Making The Field: NCWTS Toyota Tundra 225 at Circuit of The Americas

This weekend, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be making their first stop in Austin, Texas for Saturday’s inaugural running of the Toyota Tundra 225 at Circuit of The Americas. The newest addition to the NASCAR National Series calendar for this season, Circuit of The Americas is an extremely technical 3.41-mile, 20 turn road course in the Lone Star State.

A total of 43 trucks are entered for the highly-anticipated event – after Norm Benning withdrew his No. 6 Chevrolet Silverado on Thursday — for only 36 spots on the starting grid, meaning seven trucks will be leaving Austin, Texas empty-handed. The series will run a multi-round group qualifying session on Saturday at 9:00am – on FOX Sports 2 — to determine the starting lineup for the event, as well as who will fail to qualify.

Round one will be 25 minutes in length and will be open to each of the 43 vehicles that are set to make a qualifying attempt. At the conclusion of the session, the fastest 12 trucks will advance to the second and final round, which will determine the polesitter for the inaugural Toyota Tundra 225.

After the first round has been completed, the fastest 31 trucks will automatically be locked into the event through their lap times, while the remaining five spots will be given out through 2021 Owner Point Provisionals and the Past Champions Provisional (if needed, otherwise another OP Provisional).

In the event of precipitation at any time throughout the qualifying session, NASCAR will allow teams to use wet weather tires to make their qualifying runs. However, if the precipitation becomes too heavy, or a lightning strike is reported within a eight-mile radius, then NASCAR will be forced to put the session in a holding pattern.

MATHEMATICALLY LOCKED IN:

Only five drivers are 100-percent locked into Saturday’s Toyota Tundra 225 at Circuit of The Americas, with the series giving out four 2021 Owner Points Provisionals, as well as a Past Champions Provisional (if needed). Therefore, the top-four trucks in Owner Points, as well as the most recent champion currently not in the top-four, are locked into the event.

• No. 4 – John Hunter Nemechek – Kyle Busch Motorsports – 1st in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 51 – Parker Chase – Kyle Busch Motorsports – 2nd in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 99 – Ben Rhodes – ThorSport Racing – 3rd in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 2 – Sheldon Creed – GMS Racing – 4th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 88 – Matt Crafton – ThorSport Racing – 2019 NCWTS Champion and 7th in 2021 NCWTS OP

NOTE: To claim a Past Champions Provisional, a driver must have:

• Won their championship within the last ten seasons
• Declared for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points in 2021
• Participated in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event in 2020.
• Only Sheldon Creed, Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter are eligible to claim a Past Champions Provisional through this criteria.

REALISTICALLY LOCKED IN:

Teams sitting between 5th and 20th in Owner Points, usually don’t tend to DNQ from events with practice and qualifying, as barring an extreme on-track incident or mechanical issue, they are all able to post a speed inside the top-31. However, as the weekend approaches and the possibility of precipitation hangs in the balance, there may be a team or two on this list that hasn’t totally ruled out a DNQ.

• No. 16 – Austin Hill – Hattori Racing Enterprises – 5th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 98 – Christian Eckes – ThorSport Racing – 6th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 38 – Todd Gilliland – Front Row Motorsports – 8th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 52 – Stewart Friesen – Halmar Friesen Racing – 9th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 21 – Zane Smith – GMS Racing – 10th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 13 – Johnny Sauter – ThorSport Racing – 11th in 2021 NCWTS OP
  • 2016 NCWTS Champion – Eligible for Past Champions Provisional if Matt Crafton doesn’t use it.
• No. 42 – Carson Hocevar – Niece Motorsports – 12th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 22 – Austin Wayne Self – AM Racing – 13th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 18 – Chandler Smith – Kyle Busch Motorsports – 14th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 24 – Jack Wood – GMS Racing – 15th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 45 – Bayley Currey – Niece Motorsports – 16th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 1 – Hailie Deegan – David Gilliland Racing – 17th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 26 – Tyler Ankrum – GMS Racing – 18th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 40 – Ryan Truex – Niece Motorsports – 19th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 9 – Grant Enfinger – CR7 Motorsports – 20th in 2021 NCWTS OP

FEELING SLIGHTLY UNEASY:

While the following five teams – sitting 21st to 25th in Owner Points — will more than likely find themselves in Saturday’s Toyota Tundra 225, the high-volume of competitive entries sitting below them in Owner Points, could potentially send a team on this list home, if the perfect storm brews.

• No. 15 – Tanner Gray – David Gilliland Racing – 21st in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 02 – Kaz Grala – Young’s Motorsports – 22nd in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 19 – Derek Kraus – McAnally Hilgemann Racing – 23rd in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 25 – Timothy Peters – Rackley W.A.R. – 24th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 04 – Cory Roper – Roper Racing Team – 25th in 2021 NCWTS OP

THE DANGER ZONE:

When talking about the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the area known as ‘The Danger Zone’ always seems to include entries higher in the Owner Points than in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Especially this year, the competition around this area has been incredibly tight, that it is realistic to think that anyone listed below could end up failing to qualify for the event.

