MARTINSVILLE, VA. – With one notable exception, the elimination race in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series features the closest competition among the three national touring series.
With three spots left in the Championship 4, five drivers are within 15 points of each other entering Friday night’s Slim Jim 200 at Martinsville Speedway (6 p.m. ET on FS1, NRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
With a record 10 victories this season, Corey Heim is guaranteed a spot in the Championship 4, but second-place Rajah Caruth is only 14 points above the current elimination line.
Sixth-place Layne Riggs is only 15 points behind Caruth. Between them, Tyler Ankrum is eight points above the line; Kaden Honeycutt is five points to the good; and defending series champion Ty Majeski trails Honeycutt by five points.
Caruth finished ninth last Friday at Talladega to preserve his position above the cut line, and he’s determined to concentrate on the task at hand.
“Similar to Talladega, we have to treat it like a normal race,” said Caruth, whose best finish in four Martinsville starts was seventh in the 2024 spring race. “Obviously, the stakes are higher, but you can’t psych yourself out of it. I think my mind-set in the Round of 8 has been good to keep it calm and focus on the big picture.
“Anything can happen and take you out of the game. If you can keep yourself in it and not self-sabotage your day, you will have the opportunity to capitalize on other’s misfortunes and gain points wherever you can find them.
“We are in a good spot, and I know there are six other drivers that would love to be in the position we are right now. Those 14 points can vanish quickly, so we have to be ready to go off the truck to preserve that point cushion.”
Source: Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service
2025 NCTS Slim Jim 200 at Martinsville Speedway – Race #24 Entry List (Preliminary)