NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Page 3

John Hunter Nemechek remains in first place of the Camping World Truck Series championship standings after scoring a third-place finish in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. The talented wheelman has now recorded a career best seven straight top-10 finishes.

After qualifying 15^th in Friday’s one lap qualifying session, Nemechek steadily progressed through the field during the 143-lap event, eventually making his way into the top-five during the Final Stage.

Nemechek was scored in third for the second attempt at NASCAR Overtime and as the field took the white flag, he made a dive to the inside to make a three-wide pass for the lead on the exit of Turn 2 but was unable to hold off a late run from eventual race winner Ross Chastain, taking the checkered flag in third.

Stage One Recap

· Nemechek lined up for Friday’s scheduled 134-lap event at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 15^th after putting down a lap time of 30.995 seconds at 174.222 mph in the qualifying session earlier in the afternoon.

· On the initial start of the race, Nemechek was unable to gain ground on the field and ran within the top 15 for the majority of the opening stanza.

· As the green-and-white checkered flag came out to end Stage One, Nemechek was scored in the 13^th position.

Stage Two Recap:

· Nemechek brought his Pye-Barker Tundra TRD Pro down pit road at the stage break for four tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment. The No. 4 team executed a clean pit stop and sent their driver back out on track to restart the second stage in 10^th.

· When the second caution of the night came out on lap 54 for a single-truck spin, Nemechek had made his way up to sixth and communicated that he was “trying to continue to get the front to turn” on his Pye-Barker Tundra.

· As the field went back green, Nemechek maintained his sixth position as Stage Two ended under yellow, earning five stage points.

Final Stage Recap:

· After another well-executed pit stop by the No. 4 team at the stage break, the second-generation driver lined up for the Final Stage in the second row on the outside lane.

· Nemechek worked his way up to second and was just a second-and-a-half back of the No. 42 of Carson Hocevar in the lead with 60 laps remaining.

· As green flag pit stops started to cycle through in the Final Stage, Nemechek brought his Pye-Barker Tundra down pit road with 34 laps to go while scored in third.

· Once the field sorted itself back out from the green flag pit stops, the 24-year-old driver was scored in fourth with just 25 laps remaining.

· Nemechek made his way back into third before the fourth caution of the night came out on lap 132, setting up a NASCAR Overtime.

· When the first overtime of the night was unsuccessful, Nemechek lined up for the second overtime in third on the outside lane.

· As the field took the white flag, Nemechek made three-wide pass to the inside of the No. 41 and No. 98 to take the lead on the exit of Turn 2.

· Nemechek was unable to hold off a late run down the backstretch from the No. 41 of Ross Chastain as he came to the checkered flag in third.

John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Pye-Barker Tundra TRD Pro for KBM:

Can you take us through those last couple of laps and what else did you need?

“We weren’t very good all night. I’m just thankful for all of my guys on this No. 4 Pye-Barker, Fire Alarm Services Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. We never stopped working on it. We put ourselves in the ballpark and we were able to have a shot there at the end. We struggled all day, from the time that we unloaded. We have a little bit of work to do. I feel like we struggled the last couple of weeks, but proud of all of my guys. Proud of the effort they put in and excited to see where it goes. Just racking up top fives.”

North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Recap

Cup Series regular Ross Chastain picked up his first win of the season and fourth of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career. Grant Enfinger, Nemechek, Christian Eckes and Zane Smith rounded out the top-five finishers.
There were five cautions for 25 laps and 15 lead changes among nine drivers.

How John Hunter Nemechek's KBM Teammates Fared:

· Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished seventh.

· Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finish eighth.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings

Nemechek maintains his spot in first in the Camping World Truck Series championship standings and has extended his lead to seven points over reigning champion Ben Rhodes.

Next Race

Nemechek and the No. 4 team will turn their focus to World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois June 4. Live coverage of the Toyota 200 will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 1:30pm ET.

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Texas Photos

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Texas Post Race Report

John Hunter Nemechek earned the Cometic Gasket pole award for the third straight week, laying down a lap time of 29.612 seconds in Friday’s one-lap qualifying session for the SpeedyCash.com 220 at Texas Motor Speedway. Despite earning the pole, the No. 4 team was forced to drop to the rear on the opening pace laps due to unapproved adjustments.

Nemechek drove through the field on two different occasions in Friday’s 149-lap event and earned a sixth-place finish, marking his sixth straight race of a sixth-place finish or better. With the finish and 13 stage points compiled throughout the race, Nemechek has taken over the lead in the Camping World Truck Series regular season point standings and sits four tallies ahead of reigning champion Ben Rhodes.

