After a short break the Craftsman Truck Series returns with some Saturday night racing a Kansas Speedway for the Heart of America 200. This begins five straight weeks of racing for the Truck Series.
After tonight, the regular season for the Truck Series is half over with Christian Eckes leading in the points standings.
The biggest news coming from Kansas is that only ONE truck passed the inspection process the first time through. All of the remaining trucks passed on the second time except the number two truck driven by Nick Sanchez. The number two truck passed on the third time; but as a result, Nick Sanchez will not be allowed to make a qualifying run and will have to start the race from the back of the field.
The drivers get 20 minutes to practice on a cool cloudy morning – conditions that will resemble those for the race under the lights.
Mason Massey brought out the caution flag when he locks the tires, flat spotting the tires and has to get a push back to pit road.
A true veteran of the sport, Matt Crafton has been in every race at Kansas and has never failed to make the playoffs during his long career as a driver in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Just 33 teams have brought trucks to Kansas including Cup Series driver Zane Smith and a return for Brett Moffitt. New Zealand driver Cam Waters also returns to make his second Truck Series start.
Ty Majeski, Ben Rhodes, and Tanner Gray sit at the top of the leaderboard after practice; separated by only eight thousandths of a second.
The first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Mason Massey after Jennifer Jo Cobb had some issues getting the truck going. Massey posted a time of 32.194 seconds.
In the last two races the pole driver posted a time of sub 31 seconds around the mile and a half track.
Tyler Ankrum is the first driver to break the 31 second mark with a time of 30.969 seconds.
With a time of 30.728 seconds, Chase Purdy puts his number 77 truck on the pole with Ty Majeski starting alongside on the front row.
The starting lineup for the Heart of America 200:
Chase Purdy
Ty Majeski
Ty Dillon
Rajah Caruth
Conner Mosack
Daniel Dye
Jake Garcia
Stewart Friesen
Zane Smith
Christian Eckes
Ben Rhodes
Tyler Ankrum
Corey Heim
Matt Crafton
Matt Mills
Grant Enfinger
Taylor Gray
Tanner Gray
Brett Moffitt
Cam Waters
Bayley Currey
Dean Thompson
Kaden Honeycutt
Bret Holmes
Layne Riggs
Thad Moffitt
Spencer Boyd
Lawless Alan
Mason Maggio
Jennifer Jo Cobb
Mason Massey
Nick Sanchez
Timmy Hill
Stages one and two of the race are just 30 laps long with stage three lasting 74 laps for a total of 134 laps around the mile and a half track. Drivers can run 50 to 55 laps on a single load of fuel.
Jake Garcia will have to start the race from the back of the field after the crew made some unapproved adjustments to the truck.
Chase Purday brings the field down for the green flag start of the race from the inside lane with Ty Majeski on the outside lane.
Drivers quickly get three wide across the track. Chase Purdy gets out in front for the lead.
Drivers are four wide going into turn four on the first lap.
Ty Majeski brings out the first caution flag of the race on lap two with a flat tire and gets into the wall.
Chase Purdy brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap seven with Conner Mosack alongside. Drivers are three wide as soon as the green flag drops with Chase Purdy holding on to the lead.
Lap seven, Chase Purdy leads the race with Zane Smith in second; Christian Eckes, Corey Heim, and Ben Rhodes round out the top five.
Lap eight, Zane Smith passes Chase Purdy for the lead.
Lap nine, Chase Purdy and Corey Heim battle for second with Heim taking the spot.
Lap eleven, after starting at the back of the field, Nick Sanchez has entered the top 20.
Lap 12, Zane Smith leads the race but battles with Corey Heim for the lead.
Lap 14, Corey Heim takes the lead for the third different lead so far.
Lap 14, Stewart Friesen makes an unscheduled trip down pit road after scraping the wall.
Lap 16, Corey Heim leads the race with Zane Smith in second; Chase Purdy, Christian Eckes, and Ben Rhodes round out the top five.
Lap 19, Nick Sanchez battles with Matt Crafton for 15th place.
Corey Heim has pulled out to a half second laead on Zane Smith.
Lap 22, Corey Heim has a lead of nearly a second on Zane Smith; Chase Purdy, Christian Eckes, and Ben Rhodes round out the top five.
There are 28 trucks on the lead lap.
With just four laps remaining in stage one, leader Corey Heim has a one second lead on Zane Smith.
Nick Sanchez has moved through the field and is now in 14th place.
After starting the race on the front row, Ty Majeski becomes the first driver out of the race.
Lap 29, Kaden Honeycutt passes Be Rhodes for fifth.
Corey Heim wins stage one for his second stage win of the season.
The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Corey Heim
Zane Smith
Christian Eckes
Chase Purdy
Kaden Honeycutt
Ben Rhodes
Conner Mosack
Tyler Ankrum
Ty Dillon
Daniel Dye
Drivers come down pit road for service with Christian Eckes winning the race off of pit road. Corey Heim had a slow stop and lost three places.
A tire rolls across pit road.
Lawless Alan overshoots his pit stall and hits a crew member.
There were a number of penalties during the pit stop. Dean Thompson, Thad Moffitt, and Daniel Dye were all caught speeding on pit road. Jennifer Jo Cobb had crew members come over the wall too soon. Cam Waters had an uncontrolled tire. Jake Garcia was charged with equipment interference.