• No. 56 – Timmy Hill – Hill Motorsports – 26th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 3 – Roger Reuse – Jordan Anderson Racing – 27th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 34 – Lawless Alan – Reaume Brothers Racing – 28th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 11 – Camden Muprhy – Spencer Davis Motorsports – 29th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 30 – Michele Abbate – On Point Motorsports – 30th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 23 – Chase Purdy – GMS Racing – 32nd in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 75 – Parker Kligerman – Henderson Motorsports – 33rd in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 20 – Spencer Boyd – Young’s Motorsports – 34th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 41 – Dawson Cram – Cram Enterprises – 35th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 12 – Tate Fogleman – Young’s Motorsports – 36th in 2021 NCWTS OP

MUST POST A LAP INSIDE THE TOP-31:

• No. 32 – Sam Mayer – Bret Holmes Racing – 37th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 33 – Cameron Lawrence – Reaume Brothers Racing – 38th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 10 – Jennifer Jo Cobb – Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing – 39th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 44 – Logan Bearden – Niece Motorsports – 40th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 49 – John Atwell – CMI Motorsports – 42nd in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 83 – Brad Gross – CMI Motorsports – 46th in 2021 NCWTS OP
• No. 72 – Sam LeComte – CMI Motorsports – N/A
• No. 66 – Paul Menard – ThorSport Racing – N/A

EXCESSIVE RAIN | LIGHTNING | CANCELLATION PLAN:

NCWTS: 9.6.2.3 INCLEMENT WEATHER-AFTER THE COMPLETION OF RACE THREE

• If the first Qualifying round was not completed due to weather or other adverse circumstances, all starting positions will first be assigned to those Team Owners who have ENTERED IN THAT EVENT BY THE ENTRY DEADLINE using the following sequence of procedures, provided the entered vehicle has passed inspection in a timely manner.
• All 40 starting positions will be assigned, including those starting positions previously designated as Team Owner provisional starting positions.
• The Series Managing Director will determine the driver of record for each vehicle.
• Positions will first be eligible to the highest 35 vehicles in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team Owner Points standings.
• The next eligible position(s), if any, will be assigned to any Team Owner(s) who has won at least one Championship Race in the Series in the previous calendar year, with the vehicle licensed by the Team Owner, provided they have not already been assigned a starting position. Current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team Owner Points standings will determine the starting position(s).
• The next eligible position(s), if any, will be assigned to any driver(s) who has entered that Event in that vehicle by the entry deadline and has won at least one Championship Race in the Series in the current calendar year. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team Owner Points standings will determine the starting position(s).
• The next eligible position(s), if any, will be assigned to any Team Owner(s) whose driver is listed on the Official Entry Blank/List for that Event by the entry deadlines, is a past Series Champion, is eligible for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Points, and who participated in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series within the last ten seasons as a driver in the previous calendar year. In the event of more than one eligible past Series Champion driver, positions will be assigned in descending order starting with the most recent Series Champion.
• The next eligible position(s), if any, will be assigned to the Team Owner(s) based on the current year’s Team Owner Points standings.
• Once eligibility for an Event is determined in accordance with this Section, all eligible vehicles will have their starting grid position determined by Performance Metrics Based Line-Up.

Expected Starting Lineup if Qualifying is Cancelled:

1. No. 99 – Ben Rhodes
2. No. 2 – Sheldon Creed
3. No. 4 – John Hunter Nemechek
4. No. 42 – Carson Hocevar
5. No. 88 – Matt Crafton
6. No. 13 – Johnny Sauter
7. No. 16 – Austin Hill
8. No. 38 – Todd Gilliland
9. No. 21 – Zane Smith
10. No. 22 – Austin Wayne Self
11. No. 40 – Ryan Truex
12. No. 26 – Tyler Ankrum
13. No. 56 – Timmy Hill
14. No. 52 – Stewart Friesen
15. No. 1 – Hailie Deegan
16. No. 25 – Timothy Peters
17. No. 18 – Chandler Smith
18. No. 98 – Christian Eckes
19. No. 51 – Parker Chase
20. No. 24 – Jack Wood
21. No. 15 – Tanner Gray
22. No. 45 – Bayley Currey
23. No. 75 – Parker Kligerman
24. No. 19 – Derek Kraus
25. No. 3 – Roger Reuse
26. No. 20 – Spencer Boyd
27. No. 10 – Jennifer Jo Cobb
28. No. 30 – Michele Abbate
29. No. 12 – Tate Fogleman
30. No. 41 – Dawson Cram
31. No. 9 – Grant Enfinger
32. No. 23 – Chase Purdy
33. No. 11 – Camden Murphy
34. No. 02 – Kaz Grala
35. No. 04 – Cory Roper
36. No. 34 – Lawless Alan
37. No. 44 – Logan Bearden
38. No. 33 – Cameron Lawrence
39. No. 32 – Sam Mayer
40. No. 49 – John Atwell

DNQ’s: No. 83 – Brad Gross, 72 – Sam LeComte, 66 – Paul Menard