Stage One Recap

· Nemechek earned the pole for the third straight week with a lap time of 29.612 seconds in Friday’s qualifying session but was forced to drop to the rear prior to the green flag due to unapproved adjustments.

· Just 20 laps into the 149-lap event, the talented wheelman made his way into the top 10 for the first time of the night.

· With under five laps to go in the opening stanza, Nemechek communicated that his Tom Thumb/Albertsons Tundra TRD Pro was “tight off exit of turn 2”.

· Nemechek continued his battle towards the front and took the green-and-white checkered flag in sixth to end Stage One.

Stage Two Recap:

· Nemechek brought his No. 4 Tundra down pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires and a full load of Sunoco fuel at the stage break and would go back out on track lined up in fifth for the Stage Two restart.

· The second-generation driver was able to get a good jump on the restart and made his way up to third early in the middle stanza.

· Nemechek got within a second of race leader Ryan Preece but was unable to chase him down, eventually taking the green-and-white checkered flag in third, earning an additional eight stage points.

· At the stage break, Nemechek communicated that he “needs to finish the corners a little bit better in Turns 1 and 2”.

Final Stage Recap:

· Nemechek brought his Tom Thumb/Albertsons Tundra down pit road under the stage break where the No. 4 team was able to execute a four-tire and fuel stop that sent him back out onto the track in the lead.

· The 24-year-old driver elected the outside lane on the restart and raced side-by-side with the No. 17 of Preece through Turns 1 and 2 and down the backstretch until he was able to clear the No. 17 on entry into Turn 3.

· The fourth caution of the night came out on lap 87 with Nemechek controlling the top position. Under caution, veteran crew chief Eric Phillips called for the No. 4 team to come down pit road for a fuel-only stop while the rest of the field stayed out on differing pit strategies.

· After electing to pit and forfeit the lead, Nemechek would line up for the restart in 27^th. The talented wheelman once again drove through the field and found himself in fifth with just five laps to go as the seventh and final caution of the night came out on lap 143, setting up NASCAR Overtime.

· Nemechek lined up for the overtime restart from the third row on the outside lane but was unable to make his way to the front on the restart, taking the checkered flag in sixth.

SpeedyCash.com 220 Recap

Stewart Friesen earned his third career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. Christian Eckes, Ryan Preece, Carson Hocevar, and Ty Majeski rounded out the top-five finishers.
There were seven cautions for 36 laps and 17 lead changes among seven drivers, including Nemechek who led once for 14 laps.

How John Hunter Nemechek's KBM Teammates Fared:

· Corey Heim, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished seventh.

· Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finish eighth.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings

Nemechek moved into the top spot of the Camping World Truck Series regular season point standings and now holds a four-point lead over reigning series champion Ben Rhodes.

Next Race

Nemechek and the No. 4 team will look to defend their 2021 victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway next week in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 8:30pm ET.

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Kansas Post Race Report

John Hunter Nemechek earned the pole for the second straight week, putting down a lap time of 30.570 seconds in Saturday’s qualifying session at Kansas Speedway. The talented wheelman competed within the top five for the first 60 laps of the race before restarting the Final Stage of the night in seventh.

On the restart, Nemechek powered his Mobil 1 Tundra up to third and was running in second before the final caution of the night came out on Lap 123. Nemechek lined up on the outside lane for what would be the final restart of the night but was unable to fire off strong and fell back to sixth where he would take the checkered flag.

Stage One Recap
· Nemechek earned the pole for Saturday’s Heart of America 200 at Kansas Speedway by laying down a lap time of 30.570 seconds in the qualifying session earlier in the day.
· Nemechek controlled the lead for the first three laps of the race before forfeiting the lead to the No. 38 of Zane Smith.
· As the laps were winding down in the opening stanza, Nemechek communicated that his No. 4 Tundra TRD Pro “needs to be tighter all the way around”.
· The second-generation driver never wavered outside of the top-five throughout Stage One and took the green-and-white checkered flag in fifth, earning six stage points.

Stage Two Recap:
· Nemechek brought his Mobil 1 Tundra down pit road at the stage break for four tires and fuel. A strong pit stop by the No. 4 team sent Nemechek back out on the track to restart the second stage from third.
· Much like the opening stanza, Nemechek never fell outside of the top-five before coming to the stripe to take the green-and-white checkered flag in third.