Carson Hocevar joins Adam Alexander, Phil Parsons, and Michael Waltrip in the broadcast booth for stage two.
Christian Eckes brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two on lap 38. Drivers quickly spread out three and four wide across the track.
Lap 41, Zane Smith leads the race with Christian Eckes in second; Corey Heim, Kaden Honeycutt, and Chase Purdy round out the top five.
After advancing eight spots on pit road, Nick Sanchez is in the top 10, just outside the top five.
Lap 44, Zane Smith leads the race with Christian Eckes on his bumper.
Lap 47, Zane Smith, has put a bit of distance between himself and second place driver Christian Eckes; but they are still separated by just a quarter of a second.
Lap 52, Zane Smith has increased his lead to nearly a second. Corey Heim takes second after passing Christian Eckes; Kaden Honeycutt and Chase Purdy round out the top five.
Brett Moffitt has passed Nick Sanchez for sixth.
Lap 55, Corey Heim has closed the gap on leader Zane Smith to just over half a second.
Zane Smith wins stage two by over a second on Corey Heim.
The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Zane Smith
Corey Heim
Christian Eckes
Kaden Honeycutt
Chase Purdy
Brett Moffitt
Nick Sanchez
Rajah Caruth
Conner Mosack
Ben Rhodes
Zane Smith brings the field down pit road for service with Christian Eckes winning the race off of pit road. Zane Smith loses seven spots on pit road and comes out eighth.
Tyler Ankrum was charged with a safety violation.
The crew member on Lawless Alan’s team that was hit has been checked and released from the infield care center.
Christian Eckes brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three on lap 68 with Corey Heim alongside. Drivers are four wide on the restart with Eckes getting out in front.
The top five are Christian Eckes, Nick Sanchez, Corey Heim, Zane Smith, and Kaden Honeycutt.
Lap 69, After starting from the back of the field, Nick Sanchez takes the lead.
Lap 70Corey Heim passes Nick Sanchez for the lead with Kaden Honeycutt taking second.
Christian Eckes gets sideways but saves the truck and the track stays green.
Lap 72, After briefly leading the race, Nick Sanchez has dropped to sixth.
Lap 73, Corey Heim has a near half second lead on Kaden Honeycutt; Zane Smith, Christian Eckes, and Brett Moffitt round out the top five.
Lap 75, Christian Eckes and Zane Smith battle back and forth for third.
With 54 laps remaining in the race, Corey Heim has just a third of a second lead on Kaden Honeycutt; Christian Eckes, Zane Smith, and Brett Moffitt round out the top five. Smith and Eckes continue to battle back and forth for third.
There are 28 trucks on the lead lap with Ty Majeski the only driver out of the race.
Forty-seven laps to go, Corey Heim continues to lead the race with Kaden Honeycutt just a third of a second behind; Zane Smith, Christian Eckes, and Brett Moffitt round out the top five.
Corey Heim comes down pit road to start the cycle of green flag pit stops with 39 laps remaining in the race. Kaden Honeycutt is the new leader.
Kaden Honeycutt comes down pit road and gives the lead over to Daniel Dye.
Christian Eckes and Kaden Honeycutt battle for position and make some contact.
Mason Massey and Timmy Hill are the only drivers yet to make a pit stop. Once they make their pit stops, Corey Heim will retake the lead.
With 31 laps remaining in the race, Corey Heim retakes the lead.
Lap 106, Corey Heim leads the race with Zane Smith in second over two seconds back; Christian Eckes, Kaden Honeycutt, and Brett Moffitt round out the top five.
With 25 laps to go, Corey Heim has a lead of nearly three seconds on Zane Smith.
Taylor Gray’s truck is smoking heavily with a flat tire after scraping the wall. He makes it to pit road and the track stays green.
Twenty to go! Corey Heim has a lead of over two and a half seconds on Zane Smith, Christian Eckes, Kaden Honeycutt, and Brett Moffitt round out the top five.
There are 14 laps to go with 14 trucks on the lead lap. Corey Heim holds on to a lead of over two and a half seconds on Zane Smith.
Ten to go, Zane Smith is closing the gap on leader Corey Heim and is not under two seconds behind the leader.
Just six laps to go, Corey Heim has a two second lead on Zane Smith.
Three to go, Corey Heim’s lead is down to a second and a half on Zane Smith.
Corey Heim takes the white flag with a one second lead on Zane Smith.
Corey Heim wins the race for his second win of the season after leading 79 laps. This is the 23rd time in 24 races that Corey Heim has finished in the top 10.
The unofficial results of the Heart of America 200:
Corey Heim
Zane Smith
Christian Eckes
Kaden Honeycutt
Brett Moffitt
Nick Sanchez
Tanner Gray
Dean Thompson
Daneil Dye
Matt Crafton
Bayley Currey
Grant Enfinger
Rajah Caruth
Bret Holmes
Ty Dillon
Ben Rhodes
Jake Garcia
Layne Riggs
Cam Waters
Tyler Ankrum
Mason Massey
Timmy Hill
Matt Mills
Thad Moffitt
Stewart Friesen
Lawless Alan
Taylor Gray
Chase Purdy
Mason Maggio
Connor Mosack
Spencer Boyd
Jennifer Jo Cobb
Ty Majeski