DOVER, Del. — It’s been six years (2020) since the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series last raced on the high banks at Dover Motor Speedway and Friday’s ECOSAVE 200 is a welcome addition – and challenge – for a fresh group of NASCAR’s best.
Kaden Honeycutt’s work in the defending champion No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota has put him atop the standings by 29 points over Front Row Motorsports’ Chandler Smith as the series officially meets the midpoint of the season.
And the Texan Honeycutt arrives for his debut on the Monster Mile fresh off his career first series victory last week on the famed Watkins Glen (N.Y.) road course – the first win for a fulltime Truck Series competitor since Smith’s teammate, Layne Riggs’ victory on the St. Petersburg road course.
Kyle Busch is the winningest Truck Series driver at Dover, claiming four Monster trophies and is the only former winner entered this weekend (No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet). His last victory came in his last start at the track in 2014.
Several fulltime drivers have delivered good previous efforts at Dover with Grant Enfinger and Justin Haley leading the charge with career best third-place finishes – tops among the full-timers. Enfinger actually boasts the best average finish (8.5) among those with at least four Dover starts.
There will also be a strong showing of current and former NASCAR Cup Series regulars in Friday night’s race with defending NASCAR All Star Race winner Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain and Carson Hocevar entered.
Of note, former Cup star and current NASCAR on FOX announcer Clint Bowyer, 46, will be making his first start of the year in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driving the No. 25 Kaulig Racing Ram.
There are three female drivers on the grid (the most since Knoxville, Tenn. in 2021), including the much-anticipated debut of Dystany Spurlock, 34, a former NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor.
Taking the green flag at Dover means she will be the first black woman to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national series. She earned a 10th-place showing in her ARCA Menards Series debut race at Kansas this Spring.