Final Stage Recap:
· Nemechek once again brought his No. 4 Tundra TRD Pro down pit road at the stage break for four tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment.
· On the restart, the talented wheelman made a three-wide move to the middle and made his way from seventh to third before the field came back around to the start-finish line.
· Midway through the Final Stage, Nemechek communicated that his Mobil 1 Tundra was “two-thirds of the way where I need it to be” while running in third.
· As the fourth and final caution of the night came out on Lap 123, Nemechek was scored in second, putting him on the front row of the ensuing restart.
· Race leader Zane Smith took the inside lane for the restart, as Nemechek elected the outside with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) Chandler Smith lined up behind him.
· As the field came through the restart zone, Nemechek was unable to get a good jump and spun his tires, ultimately falling back sixth as the field came back around.
· Nemechek got loose and into the wall during the closing laps but was able to keep his position on the track, taking the checkered flag scored in sixth.

John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra TRD Pro for KBM:
It came down to that final restart. What happened?
“Spun the tires, didn’t get a good push from behind. It’s on me. I spun the tires and that was pretty much it. I had a decently fast Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro tonight. We missed it. The 38 (Zane Smith) had the dominant truck. He should have won the race. I feel like we should have finished second or third. We’ve got to work on restarts and come back. We know what we need to do here coming back for the Playoff race. We just debriefed right there. Proud of my guys – proud of the effort. I’m still on a top-six streak here, so we just have to continue on.”

Heart of America 200 Recap
Zane Smith picked up his third win of the season and sixth career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger, Chandler Smith and Christian Eckes rounded out the top-five finishers.
There were four cautions for 19 laps and nine lead changes among five drivers, including Nemechek who led for three laps.

How John Hunter Nemechek's KBM Teammates Fared:
· Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished sixth.
· Corey Heim, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 33rd.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings
Nemechek maintained the second position in the Camping World Truck Series championship standings and cut his deficit from 30 points down to 20 behind reigning champion Ben Rhodes.

Next Race
Nemechek and the No. 4 team head to Texas Motor Speedway next Friday, May 20 for the SpeedyCash.com 200. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 8:30pm ET.

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Darlington Photos

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Darlington Post Race Report

John Hunter Nemechek came back to Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2022 to continue winning races and did just that Friday night, picking up his first win of the season at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in the Dead on Tools 200.

Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team showed speed right off the hauler, topping the charts in practice and then followed that up by earning the pole with a lap time of 28.719 in Friday’s qualifying session.

The second-generation driver continued his strong showing by leading a race-high 69 laps in route to his 12^th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. With the win, Nemechek moved up three spots in the Camping World Truck Series championships standings into second, just 30 points behind Ben Rhodes in first.

Stage One Recap

· Nemechek earned the pole for the Dead on Tools 200 at Darlington Raceway after laying down a lap time of 28.719 in qualifying earlier in the day.

· The Toyota Racing driver led the first 12 laps of the race before forfeiting the lead to the No. 38 of Zane Smith.

· Differing pit strategies throughout the field put Nemechek back in the lead midway through the opening stanza.

· Nemechek led the next 18 laps before his worn-out tires began to play a factor, falling back to sixth where he would take the green-and-white checkered to end Stage One.

Stage Two Recap:

· At the stage break, Nemechek communicated that his Mobil 1 Tundra TRD Pro needed “more front turn”.

· Early in the middle stanza, Nemechek brought his No. 4 Tundra down pit road under caution for an unscheduled pit with a loose left front wheel.

· The No. 4 team put four fresh Goodyear Tires on and Nemechek was back into the top 20 just five laps after the restart.

· Nemechek drove back through the field during the final 20 laps of the stage earned a fifth-place finish and six more stage points.

Final Stage Recap:

· During the final stage break, Nemechek made contact with the No. 98 of Christian Eckes while exiting his pit stall but would not sustain any damage.

· Despite the contact with Eckes, Nemechek lined up on the front row in second place to begin the final stage.

· The second-generation driver regained the lead on Lap 107 just before the eighth caution of the day would come out on Lap 118. Veteran crew chief Eric Phillips would bring the No. 4 team down pit road for the team’.

· Nemechek quickly regained the lead on Lap 123 and would hold control the remainder of the race.

· A caution on Lap 143 while leading would set up a green-white-checkered finish with Nemechek lining up on the front row for the overtime restart with the No. 42 of Carson Hocevar.

