PREVIEW: Martinsville entry lists show a few open seats left to be filled
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| PHOTO: @DiecastFans |
TRUCKS Race 21 of 23
Hall of Fame 200 at Martinsville
Round of 6 – Race 2 of 3
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Chad Finley
ENTRY LIST
There are 32 trucks entered for as many spots, so all teams entered will start the race.
RETURNING: #0-Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing
As of this writing, there is no driver listed for Jennifer Jo Cobb’s second truck, which is entered for the first time since it was withdrawn at Las Vegas. UPDATE: As of Thursday, Cody McMahan has been named to drive, seeking his second series start since a 29th-place run for Mark Beaver in his debut at Gateway this past June.
MISSING: #7-All Out Motorsports
Korbin Forrister is not entered following a 13th-place run last time out at Talladega.
DRIVER CHANGE: #15-DGR-Crosley
No driver is listed in for Anthony Alfredo, who ran 15th at Talladega. Alfredo has run the bulk of the team’s partial schedule with Dylan Lupton running another two races. The team did not run at Martinsville back in the spring. UPDATE: Tanner Gray will make his Truck Series debut in the DGR-Crosley entry with sponsorship from Valvoline and Durst. Gray just finished 3rd in points for the K&N Pro Series East, also driving David Gilliland's equipment.
RETURNING: #21-GMS Racing
Sam Mayer seeks his first Truck start since his debut at Bristol, where he finished 21st. As at Bristol, he will carry sponsor Manpower on the GMS #21, a team hasn’t run since that night.
MISSING: #28-FDNY Racing
Bryan Dauzat is not entered after he gave team owner Jim Rosenblum his first lap led in 36 years of team ownership.
DRIVER CHANGE: #30-On Point Motorsports
Danny Bohn seeks his series debut and has BMLG / Brantley Gilbert as sponsor. The New Jersey native has four victories in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour – two each at Caraway and Bowman Gray Stadium. Bohn takes the place of Brennan Poole, who has given the #30 team all 13 of its starts in 2019.
DRIVER CHANGE: #33-Reaume Brothers Racing
As of this writing, no driver is listed in for Talladega last-place finisher Mason Massey in Josh Reaume’s primary #33 Chevrolet. UPDATE: Dawson Cram will be moved from the #34 to this entry, allowing for Josh Reaume himself to run the #34.
DRIVER CHANGE: #34-Reaume Brothers Racing
Dawson Cram returns to the Truck Series at the site of his DNQ this past spring, driving the #63 for D.J. Copp (and formerly of the late Mike Mittler). This time, he drives in place of Talladega 19th-place finisher Jesse Iwuji in Reaume’s #34. UPDATE: Cram was moved on Thursday to the #33, and Josh Reaume will drive this truck.
DRIVER CHANGE: #44-Niece Motorsports
Jeb Burton returns for another run at the short track, taking the place of 28th-place Talladega finisher Angela Ruch. It will be Burton’s eighth Truck start at Martinsville and his fourth different team in as many attempts. His best finish is a pair of 3rd-place runs in 2013 for Turner Motorsports.
RETURNING: #49-CMI Motorsports
Ray Ciccarelli is back on the list after he withdrew his team at Talladega. It will be Cicarelli’s first Truck start at Martinsville.
DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Kyle Busch Motorsports
Newly-crowned ARCA Menards Series Champion Christian Eckes takes over for Riley Herbst, who was involved in that close and controversial finish at Talladega. Eckes’ most recent series start was at Las Vegas, where he started on pole and finished 3rd.
RETURNING: #56-Hill Motorsports
Welcome back to the Hill brothers, who bring their #56 back to the track with Timmy behind the wheel. Timmy ran 21st in this truck back in the spring, his best of four series starts at Martinsville. Just like the team’s arrangement at Mosport, the team’s Owner Points will also be used in the upcoming round at the ISM Raceway, where Carson Hocevar will drive a #56 fielded by Jordan Anderson.
MISSING: #68-Clay Greenfield Racing
Clay Greenfield is not among the entrants after he finished 25th in Talladega.
MISSING: #87-NEMCO Motorsports
The second NEMCO truck is likewise not entered after Timothy Peters was a late driver swap for Joe Nemechek in Talladega, yielding a 23rd-place finish.
CUP INVADERS: None.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
CUP Race 33 of 36
First Data 500 at Martinsville
Round of 8 – Race 1 of 3
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Hermie Sadler
ENTRY LIST
There are 38 drivers entered for 40 spots, marking the 24th short field in 33 races this season, but also the first since Dover.
PAINT SCHEME: #32-Go FAS Racing
Amid rumors that he will stay with Archie St. Hilaire’s team next season, Corey LaJoie will roll out his much-anticipated Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine paint scheme this Sunday, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the cartoon. LaJoie’s best finish in three previous Martinsville starts was a 28th in 2017.
DRIVER CHANGE: #36-Front Row Motorsports
Following a medical emergency early Saturday morning, Matt Tifft will not race this weekend in the Surface Sunscreen Ford. Tifft has since been checked and released from the hospital, but Matt Crafton, who practiced the car, will qualify and race it on Sunday. It will be Crafton's first Cup start since he drove in relief of Kyle Busch in the 2015 Daytona 500, though he also relieved Paul Menard a couple weeks back in Talladega.
DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Rick Ware Racing
DRIVER SWAP: #53-Rick Ware Racing
The preliminary entry list shows no driver in the #51 in place of J.J. Yeley, who makes the move to the #53 in place of Josh Bilicki. UPDATE: Yeley's #53 will carry sponsorship from "Gotta Kill it to Heal It," a clothing brand created for the benefit of cancer research. The #51 has also gone to B.J. McLeod, back in the Cup garage for the first time since Dover.
TEAM UPDATE: #52-Rick Ware Racing
No driver is likewise listed in for Garrett Smithley, who drove in relief of Austin Theriault at Kansas. UPDATE: The driver announcement has not yet come mid-day Thursday, but Rich Mar Florist is the listed sponsor. All three Ware cars including this one will also run different pink paint schemes as Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close. UPDATE 2: There is no driver change as by Thursday evening Garrett Smithley is slated to drive.
MISSING: #66-Motorsports Business Management
Joey Gase and the Carl Long team are not entered at Martinsville, one year after a scary fire following a late-race incident destroyed the hood of their Toyota.
MISSING: #96-Gaunt Brothers Racing
While the Gaunt Brothers have frequently competed at Martinsville in recent years, they are not among this week’s entrants, along with Parker Kligerman.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
XFINITY Race 31 of 33
O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas
Round of 8 – Race 2 of 3
2018 Last-Place Finisher: Morgan Shepherd
The XFINITY Series takes the week off and returns in the Lone Star State.
LASTCAR STAT OF THE WEEK
Today in LASTCAR history (October 24, 1998): Lonnie Rush, Jr. finishes last for the second time in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career in the GM Goodwrench Service Plus / AC Delco 300 at Phoenix when his #10 Ohio State University Chevrolet crashes out after 85 laps. Phoenix will also be the side of Rush’s 55th and final Truck Series start on March 18, 2000, where he also finishes last, this time with ignition problems on the #27 Hastings Premium Filters Chevrolet. He closes his career with five last-place runs in the series.
