The 2023 Craftsman 150 was the 23rd and final stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the Championship 4 race, and the 29th iteration of the event. The first stages of the race were held on Friday, November 3, 2023, and the final stages were held on Saturday, November 4. The race was held in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix Raceway, a 1 mile (1.6 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 150 laps, but was extended to 179 laps, due to numerous NASCAR overtime restarts. In one of the wildest and wreck-filled Truck Series races in history, Christian Eckes, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, would survive four overtime restart attempts, and held off the field to earn his fifth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win, and his fourth of the season.[1] Championship driver Corey Heim would dominate the early stages of the race, leading 47 laps until getting spun by Carson Hocevar with 30 laps to go.[2] To fill out the podium, Jake Garcia, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, and Chase Purdy, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 23 of 23 of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | |||
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| Date | November 3–4, 2023 | ||
| Official name | 29th Annual Craftsman 150 | ||
| Location | Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Arizona | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1 mi (1.6 km) | ||
| Distance | 179 laps, 179 mi (288 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 150 laps, 150 mi (241 km) | ||
| Average speed | 72.797 mph (117.155 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Tricon Garage | ||
| Time | 26.344 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Ty Majeski | ThorSport Racing | |
| Laps | 48 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 19 | Christian Eckes | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | FS1 | ||
| Announcers | Jamie Little, Phil Parsons, and Michael Waltrip | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
Meanwhile, ThorSport Racing driver Ben Rhodes, who finished in fifth, would claim the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, finishing in just one position ahead of Grant Enfinger. He would become the fifth driver to win repeat championships in the Truck Series.[3]
The race would be heavily criticized by the fans and drivers, specifically the final 50 laps. Fans had noted that drivers had no respect on the track, which contributed to the amount of wrecks and overtime restarts in the final laps. They would also criticize the way NASCAR had handled the event, as the race would end up finishing around 1 AM EST, one of the latest that a NASCAR race has finished. With a race time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 32 seconds, it is also one of the longest Truck Series races in history.[4] Corey Heim would be deducted 25 points (drivers only) and fined $12,500 for the title deciding collision against Carson Hocevar during the race.[5]
Background
editPhoenix Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Phoenix Raceway is home to two annual NASCAR race weekends, one of 13 facilities on the NASCAR schedule to host more than one race weekend a year. The track is both the first and last stop in the western United States, as well as the fourth and the last track on the schedule.
Championship drivers
edit- Corey Heim advanced after winning at Bristol.
- Carson Hocevar advanced after winning at Homestead–Miami.
- Grant Enfinger advanced by virtue of points.
- Ben Rhodes advanced by virtue of points.
Entry list
edit- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (CC) denotes championship contender.
Practice
editThe first and only practice session was held on Thursday, November 2, at 5:00 PM MST, and would last for 50 minutes.[6] Nick Sanchez, driving for Rev Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 26.678, and an average speed of 134.943 mph (217.170 km/h).[7]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Nick Sanchez (R) | Rev Racing | Chevrolet | 26.678 | 134.943 |
| 2 | 11 | Corey Heim (CC) | Tricon Garage | Toyota | 26.757 | 134.544 |
| 3 | 98 | Ty Majeski | ThorSport Racing | Ford | 26.803 | 134.313 |
| Full practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
editQualifying was held on Friday, November 3, at 3:05 PM MST.[6] Since Phoenix Raceway is a mile oval, the qualifying system used is a single-car, one-lap system with only one round. In that round, whoever sets the fastest time will win the pole.[8] Corey Heim, driving for Tricon Garage, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 26.344, and an average speed of 136.654 mph (219.923 km/h).[9]
Race results
editStage 1 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 98 | Ty Majeski | ThorSport Racing | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 11 | Corey Heim (CC) | Tricon Garage | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 99 | Ben Rhodes (CC) | ThorSport Racing | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 2 | Nick Sanchez (R) | Rev Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 4 | Chase Purdy | Kyle Busch Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 19 | Christian Eckes | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 42 | Carson Hocevar (CC) | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 23 | Grant Enfinger (CC) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 17 | Taylor Gray (R) | Tricon Garage | Toyota | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Corey Heim (CC) | Tricon Garage | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 98 | Ty Majeski | ThorSport Racing | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 19 | Christian Eckes | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 17 | Taylor Gray (R) | Tricon Garage | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 99 | Ben Rhodes (CC) | ThorSport Racing | Ford | 5 |