· Nemechek was able to clear Hocevar exiting Turn 2 and drive away to his first win of the 2022 campaign.

John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra TRD Pro for KBM:

How does it feel to get your first win of the season and first at Darlington Raceway?

“Huge shout out to all the guys that work on this No. 4 KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD PRO, just Mobil 1 and everyone that puts their heart and soul into what's going on -- this is huge. Just thank you to everyone. Thank you to the fans. This place is packed. Awesome crowd. I thought we gave it away early honestly and we we're able to rebound and battle back so it's cool. Aspen (daughter) I think is sleeping so hopefully Taylor (wife) gets her up and brings her to victory lane so we can celebrate. Learned a lot tonight and was finally able to bring home the first one of the year. I'm just thankful for the opportunity I have from Kyle (Busch, team owner), Toyota and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) for putting me in this truck. Let's go celebrate.”

Dead on Tools 200 Recap

· John Hunter Nemechek picked up his first win of the season and his 12^th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Parker Kligerman rounded out the top-five finishers.

· There were 10 cautions for 54 laps. There were 16 lead changes among nine drivers, including Nemechek who led a race-high 69 laps.

How John Hunter Nemechek's KBM Teammates Fared:

· Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finish 20th.

· Corey Heim, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 22nd.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings

Nemechek jumped three spots in the Camping World Truck Series championship standings and now sits in second, just 30 tallies behind ThorSport Racing driver Ben Rhodes in first.

Next Race

Nemechek and the No. 4 team will look to keep their momentum rolling next week as the NASCAR Truck Series heads to Kansas Speedway on May 14. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 8 p.m. ET.

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Bristol Dirt Post Race Report

John Hunter Nemechek came from the 18th starting position to put the Mobil 1 Tundra TRD Pro in contention for the win the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday night. The Toyota Racing driver battled for the lead with Carson Hocevar for much of the final stage until a late caution came out with 10 laps remaining. As the field went back green with five laps remaining, Nemechek was lined up on the inside of Hocevar but was unable to take over the lead, ultimately finishing in the race in third.

After disappointing results in the first three races of the 2022 season, Nemechek has rebounded by posting three straight top-five finishes.

Stage One Recap

· Nemechek lined up 18th for the Saturday’s 150-lap event at Bristol based on the combination of his fifth-place finish and passing points earned in the fourth qualifying race.

· The second-generation driver was unable to gain much ground throughout the opening stanza as he took the green-and-white checkered flag in 12^th.

· Nemechek came over the radio at the end of the stage and communicated that his No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra TRD Pro “needs to be tightened up a bit.”

Stage Two Recap:

· During the stage break, Nemechek brought his Mobil 1 Toyota down pit road for a controlled pit stop where the No. 4 team executed a four-tire and fuel stop with a wedge adjustment to help with the handling.

· As the field went back green for Stage Two, it took Nemechek only four laps to crack into the top-10 where he would remain for the remainder of the race.

· Just past the midway point of the race, Nemechek started to gain on Cup Series regular Joey Logano for third place.

· Nemechek and Logano continued to battle for third as Parker Kligerman made his way into the picture to create a three-way battle for third as the stage was winding down.

· With less than five laps to go in the middle stanza, Nemechek completed the pass, ultimately finishing the stage in third and earning eight stage points.

Final Stage Recap:

· Veteran crew chief Eric Phillips called for the No. 4 team to stay out during the stage break which proved to be the right call as Nemechek would restart the Final Stage in first with the first two trucks electing to pit.

· Nemechek was unable to hold off the No. 42 of Carson Hocevar on the restart as Hocevar took over the lead on Lap 92.

· The Mobil 1 driver continued to battle within the top three for the remainder of the race and was running second when the eighth and final caution of the night came out with 10 laps remaining.

· Nemechek lined up for the ensuing restart in second on the inside row. As the field went back green, Nemechek found himself in a three-way battle for the lead with Ben Rhodes and Carson Hocevar.

· Nemechek was unable to make a move on Rhodes or Hocevar and took the checkered flag in third. The Toyota Racing driver came over the radio after the conclusion of the race and stated his No. 4 Tundra TRD Pro “just needed a little more”.

John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra TRD Pro for KBM:

Solid finish. How was the finish from your perspective?

