With the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs set to begin with Friday’s T-SPORT 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park, all 10 drivers set to compete for a championship are looking to get things started in the right direction.
John Hunter Nemechek was able to accomplish just that in Friday’s single-truck qualifying session from the 0.686-mile short track, capturing his fifth pole position of the season and the seventh of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career.
The 25-year-old put down a flying lap of 22.211 seconds (111.186mph) to secure the pole position over Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Chandler Smith, who won last weekend’s regular-season finale at Pocono Raceway.
As the final truck to go out, Smith’s time was good enough for the runner-up spot, coming up just four-hundredths of a second behind Nemechek for the top spot.
Christian Eckes qualified in third for Friday’s 200-lap event, with the third Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Corey Heim posting the fourth-quickest time in Friday’s session.
Grant Enfinger – who led the series’ only practice session – will start from fifth place in his No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet for GMS Racing.
Ty Majeski will start the event from sixth, while Carson Hocevar, Stewart Friesen, Ben Rhodes, and Derek Kraus will complete the top-10 starters.
Of the 10 drivers competing for the championship this season, only two of them will start Friday’s event outside the top-10, with Matt Crafton earning a 16th starting spot, while Zane Smith could only muster a surprising 23rd.
With only 36 trucks entered, every driver that made a qualifying lap will start the 17th race of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, which will take place on Friday, July 29th at 9:00pm ET on FOX Sports 1.
Qualifying Results: 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Tsport 200
