GMS Racing NCTS Race Preview: Pocono Raceway

Race Information

• Round: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race No. 15 of 23
• Track Location: Pocono Raceway – Long Pond, Pennsylvania
• Race Name: CRC Brakleen 150
• Broadcast: Saturday, July 22nd at 12:00 PM ET live on FS1 (TV), MRN (Radio), and Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90
• Team Entrants:

No. 23 | Grant Enfinger & Jeff Hensley – Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet
No. 24 | Rajah Caruth & Chad Walter – Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet
No. 43 | Daniel Dye & Blake Bainbridge – Champion Container Corporation Chevrolet

Grant Enfinger, No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST

Pocono Raceway Stats

• NCTS Starts: 6; Best start: 5th; Best finish: 6th (2018); Top 10s: 2
• ARCA Starts: 8; Wins: 1 (2016); Best start: 2nd; Top 5s: 5; Top 10s: 7; Laps led: 25

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

• Starts: 14; Wins: 2 (Kansas I & Gateway); Best start: 2nd; Stage wins: 1; Top 5s: 5; Top 10s: 7; Laps led: 133; Current points position: 5th
• About Champion Power Equipment: Since 2003, Champion Power Equipment has earned a reputation for designing and producing the market’s finest power equipment. From our original headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California, Champion has expanded its North American footprint to include facilities in Jackson, Tennessee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Toronto Canada. Today, Champion’s product line has expanded to include portable generators, home standby generators, inverter generators, engines, winches and log splitters. With over 2.5 million generators sold in North America, Champion is a market leader in the power equipment field. Visit ChampionPowerEquipment.com for more information.
• About Arlon Graphics: The history of Arlon is rooted in its customer-centric approach. What was founded in 1958 as a manufacturer of flexible materials (producing products like cork, rubber, and foam) has evolved into a global company manufacturing millions of feet of cast films. Today, Arlon Graphics is owned by FHT, a family-owned investment firm. Headquartered in Southern California, Arlon supplies the wide-format graphics industry around the world. For more information, visit Arlon.com/NA_EN.
• Chassis History/Info: Enfinger and the No. 23 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 346 at Pocono Raceway. Debuting at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2023, Grant has raced this truck on three separate occasions, earning top-10 finishes every time it’s hit the track. Grant drove this Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway in May, where he earned his first win of the season in dominating fashion.
• Pocono ARCA Winner: Grant Enfinger has visited victory lane once before at Pocono Raceway. In 2016, driving for Bret Holmes Racing, Enfinger would take the No. 23 Chevrolet to the win in the ARCA Menards Series’ General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200. On that day, the veteran would lead 17 laps after starting deep in 13th position.
• Hensley at Pocono: Jeff Hensley has competed in every CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Pocono since the series made its debut at the track back in 2010. The veteran earned one pole position with Miguel Paludo in 2013, and went on to finish second with him that race, which is his best result at the track. In 13 total starts, Hensley has seven top-10 finishes, two of which were top-fives. Hensley’s drivers have led a total of 14 laps at “The Tricky Triangle” with him on top of the pit box.
• FearTheFinger Playoffs Profile: And then, there were two. Just two races left to run in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regular season! Grant Enfinger has solidly locked himself into post-season championship contention by winning two NCTS races this season – first at Kansas Speedway and second at World Wide Technology Raceway. At the moment, he and the No. 23 team have captured 11 playoffs points (five for each win and one for a stage win in Gateway), which is fifth-highest out of the series’ drivers. He looks to continue to earn these points to bolster his total entering the playoffs.
• GE Appearances: Fans attending the CRC Brakleen 150 will have a few opportunities to meet Grant Enfinger throughout the race weekend:

NCTS Autograph Session | Friday, July 21st: Enfinger will sign autographs along with the majority of the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series field in the Pocono Raceway Infield from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM local time on Friday.
Team Chevy Stage | Saturday, July 22nd: Grant will join teammate Rajah Caruth at the Team Chevy stage in the Pocono Raceway Fan Zone on the morning of race day from 9:30 AM ET to 9:45 AM ET.