| 7 | 4 | Chase Purdy | Kyle Busch Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 23 | Grant Enfinger (CC) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 35 | Jake Garcia (R) | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 42 | Carson Hocevar (CC) | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 89
| Fin[11] | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 19 | Christian Eckes | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Chevrolet | 179 | 36 | Running | 51 |
| 2 | 14 | 35 | Jake Garcia (R) | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Chevrolet | 179 | 0 | Running | 37 |
| 3 | 5 | 4 | Chase Purdy | Kyle Busch Motorsports | Chevrolet | 179 | 8 | Running | 43 |
| 4 | 10 | 1 | Jesse Love | Tricon Garage | Toyota | 179 | 0 | Running | 33 |
| 5 | 6 | 99 | Ben Rhodes (CC) | ThorSport Racing | Ford | 179 | 0 | Running | 32 |
| 6 | 17 | 23 | Grant Enfinger (CC) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 179 | 0 | Running | 31 |
| 7 | 15 | 5 | Dean Thompson | Tricon Garage | Toyota | 179 | 0 | Running | 30 |
| 8 | 27 | 02 | Kaden Honeycutt | Young's Motorsports | Chevrolet | 179 | 0 | Running | 29 |
| 9 | 25 | 15 | Tanner Gray | Tricon Garage | Toyota | 179 | 0 | Running | 28 |
| 10 | 3 | 2 | Nick Sanchez (R) | Rev Racing | Chevrolet | 179 | 5 | Running | 33 |
| 11 | 28 | 88 | Matt Crafton | ThorSport Racing | Ford | 179 | 0 | Running | 26 |
| 12 | 9 | 24 | Rajah Caruth (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 179 | 0 | Running | 25 |
| 13 | 31 | 45 | Lawless Alan | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet | 179 | 0 | Running | 24 |
| 14 | 2 | 98 | Ty Majeski | ThorSport Racing | Ford | 179 | 48 | Running | 41 |
| 15 | 23 | 13 | Hailie Deegan | ThorSport Racing | Ford | 179 | 0 | Running | 22 |
| 16 | 32 | 22 | Christian Rose | AM Racing | Ford | 179 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 17 | 34 | 04 | Spencer Davis | Roper Racing | Chevrolet | 179 | 0 | Running | 20 |
| 18 | 1 | 11 | Corey Heim (CC) | Tricon Garage | Toyota | 179 | 47 | Running | 19 |
| 19 | 35 | 20 | Nick Leitz | Young's Motorsports | Chevrolet | 179 | 0 | Running | 18 |
| 20 | 36 | 56 | Tyler Hill | Hill Motorsports | Toyota | 179 | 0 | Running | 17 |
| 21 | 26 | 9 | Colby Howard | CR7 Motorsports | Chevrolet | 179 | 0 | Running | 16 |
| 22 | 19 | 16 | Tyler Ankrum | Hattori Racing Enterprises | Toyota | 178 | 0 | Running | 15 |
| 23 | 12 | 17 | Taylor Gray (R) | Tricon Garage | Toyota | 177 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 24 | 20 | 52 | Stewart Friesen | Halmar Friesen Racing | Toyota | 175 | 0 | Running | 13 |
| 25 | 4 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 172 | 35 | Accident | 29 |
| 26 | 21 | 75 | Sean Hingorani | Henderson Motorsports | Chevrolet | 167 | 0 | Accident | 11 |
| 27 | 7 | 51 | Jack Wood | Kyle Busch Motorsports | Chevrolet | 162 | 0 | Accident | 10 |
| 28 | 16 | 77 | Derek Kraus | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 156 | 0 | Accident | 9 |
| 29 | 13 | 42 | Carson Hocevar (CC) | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet | 146 | 0 | Accident | 8 |
| 30 | 24 | 25 | Stefan Parsons | Rackley WAR | Chevrolet | 128 | 0 | Accident | 7 |
| 31 | 11 | 41 | Bayley Currey | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet | 128 | 0 | Accident | 6 |
| 32 | 22 | 43 | Daniel Dye (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 128 | 0 | Accident | 5 |
| 33 | 18 | 61 | Jake Drew | Hattori Racing Enterprises | Toyota | 100 | 0 | Accident | 4 |
| 34 | 29 | 66 | Conner Jones | ThorSport Racing | Ford | 100 | 0 | Accident | 3 |
| 35 | 33 | 7 | Marco Andretti | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 54 | 0 | Accident | 2 |
| 36 | 30 | 30 | Chris Hacker | On Point Motorsports | Toyota | 53 | 0 | Accident | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||||
Standings after the race
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References
edit- ^ "Christian Eckes wins thrilling CRAFTSMAN Truck race at Phoenix, Ben Rhodes banks second career championship". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Bowles, Tom (November 4, 2023). "Carson Hocevar, Corey Heim & a Grudge Match That Ruined the NASCAR Truck Championship". Frontstretch. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Srigley, Joseph (November 4, 2023). "Christian Eckes Wins Phoenix in Quadruple Overtime; Ben Rhodes Captures Second Title". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Christie, Toby (November 4, 2023). "CHRISTIE: Spastic NASCAR Truck Series Championship Race Embarrassing to Industry". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Taranto, Steven (November 8, 2023). "NASCAR penalizes Corey Heim for intentionally wrecking Carson Hocevar in Truck Series Championship Race". CBS Sports. CBS. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ a b "2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Phoenix Race Page". Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "Practice Results: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race at Phoenix". TobyChristie.com. November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NASCAR Qualifying Procedures". Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ Kornhoff, Taylor (November 3, 2023). "Corey Heim Wins Pole for Phoenix Championship Race". Frontstretch. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "Qualifying Results: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race at Phoenix". TobyChristie.com. November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "2023 CRAFTSMAN 150 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved November 4, 2023.