyle Busch, Dean Thompson, and Ross Chastain.

There are 30 cars on the lead lap with Chase Purdy and Josh Reaume off the track and Bret Holmes out of the race.

Lap 40 Kyle Busch and Carson Hocevar battle for the lead.

The caution flag comes out on lap 40 when Matt Mills gets loose and spins out but manages to keep the truck off the wall.

Just before the caution flag came out, Kyle Busch passed Carson Hocevar to take the lead.

Nick Sanchez is on pit road for repairs after hitting the wall.

Kyle Busch brings the field down for the green flag restart from the outside lane with Carson Hocevar alongside on lap 44.  Carson Hocevar gets out in front after a push from John Hunter Nemechek.  Drivers are three wide across the track in a battle for position.

Ben Rhodes comes up to battle Carson Hocevar for the lead.

Lap 47, the top five are Carson Hocevar, Ben Rhodes, Kyle Busch, Zane Smith, and Ross Chastain.

Lawless Alan brings out the caution flag on lap 48 when he gets turned around and tags the wall.

Matt Mills is the “lucky dog”.

A few drivers come down pit road for service.

Carson Hocevar brings the field down for the green flag restart with just seven laps remaining in stage two.  Hocevar takes the lead with Kyle Busch in second.

There are three wide battle all through the field.

The fifth caution flag of the race comes out on lap 54 after Kris Wright spins out and gets into the wall.

Nick Sanchez is the “lucky dog”.

With just six laps remaining in stage two, several drivers come down pit road for service including Kyle Busch and Zane Smith.  This time Kyle Busch had his own pit crew work on the truck.

Carson Hocevar brings the field down for the green flag restart for a one lap shootout to the end of stage two.  This time Hocevar restarts from the inside lane with Ben Rhodes on the outside.  Hocevar gets out in front but drivers come up to make it a four wide battle for the lead.

Big crash on the last lap of stage two bringing out the sixth caution flag of the race.

Carson Hocevar wins stage two.

The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Carson Hocevar
Ben Rhodes
Matt DiBenedetto
Chase Purdy
Grant Enfinger
Matt Crafton
Rajah Caruth
Kaz Grala
Tanner Gray
Ty Majeski

Hailie Deegan, John Hunter Nemechek, and Christian Eckes were all involved.  Ross Chastain squeezed through the melee and missed any contact.

Some of the drivers come down pit road for service including the leaders.  Carson Hocevar and Ben Rhodes are side by side leaving pit road but Ben Rhodes edges out to win the race off of pit road.

Ty Majeski was charged with an uncontrolled tire on pit road and will have to restart the race from the back of the field.

Kaz Grala brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three on lap 66 with Tanner Gray Alongside.  Drivers quickly get three and four wide across the track.

Kaz Grala leads the race with Christian Eckes in second; Tanner, Kyle Busch, and Corey Heim round out the top five.

In a battle for the lead, Kyle Busch gets back out in front with Christian Eckes taking second; Kaz Grala, Corey Heim, and Tanner Gray round out the top five.

Lap 70, Kyle Busch leads the race with Christian Eckes in second; Kaz Grala, Tanner Gray, and Corey Heim round out the top five.

Lap 72, Ross Chastain brings his truck down pit road with reports of it running hot.

Today is Jake Garcia’s 18th birthday.  Drivers must be 18 in order to run on any track over a mile in length.

Ross Chastain was caught speeding on pit road.

Lap 75, Kyle Busch continues to lead the race with Christian Eckes in second; Corey Heim, Ben Rhodes, and Kaz Grala round out the top five.

Lap 80, Kyle Busch has found his groove and is over two and a half seconds out in front of Christian Eckes; Corey Heim, Ben Rhodes, and Kaz Grala round out the top five.

Lap 85, Kyle Busch has led 37 laps so far.  He is now over three seconds out in front of Christian Eckes.

Christian Eckes is reporting some radio issues in his truck.  He reports that his truck is a bit too free.

Lap 91, Kyle Busch has a lead of over three seconds on Christian Eckes with 23 trucks on the lead lap.

With 43 laps to go, Kyle Busch has pulled out to a lead of vie seconds on Christian Eckes; Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith, and Corey Heim round out the top five.

Lap 93, Christian Eckes and Ben Rhodes battle for second.  Rhodes passes Eckes and Zane Smith follows to take third.

Lap 94, Kyle Busch has a lead of over five seconds on Ben Rhodes; Zane Smith, Christian Eckes, and Corey Heim round out the top five.

Lap 99, drivers are beginning to make green flag pit stops; Stewart Friesen, Carson Hocevar, and Christian Eckes have all come down pit road.

Lap 102, Kyle Busch continues to lead the race by well over five seconds with Zane Smith in second; Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, and Matt DiBenedetto round out the top five as green flag pit stops continue.

Lap 106, leader Kyle Busch makes his green flag pit stop and give the lead over to Tanner Gray.

Kaz Grala was caught speeding on pit road and will have to serve a pass through penalty.

Daniel Dye leads the race with Kyle Busch in second.

Rajah Caruth’s crew was charged with improper fueling and has to make a pass through penalty.

Nick Sanchez’s crew pushes his truck to the garage and is out of the race.

With 24 laps to go, Daniel Dye finally makes his pit stop and gives the lead over to Kyle Busch with just 13 trucks on the lead lap.  Busch has a lead of over seven seconds on Zane Smith.

With 22 laps to go, the top five are Kyle Busch, Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes, Corey Heim, and Christen Eckes.

Twenty to go, Kyle Busch has a seven second lead on Zane Smith with just 12 trucks on the lead lap.

Kyle Busch gets loose but saves the truck while attempting to pass Matt DiBenedetto.  He tells his crew that it’s all good.

With 15 to go, Kyle Busch has gotten around Matt DiBenedetto to put him a lap down and run the fastest lap on the track.  There are just eleven trucks on the lead lap with Matt Crafton over 24 seconds back from the leader.

Thirteen to go, the top five are Kyle Busch, Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes, Corey Heim, and Christian Eckes.

Ten to go, Kyle Busch has a lead of over six seconds on Zane Smith.

Seven to go; Kyle Busch holds on to his six second lead on Zane Smith; with Ben Rhodes, Corey Heim, and Ty Majeski rounding out the top five.

Three to go, Rowdy continues to dominate the race but is down to just a five second lead on Zane Smith.

Kyle Busch takes the white flag.

Kyle Busch wins truck race number 63 after leading 83 laps in the race.  This makes eleven years in a row that Kyle Busch has won a race in the truck series.  This is Rowdy’s fourth Truck Series win at his home track of Las Vegas.

Busch exits the truck to rousing cheers.  After getting the checked flag, he gives the signature “Rowdy Bow”.

The unofficial results for the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200:
Kyle Busch
Zane Smith
Ben Rhodes
Corey Heim
Ty Majeski
Christian Eckes
Carson Hocevar
Chase Purdy
Grant Enfinger
Jake Garcia
Matt Crafton
Matt DiBenedetto
Tanner Gray
Stewart Friesen
Tyler Ankrum
Dean Thompson
Kaz Grala
Colby Howard
Daniel Dye
Lawless Alan
Max Gutierrez
Timmy Hill
Spencer Boyd
Ross Chastain
Kaden Honeycutt
Matt Mills
Mason Massey
Kris Wright
Rajah Caruth
Nick Sanchez
John Hunter Nemechek
Hailie Deegan
Brennan Poole
Bret Holmes
Josh Reaume