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2022 season in review: Camping World Truck Series
By Staff Report | Published: November 18, 2022 21
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
After entering the sport in 2009 as the title sponsor of the Truck Series, Camping World was along for many memorable moments and championships. Its final season before the series shifts back to Craftsman was one for the history books, producing 15 race winners, allowing 30 drivers to make their series debut and racing 4,026 miles over 3,187 laps.
Take a look back at some of this year's highlights, leading up to Zane Smith capturing his first national series title.
Take a look back at some of this year's highlights, leading up to Zane Smith capturing his first national series title.
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NEW SEASON, NEW STYLE
Along with the new season came new body styles for each of the three manufacturers' trucks. The redesign featured much sleeker model trucks with increased characteristics to distinguish Chevrolet, Toyota and Ford.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Through 23 races, 30 drivers made their Truck Series debut. The ages and experiences varied from rising stars like Rajah Caruth to familiar NASCAR veterans like Matt DiBenedetto.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
TOYOTA ON TOP
Leading all manufacturers with 12 wins on the season, Toyota set a remarkable pace en route to its 13th manufacturers' championship -- which it has now won in eight of the last 10 seasons.
The manufacturer picks up a new team for the 2023 season with David Gilliland Racing, previously a Ford operation, shifting to TRICON Garage in partnership with Toyota Racing Development.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
LEADING THE FIELD TO GREEN
John Hunter Nemechek continued his successful Truck Series career by setting a new personal record with a series-high seven pole awards. The total in 23 starts is higher than his previous 124 starts combined.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
MAJESKI'S MAGIC
Ty Majeski turned heads in his first full-time stint in the series, racking up a pair of victories, 10 top-five finishes and 15 top 10s en route to a Championship 4 appearance.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
MOMENT FOR A LIFETIME
William Byron's Martinsville Speedway double, winning the Truck Series and Cup Series races over the weekend, was part of an emotional tribute to his mother who had been diagnosed with brain cancer around the same time one year prior.
Byron's exhilarating performance in his lone entry in 2022 brought back shades of his dominant 2016 season where he racked up seven wins. Surely a moment for the Byron family to remember.
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Jeff Curry | Getty Images
COREY HEIM TIME
The 20-year-old phenom only started 16 races in 2022, racing a part-time schedule, yet finished 14th in points. That speaks to his incredible run-of-form behind the wheel, capturing wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway to add to six top fives and 10 top 10s.
Heim will be full-time in 2023 with TRICON Garage and already claimed the Rookie of the Year honor this season.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
ONE FOR HIS FATHER
Not too many sons get to drive for their father at the NASCAR national series level -- but Todd Gilliland finally got his opportunity. Gilliland saddled in at Knoxville Raceway for David Gilliland Racing in June and delivered an early Father's Day gift with a trip to Victory Lane.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
BUSCH IS BACK IN VICTORY LANE
Kyle Busch cashed in on his final series start of the season, winning the race at Sonoma Raceway and extending his winning streak to 10 seasons. Busch now has 62 wins in the series and has at least one in 17 seasons, setting the record for most all-time.
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Ben Jackson | Getty Images
SMALL TEAM WITH A DREAM
Parker Kligerman started just 12 races during the 2022 season, but none were bigger than at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Driving for one of the smallest teams in the garage, Henderson Motorsports, the part-time NBC Sports analyst -- among many other things -- led 56 of 76 laps en route to the first victory for the organization in five years.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
HATS OFF TO HOCEVAR
Winless, but adventurous. That pretty much sums up one of the most emotional stories of the 2022 season. Carson Hocevar laid it all out there chasing his first career win, suffering a broken tibia in the process. He had heartbreaking back-to-back runner-up results at Bristol Dirt and Darlington Raceway but led a career high 282 laps on the season, fifth-most among all drivers.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
CHARLOTTE NIGHTS
One of Carson Hocevar's painful losses came to his part-time teammate, Ross Chastain in a thriller at Charlotte Motor Speedway under the lights.
Chastain, driving for Niece Motorsports, led just four laps and got a much-needed push from Grant Enfinger on the final lap of double overtime to save his ailing truck. Add this to the list of fantastic but potentially forgotten finishes over the long season.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
WILD CRASH IN ALABAMA
Jordan Anderson was involved in a fiery crash on Lap 19 at Talladega Superspeedway, sustaining second-degree burns in the frightening incident. Anderson was able to exit the car under his own power and did not race in a NASCAR national series for the remainder of the year.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
CHAOS AT THE LINE
In one of the most dramatic race endings of the season, multiple trucks crashed coming to the line at Talladega, resulting in a photo finish and Matt DiBenedetto collecting his first career win. The race ended under caution before any driver made it back to the finish line.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
DEEGAN MAKES HISTORY
Hailie Deegan's sixth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway was her the second top 10 in her young career, making her the only woman with multiple top 10s in series history.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
FRIESEN'S STILL GOT IT
Among all the young talent and budding stars, 38-year-old Stewart Friesen's win at Texas Motor Speedway made him the oldest race winner of the year in the series -- nearly 20 years older than the youngest winner, Chandler Smith.
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CHAMPIONSHIP 4 LOCKED IN
Reigning champion Ben Rhodes made it back to Phoenix to defend his title against first-time challengers Chandler Smith, Ty Majeski and 2021 runner-up Zane Smith.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
THE PHOENIX FINALE
Zane Smith and the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports team struggled on pit stops all night, yielding positions after starting on the pole. Nonetheless, Smith powered through the field time and time again to sweep the stages and pick up his first Truck Series title. Smith also won the regular season championship and won four times with an incredible 19 top 10s in 23 races. He is the 20th different champion in series history.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
KBM FORGES NEW PATH
The end of the Kyle Busch era with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota also marked a big switch for his Truck Series team. In 2023, Kyle Busch Motorsports will be a Chevrolet-affiliated team.
However, 2022 capped off a legendary stint for the organization with the manufacturer, leading all teams with eight wins to wrap up his career Toyota victory total at 98.
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Jonathan Daniel | Getty Images
SETTING THE STAGE FOR 2023
During the season, next year's schedule was announced with a revamped look. The Truck Series will compete during the highly-anticipated weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway and returns to the Milwaukee Mile for the first time since 2009.
MORE: Full schedule for 2023 season
MORE: Catch up on more Silly Season news