Making The Field: 2022 NCWTS Blue-Emu 200 at Martinsville Speedway

Following an intense final-second knockout in group qualifying at Circuit of The Americas, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visits the series’ first short track of the 2022 season, in the form of the half-mile paperclip, Martinsville Speedway.

At COTA, Zane Smith became the first driver to claim multiple victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season, sneaking past Kyle Busch, Stewart Friesen, and Alex Bowman on the final restart for his fifth career win.

In typical Martinsville fashion, the entry list is stacked, with 39 trucks contesting Thursday’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 at Martinsville Speedway, meaning three trucks will fail to qualify for the event.

Terry Carroll Motorsports’ No. 90, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s No. 35, and ThorSport Racing’s No. 13 are the only three trucks without any owner points to rely on, meaning those three drivers see qualifying as crucial.

Chase Janes (Reaume Brothers Racing), Dillon Steuer (Young’s Motorsports), Blake Lothian (Reaume Brothers Racing), Justin Carroll (Terry Carroll Motorsports), and Jake Garcia (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing) are the five drivers looking to make their series debuts in Thursday’s event.

UPDATE: On Wednesday, it was announced that Kaden Honeycutt will also be attempting to make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut, driving the No. 46 Toyota Tundra for G2G Racing.

LOCKED IN:

As a result of their position in 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner points heading into Martinsville, Chandler Smith, Ben Rhodes, Stewart Friesen, and Kyle Busch are locked into Thursday’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200.

Matt Crafton – 12th in 2022 NCWTS OP — is locked into the field, based on being the most recent eligible past champion not inside the top-four in points. However, the odds of Crafton needing said provisional is low, based on his points position.

FEELING GOOD:

With a total of three trucks set to miss Thursday’s 200-lap event at Martinsville, the number of people feeling good about their points position heading into qualifying has dwindled considerably, due to the quality of trucks outside the top-20 in owner points.

Therefore, barring a catastrophic chain of events in qualifying on Thursday, all drivers inside the top-20 in owner points will likely be more than okay, when qualifying into the field, should they need a provisional.

PRETTY WORRIED:

For the first-time since Daytona, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series field is substantial enough to continue the fourth category of drivers and teams that aren’t necessarily in the danger zone, but could find themselves on the bad end of things, if qualifying plays out a certain way.

Chase Janes, Spencer Boyd, Chase Purdy, Tate Fogleman, Lawless Alan, Dillon Steuer, Parker Kligerman, and Blake Lothian are all in this boat, and will only be able to secure a spot in the field by posting a time inside the top-31.

‘THE DANGER ZONE’:

‘The Danger Zone’ this weekend includes 11 trucks, a lot of which are trucks with solid equipment, that have been placed in this section because of a poor position in owner points.

Jack Wood, Dean Thompson, Kaden Honeycutt (replaces Matt Jaskol in the No. 46), William Byron, Colby Howard, Bret Holmes, Hailie Deegan, Blaine Perkins, Justin Carroll, Jake Garcia, and Johnny Sauter are all in this boat, and will likely only be able to rely on their lap times to lock them into the field.

Justin Carroll, Jake Garcia, and Johnny Sauter all have no owner points available to them entering this weekend at Martinsville, meaning they must post a lap inside the top-31.

RAINOUT PROCEDURE:

In the event that Thursday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying session is canceled due to inclement weather, the following procedures will be used:

• Positions will be assigned to the 29 trucks highest in 2022 NCWTS OP:
  • 18 – Chandler Smith
  • 99 – Ben Rhodes
  • 52 – Stewart Friesen
  • 51 – Kyle Busch
  • 38 – Zane Smith
  • 15 – Tanner Gray
  • 98 – Christian Eckes
  • 66 – Ty Majeski
  • 4 – John Hunter Nemechek
  • 16 – Tyler Ankrum
  • 19 – Derek Kraus
  • 88 – Matt Crafton
  • 42 – Carson Hocevar
  • 17 – Taylor Gray
  • 22 – Austin Wayne Self
  • 23 – Grant Enfinger
  • 02 – Jesse Little
  • 25 – Matt DiBenedetto
  • 56 – Timmy Hill
  • 44 – Kris Wright
  • 33 – Chase Janes
  • 12 – Spencer Boyd
  • 61 – Chase Purdy
  • 30 – Tate Fogleman
  • 45 – Lawless Alan
  • 20 – Dillon Steuer
  • 75 – Parker Kligerman
  • 43 – Blake Lothian
  • 24 – Jack Wood
• PRACTICE COMPLETE, QUALIFYING CANCELED
  • Of the entries that have yet to be assigned a spot in the 36-truck field, the fastest two in practice will be assigned a spot in the field.
    • Entries competing for two practice spots: 40, 46, 7, 91, 32, 1, 9, 90, 35, 13
  • Any owners or drivers that have won in the current or previous season of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, not already assigned a spot, will be granted one.
    • Owners: NONE
    • Drivers: NONE
  • Any series champions – from the last 10 seasons — that aren’t assigned a spot will be granted a spot in the field, provided they have decalred for NCWTS points and competed in the series last season.
    • 13 – Johnny Sauter
  • The remainder of the spots in the field, if any, will be granted to entries highest in 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner points.
    • In order: 40, 46, 7, 91, 32, 1, 9, (90, 35 and 13 have none).
  • Therefore, if
• PRACTICE CANCELED, QUALIFYING CANCELED
  • Positions 30 and 31 will be assigned to the two highest truck in owner points:
    • 40 – Dean Thompson
    • 46 – Kaden Honeycutt
  • Any owners or drivers that have won in the current or previous season of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, not already assigned a spot, will be granted one.
    • Owners: NONE
    • Drivers: NONE
  • Any series champions – from the last 10 seasons — that aren’t assigned a spot will be granted a spot in the field, provided they have decalred for NCWTS points and competed in the series last season.
    • 13 – Johnny Sauter
  • The remainder of the spots in the field, if any, will be granted to entries highest in 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner points.
    • 7 – William Byron
    • 91 – Colby Howard
    • 32 – Bret Holmes
    • 1 – Hailie Deegan
  • Therefore, if practice and qualifying were canceled, Blaine Perkins, Justin Carroll, and Jake Garcia would fail to qualify for Thursday’s Blue-Emu 200.