• From The Drivers Seat: Enfinger’s thoughts on returning to Pocono Raceway:

“Pocono is one of the most unique tracks that we have on the schedule with the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, and it’s definitely one of the shortest races of the year. We’ve only got 60 laps to get it done here, so qualifying up front is going to be key with how short the stage lengths are. I like racing here and had a few good runs in the ARCA days, but for some reason it’s been tough on us in the Truck Series. Jeff and the rest of the No. 23 team have been doing a bunch of homework to make some big improvements on where we were last year, and I know the chassis is one of our best that we have in our rotation, so hopefully we can right the ship and put a good run together for everyone that supports us with Champion Power Equipment, Chevrolet, and all the guys back at the shop.”

Rajah Caruth, No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet Silverado RST

Pocono Raceway Stats

• Rajah Caruth will make his first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Pocono Raceway on Saturday.
• NXS Starts: 1; Best start: 32nd; Best finish: 38th (2022)
• ARCA Starts: 1; Best start: 4th; Best finish: 4th (2022); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 1

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

• Starts: 14; Best start: 3rd; Best finish: 6th (Darlington); Top 10s: 1; Current points position: 17th
• About the Wendell Scott Foundation: Founded in 2011, The Wendell Scott Foundation, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization inspired by Wendell Scott, Sr. and provides services such as job-skill training, STEM education opportunities, mentoring, and other supportive services to at-risk, underserved youth between the ages of 8-18 years in Danville, Virginia and surrounding areas.

The Foundation’s mission of using educational attainment to end racial disparities in education and health is vital in addressing economic inequality and improving future success in African-American communities. For more information, please visit www.wendellscott.org.

• Chassis History/Info: Rajah Caruth and the No. 24 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 323 at “The Tricky Triangle”. This Silverado RST debuted one year ago at Pocono driven by teammate, Grant Enfinger, who drove it to a 17th place finish. Caruth has raced this chassis three times this year, giving it a best run of 11th place at Charlotte Motor Speedway back in May.
• Walter at Pocono: Chad Walter has two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races under his belt as a Crew Chief, both with GMS Racing in 2020 and 2021. He guided Tyler Ankrum to a ninth place finish in 2020, the best result of the two races. Last year, Walter called his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono, but his driver, Jeb Burton, crashed out early on and resulted in a 33rd place finish.
• NXS New Hampshire Recap: Though the Truck Series was off last weekend, Rajah Caruth competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Alpha Prime Racing. Driving the No. 44 Circle Chevrolet Camaro, Caruth would qualify in the 27th position but suffered a ruptured oil line which took him out of the race at the completion of stage one resulting in a 37th place finish. The next NXS race for Rajah will come on August 19th at Watkins Glen International.
• Camp Cultivation Announcement: On Thursday, the team announced that Rajah will pilot a special Camp Cultivation paint scheme at Richmond Raceway. The three-day camp, which is hosted by the Wendell Scott Foundation and New College Institute, will take place this week (July 18th-20th) at the Virginia State University campus. Their hope is to inspire students to explore learn about STEM career opportunities and develop some true college experiences. Read the full press release here.
• RC Appearances: Fans attending the CRC Brakleen 150 will have a few opportunities to meet Rajah Caruth throughout the race weekend:

NCTS Autograph Session | Friday, July 21st: Caruth will sign autographs along with the majority of the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series field in the Pocono Raceway Infield from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM local time on Friday.
Team Chevy Stage | Saturday, July 22nd: Rajah will join teammate Grant Enfinger at the Team Chevy stage in the Pocono Raceway Fan Zone on the morning of race day from 9:30 AM ET to 9:45 AM ET.

• Sunoco Rookie Battle: Rajah spent a lot of time inside the top-10 at Mid-Ohio, but a late-race incident on a restart placed him a lap down in the closing moments of the race. Unfortunately for the No. 24 team, they were trapped one lap off the pace and had to settle for a 29th place finish. The result was the fourth highest of all rookies, and caused Rajah to lose a spot in points. He is now 17th overall and fourth in the rookie standings, nine points behind Daniel Dye in third and 148 behind Nick Sanchez.
• From The Driver’s Seat: Caruth’s thoughts on racing at Pocono Raceway:

“I’m pretty excited to go to Pocono this weekend with my experience from last year. I was passing for third in the ARCA race before it got cut short due to weather, and unfortunately had an early end to the Xfinity race the following day. I’ve got a lot of laps there from testing and the two races, so I’m feeling pretty good about it. Looking forward to getting back to another big track; I think those types of places give us a good shot at going for the win and locking ourselves into the playoffs. The men and women on our No. 24 truck, along with our partners at The Wendell Scott Foundation and Chevrolet, and Maury Gallagher, Mike Beam, Ron Booth, as well as the guys at GMS Fabrication deserve it. I think we have a good shot this weekend.”

