Nemechek looks ahead to Kentucky, Crafton eyes Truck record
GMS Racing is spinning a nice story in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season.
Following Spencer Gallagher's career-best second-place finish at Gateway Motorsports Park, teammate Brandon Jones equaled the feat with a career-best second-place finish last week at Iowa Speedway.
Gallagher, 25 and from Las Vegas, is sixth in the driver standings after his seventh-place finish at Iowa, and his three top-10 finishes this season mark a career high. With his next start Gallagher will surpass his most starts in a season in NCWTS.
Meanwhile, Jones, who is 18 and from Atlanta, led four laps at Iowa and gambled on a late pit stop, taking two tires instead of four and contending for the lead during the race's final 40 laps.
"I think we've had speed all year long, and it's starting to come around for us," Jones said. "We're making some gains on the KBM trucks and making a lot of speed, so I'm looking forward to these next couple of races."
Nemechek's next step
John Hunter Nemechek turned 18 on June 11, and that made him eligible to participate on tracks that are longer than 1.25 miles. His first chance to drive on a 1.5-mile track in the Truck Series will come in the series' next event, the July 9 UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM).
"I feel like we're better prepared this year and our program's better than last year, but we don't have the finishes yet to show it," Nemechek said. "I'm really excited. I get to run from here on out in the Truck Series, getting to go to most of these bigger tracks that I've grown up watching."
Nemechek took over full-time for his dad Joe in the No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet two weeks ago at Gateway (1.25 miles). Nemechek nabbed his best finish of the season at Gateway (fourth) then qualified second at Iowa (.875 miles).
Nemechek was running well at Iowa but wrecked on Lap 157 when he tried to make a move and wasn't clear of Caleb Holman's No. 75 Chevrolet, finishing 23rd
Crafton hits 200
Matt Crafton's fourth-place finish in Friday's American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway marked the driver's 200th career top 10 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Crafton trails four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., who leads the all-time list 234 top 10s.
Crafton has scored a top 10 in eight of nine races this season; his only miss being a 21st-place finish two weeks ago at Gateway. If he keeps up his current pace, Crafton will need about 39 more starts to equal Hornaday's mark, provided Hornaday doesn't come back and compile more top 10s. Crafton could reach 39 more starts sometime during the 2017 season.