By Lonnie Hugh Skinner

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Pocono Storylines and Insights:

·       This weekend marks the 16th running of a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway, and the first at 200 miles.

·       Stages for Pocono: Lap 20, Lap 40 Lap 80.

·       10 laps have been added to the race for 2025, 70 laps in 2024, 60 laps 2014-2023, 50 Laps 2010-2013.

·       There are three past Pocono winners entered: Brandon Jones, Chandler Smith and Corey Heim.

·       12 drivers entered are racing in the Truck Series at Pocono for the first time.

·       The driver who led the most laps won seven races in 2025.

·       The last five races of 2025 were won by different drivers.

·       Six of 10 Playoff positions are now held by race winners with five to go in the regular season.

·       Two of the remaining six regular season races are on road courses.

·       Rajah Caruth was 13^th in Playoff standings -17 to the bubble before winning Nashville.

·       Stewart Friesen was 12^th in Playoff standings -49 to the bubble before winning Michigan.

·       Ty Majeski has gone from +43 to +4 to the bubble in the last two races.

·       Jake Garcia has gone from +48 to -4 to the bubble in the last two races.

·       The last six Pocono races were won by six different drivers.

·       Three of the last four Pocono races were won by full time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series drivers.

·       The average starting position of the winner at Pocono is 3.7. 11 of 15 races were won from the first two rows.

·       Qualifying at Pocono has only been held once in the last five years.

·       Tyler Ankrum will make his 150^th start this weekend. Two drivers have won in their 150^th Truck Series start: Mike Skinner (Martinsville – 10/07) and Kyle Busch (Charlotte – 05/19).

Clinch Scenarios Following Michigan:

Already Clinched

·       The following two drivers have clinched a spot in the 10-driver postseason field: Corey Heim, Chandler Smith.

Can Clinch Via Win

·       The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Daniel Hemric, Tyler Ankrum, Stewart Friesen, Rajah Caruth.

Charlie Henderson Bio:

·       Born and raised in Meadowview, Virginia.

·       Veteran of the United States Army.

·       Married to wife Brenda for 62 years.

·       Two children: son David, daughter Debbie.

·       Owned and operated Food Country USA, a 10-store grocery chain in Virginia and Tennessee.

·       Formed Henderson Motorsports in 1982, initially running part-time in the Cup Series with Brad Teague.

·       Operated in the Xfinity Series from 1982-2007 with drivers including future Cup winners Geoff Bodine, Ernie Irvan, Jimmy Spencer and Ward Burton.

·       Won three Xfinity Series races with Brad Teague (Martinsville 03/87) and Rick Wilson (Bristol 04/89 and Dover 06/89).

·       Best NXS points result: 7th – Brad Teague 1987 & Butch Miller 1992.

·       Formed a part-time Truck Series team in 2012 with driver Caleb Holman.

·       Two Truck Series wins with Parker Kligerman (Talladega 10/17 & Mid-Ohio 07/22).

·       Truck team (Henderson Motorsports) currently runs part-time with driver Parker Kligerman.

NASCAR & Pocono, Etc.

Historical & Significant Events at Pocono Raceway:

• Opened in 1968 as a three-quarter-mile track, Pocono Raceway is operated by the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.
• Pocono Raceway held the first race on the 2.5-mile track in 1971.
• In 1972, Pocono Raceway held Concert 10, a two-day rock music festival that had an estimated attendance of 200,000.
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway was on August 4, 1974, and the event was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty driving the famous Petty Enterprises’ No. 43 Dodge. The average speed of the 192-lap race was 115.593 mph. Petty led 152 of the 192 laps on his way to the win.
• The 2.5-mile track was repaved during the fall of 2011.
• 2012 marked the first season the NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono were scheduled for 400 miles. Prior to 2012, all NASCAR Cup Series races were 500 miles at Pocono Raceway.
• There have been 91 NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway, one race from 1974 through 1981, and two per year from 1982-2021.
• 2020 marked the first season the NASCAR Cup Series held a doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway, with races running Saturday and Sunday.
• Since 2022, Pocono Raceway has hosted the Elements Music Festival, an EDM music and arts festival.
• Since 2022, the NASCAR Cup Series has only competed at Pocono Raceway once a season.

American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans Now Available on Prime Video:

• American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans – the feature-length documentary chronicling NASCAR’s special entry at the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023 – is now available on Prime Video.
• The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the crown jewels of international motorsports. It’s a showcase of sports car racing excellence that tests the limits of man and machine.
• For the race’s 100th anniversary running in June 2023, an invitation was extended to NASCAR to bring an American stock car Chevrolet Camaro to compete against the futuristic Ferrari and Porsche prototypes and attempt to complete the grueling 24-hour challenge that is Le Mans.
• It was NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France’s dream since childhood to have one of his cars race at Le Mans, so he recruited NASCAR’s most successful team, Hendrick Motorsports, to build and race the car. Along with world-class drivers Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson, and Mike Rockenfeller, Hendrick Motorsports embarked on an eighteen-month journey to develop a race car designed to run three-hour races on ovals in the United States into one that could survive the challenge of racing 24 hours straight on an unforgiving road course.
• American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans is produced by NASCAR Studios and Griffin Van Malssen and directed by Brad Lockhart. The film is executive produced by Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports and Tim Clark, John Dahl, Amy Anderson, Tally Hair, and Matt Summers of NASCAR.

COURTESY NASCAR COMMUNICATIONS