The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visited the “Half-Mile Paperclip” in Martinsville, VA for the fourth race of the 2018 season and it sure didn’t disappoint. Here are four takeaways from the Alpha Energy Solutions 250.
- A for effort on NASCAR – With a gloomy weather forecast on Saturday, it looked like there would be no on-track action. However, they were able to get at least 23 laps in before the rain hit the track, which eventually turned into snow in the overnight hours. Despite waiting two days, the sun was shining on Monday and the trucks gave us a great race and the finish was worth the wait. Also, kudos to Martinsville for allowing fans who had a ticket for any series to watch both races. Fans safety is the number one priority.
- Harrison Burton Returns For A Top 10 Finish – Burton competed in his first ever truck race in 2018 for the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports DEX Imaging Tundra. While he did not finish in the top 10 in Stage 1, Burton was able to collect stage points in Stage 2 by finishing 10th which earned him one playoff point. Ultimately, the Huntersville, North Carolina native finished eighth giving him his second top 10 in his early truck series career.
- Johnny Sauter Has Tough Outing At Martinsville – Sauter’s day wasn’t all dismal; he finished in the top 10 in both stages, with finishes of fourth and third, respectively. However, his day turned sour on lap 225 when the truck was caught with low-voltage and eventually spun out, collecting Matt Crafton. This saw Sauter obtain a 19th place finish. He and the No. 21 GMS Racing team will look to rebound at Dover in May.
- 2018 Off To Great Start For Truck Series – The 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has been off to a great start this season. One of the pluses this season is the consistency in the schedule. It wasn’t that long ago when trucks raced at Daytona and would have to wait for an entire month to race at Martinsville. The schedule has gotten better over the years especially this year with Daytona on the 16th, Atlanta the 24th, Las Vegas on the 2nd and Martinsville on the 26th. It’s great to see more consistency in the schedule. There have also been four different winners in four different races in exciting finishes and races. The Truck Series will now have a five-week break before returning to Dover in May. The 2018 season will be fun to follow as the season goes on.