“Solid night for our Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. We worked really hard over the off season to make the dirt program better. I feel like we were successful in doing that. I felt like we had one of the better trucks in practice. We needed the racetrack to dry slick off and it definitely did that – just didn’t quite have enough to get past the 42 (Carson Hocevar) and the 99 (Ben Rhodes) there. They were a little bit better than us. We will go back to work, but solid points day. Solid finish for our No. 4 Toyota Tundra TRD KBM team. Looking forward to the next few weeks and just trying to build on the recent finishes that we had after the start of the year.”

Pinty's Dirt Race Recap

· Ben Rhodes picked up his sixth career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. Carson Hocevar, John Hunter Nemechek, Parker Kligerman, and Christian Eckes rounded out the top-five finishers.

· There were eight cautions for 43 laps. There were three lead changes among two drivers.

How John Hunter Nemechek's KBM Teammates Fared:

· Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finish 19^th.

· Buddy Kofoid, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 27th.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings

Nemechek remains in fifth through the first six races of the NASCAR Truck Series season. He sits 62 tallies behind ThorSport Racing driver Ben Rhodes in first.

Next Race

Nemechek and the No. 4 team will have a two-week break until the NASCAR Truck Series returns to action on May 6 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 7:30pm ET.

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Martinsville Photos

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Martinsville Post Race Report

After picking up their first top-five finish of the 2022 NASCAR Truck Series season at Circuit of the Americas, John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 team followed it up with another strong performance at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway ending the event with a fourth-place finish.

Pit strategy for the No. 4 Mobil 1 team paid off as they were able to earn 13 stage points and move up three positions in the Camping World Truck Series driver standings. Nemechek now sits in fifth place, 44 points behind ThorSport Racing driver Ben Rhodes in first.

Stage One Recap

· Nemechek started Thursday’s 200-lap event at Martinsville from fifth after the scheduled qualifying session was cancelled due to rain, ultimately setting the field based on NASCAR’s performance matrix system.

· Despite falling back to eighth in the opening 25 laps, the Mobil 1 driver never fell outside of the top-10 throughout the opening stage.

· As a late-stage caution came out on lap 40, veteran crew chief Eric Phillips elected for the No. 4 team to stay out on track to gain track position and earn stage points as trucks ahead of them elected to pit.

· The call paid off as Nemechek finished the opening stage in fourth, earning seven stage points.

Stage Two Recap:

• Nemechek brought his Mobil 1 Tundra TRD Pro down pit road at the stage break for our tires and fuel, which would send him back on track scored in 19th.

• The second-generation driver communicated that his Tundra was “a little free” on lap 70 as he gained just three positions to start the second stage.

• Like Stage One, a caution on lap 80 brought out differing pit strategies throughout the field. The No. 4 team once again elected to stay out and gained eight spots on the restart.

• As the green-and-white checkered flag came out to end stage two, Nemechek was scored in fifth, picking up six more stage points.

Final Stage Recap:

· After bringing his No. 4 Tundra down pit road at the stage break, Nemechek restarted the final stage in ninth.

· The 11^th and final caution of the night came out on lap 158 with Nemechek scored in sixth, lining up for the final restart behind his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate Chandler Smith on the outside lane.

· Nemechek was side-by-side with Smith as they battled for fourth on lap 165 before being able to make a successful pass with 34 laps to go.

· With the laps dwindling down, Nemechek would eventually get into lap traffic before taking the checkered flag in fourth place.

John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra TRD Pro for KBM:

How was your race tonight and how was the race track surface?

“The track didn't take any rubber tonight. Just was super slick. We missed the balance a little bit. But my guys worked hard. We made adjustments on it throughout the race. Didn't know exactly which side we're going to be -- being way different than our teammates coming in here. So, it's something new to try and keep moving forward. It's another solid finish for us way better than when we finished in 24^th or 25^th. Good points day. We did what we needed to do other than win the race. So solid day for the Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro and we’ll go to Bristol next week. I feel like we're starting to build some momentum between the Truck series and the Xfinity series and having some good runs and good finishes, so we just have to keep it up.”

Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 Recap

· William Byron picked up his eighth career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. Johnny Sauter, Kyle Busch, Nemechek, and Ben Rhodes rounded out the top-five finishers.

· There were 11 cautions for 71 laps. There were nine lead changes among six drivers.

How John Hunter Nemechek's KBM Teammates Fared:

· Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished third.

· Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finish sixth.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings

Nemechek gained three positions in the standings Thursday night and now sits in fifth place, 44 points behind ThorSport Racing driver Ben Rhodes in first.

Next Race

Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team head to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway next week (4/16) for the second running of the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM Saturday at 8pm ET.

by jnemechek