Daniel Dye, No. 43 Champion Container Corporation Chevrolet Silverado RST

Pocono Raceway Stats

• Daniel Dye will make his first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Pocono Raceway on Saturday.
• ARCA Starts: 1; Best start: 9th; Best finish: 5th (2022); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 1

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

• Starts: 14; Best start: 9th; Best finish: 11th (Gateway); Laps led: 5; Current points position: 16th
• About Champion Container Corporation: Founded in 1968, Champion Container has evolved into the premier general line packaging container distributor in the Northeast. From our seven strategically based locations we provide packaging container solutions to our valued domestic and international customers.

We serve a diverse customer base in the chemical, flavors and fragrances, paint, cosmetic, food, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries. Small, medium, and Fortune 500 companies rely on Champion to deliver quality and service at a competitive price. Our strength, “just in time” shipments, is the value added provided through our own fleet of trucks and significant investment in inventory.

Our knowledgeable sales representatives and customer service associates have the expertise required to provide packaging guidance and solutions for the most unique and demanding projects. Companies rely on us to be their technical source in the ever-changing packaging container landscape. For more information, please visit www.championcontainer.com.

• Chassis History/Info: Dye and the No. 43 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 330 in the Pocono mountains. Chassis no. 330 has been driven twice before at Pocono, first by Zane Smith in 2021 where it finished 14th, then last season by Jack Wood where it finished 33rd after getting involved in a crash. Daniel has raced with this chassis three times this season, and earned his best finish of 11th at WWT Raceway with it last month. Smith took it to victory lane at Dover Motor Speedway in 2020.
• Bainbridge at Pocono: Blake Bainbridge has called one Pocono race during his career as a crew chief, where in 2020 he worked with Tanner Gray in the ARCA Menards Series. Gray qualified 10th for that race, but had an early exit due to suspension issues, settling for a 15th place finish.
• Bull & Boar Barbecue Shop Announcement: Last Friday, the team welcomed a new partner to support Daniel Dye as Daytona Beach-based Bull & Boar Barbecue Shop was named as his primary sponsor at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Located in One Daytona directly across from Daytona International Speedway, Bull & Boar sells grills, smokers, pizza ovens, rubs, sauces, charcoal, pellets, and grilling accessories. The retailer will also be featured on Dye’s No. 43 Chevrolet as an associate sponsor for the remainder of the season. Read the full press release here.
• Sunoco Rookie Battle: Rebounding from an off-track excursion earlier in the race, Daniel Dye was able to claw his way through the field en route to a top-15 finish. A 14th place result for Dye at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was the second best result of all NCTS rookies in the field. Daniel surpassed his teammate, Rajah Caruth, and is now third in rookie points (139 back from Sanchez and 61 behind Garcia) heading into Pocono.
• DD Appearances: Fans attending the CRC Brakleen 150 will have an opportunity to meet Daniel Dye throughout the race weekend:

NCTS Autograph Session | Friday, July 21st: Dye will sign autographs along with the majority of the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series field in the Pocono Raceway Infield from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM local time on Friday.

• From the Driver’s Seat: Dye’s thoughts on racing at Pocono Raceway:

“I’m really looking forward to heading to Pocono this weekend; it’s close to the Champion Container home base and we will have a bunch of their employees that’ll be joining us at the track. Pocono is a place that I’ve raced at before and I enjoy racing at quite a bit, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Blake and the rest of our No. 43 team can bring to the racetrack. We’ll fight hard all day and make good changes and hopefully put on a good show for our partners and give them a run they can be proud of.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series operating the No. 23, No. 24, and No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs for drivers Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.

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