Nick Sanchez Gifted Pole Position For NASCAR Truck Race at Kansas
Nick Sanchez, who has just two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts this season, got the call from Spire Motorsports to compete in this weekend's Race to End Suicide 200 at Kansas Speedway after he secured a top-five finish for the No. 77 Spire team at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in July.
Fast forward to Friday afternoon, and Sanchez got a massive gift from Mother Nature, as he'll start from the pole position on Saturday afternoon after practice and qualifying were rained out at the 1.5-mile facility.
Obviously, with Sanchez earning the pole position by way of the metric formula -- NASCAR's way of determining a starting lineup when qualifying is wiped out -- this won't count as an official pole position for Sanchez. But, the driver will have a distinct advantage as he'll start from P1 as he chases after his third career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win on Saturday.
"It just got a whole lot easier with qualifying being rained out," Sanchez quipped. "And I feel like I have a good handle on Kansas. So, you know, the no practice thing is not really a big deal for me. I'm just looking forward to tomorrow in the Freeway No. 77 [Chevrolet] and chasing a checkered flag."
Adding to Sanchez's confidence level heading into the race is the familiarity he has with the crew members, who comprise the No. 77 Spire Motorsports team, as he was paired with them during his previous full-time runs in the series with Rev Racing.
"Most of this team is the team I ran my 2023 and 2024 Truck Series seasons with, so, we obviously know each other really well. It's just kind of business as usual," Sanchez explained in a media availability after qualifying was axed. "You know, they know me very well, and I know them. So, we expect to go out there and contend for a win."
Sanchez admits the difficulty of pulling off a win on Saturday dropped tremendously as he was able to snag optimal track position. But the driver is confident in his abilities at Kansas Speedway, and feels he can remain in the mix for the win all race long.
Jake Garcia, who scored his first career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win a week ago at Bristol Motor Speedway, will line up alongside Sanchez on Saturday, as his metric score secured him the second starting spot. The driver of the No. 98 ThorSport Ford, who went 0-for-93 to start his Truck Series career, will look to go on a two-race winning streak.
Gio Ruggiero comes into this race fifth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chase standings, however, he will start Saturday's race from the best starting position of any Chase contender. Ruggiero, who sits 39 points behind point leader Layne Riggs, will roll from the starting grid in the third position at Kansas Speedway.
Brent Crews, a full-time NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series contender for Joe Gibbs Racing, will compete in the Truck race during the O'Reilly Series' off-week this week, and he'll start from the fourth position, driving the No. 5 TRICON Garage Toyota.
Kaden Honeycutt, the second-place driver in the championship standings, who trails Riggs by just three points coming into this weekend's race, will start from the fifth position.
With Riggs slated to start 22nd following a rough finish at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, the Race to Stop Suicide 200 presents an incredible opportunity for a shake up in the championship fight.
Official Race to Stop Suicide 200 Starting Lineup
(C) denotes Chase contenders
Pos | Truck | Driver | Team | Make |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 77 | Nick Sanchez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
2 | 98 | Jake Garcia | ThorSport Racing | Ford |
3 | 17 | Gio Ruggiero (C) | TRICON Garage | Toyota |
4 | 11 | Kaden Honeycutt (C) | TRICON GARAGE | Toyota |
5 | 5 | Brent Crews | TRICON Garage | Toyota |
6 | 52 | Stewart Friesen | Halmar Friesen Racing | Toyota |
7 | 62 | Leland Honeyman | Halmar Friesen Racing | Toyota |
8 | 88 | Ty Majeski (C) | ThorSport Racing | Ford |
9 | 16 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | RAM |
10 | 9 | Grant Enfinger (C) | CR7 Motorsports | Chevrolet |
11 | 99 | Ben Rhodes (C) | ThorSport Racing | Ford |
12 | 19 | Daniel Hemric (C) | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Chevrolet |
13 | 45 | Landen Lewis | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet |
14 | 18 | Tyler Ankrum (C) | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Chevrolet |
15 | 38 | Chandler Smith (C) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
16 | 15 | Tanner Gray | TRICON Garage | Toyota |
17 | 26 | Toni Breidinger | Rackley W.A.R. | Chevrolet |
18 | 44 | Andres Perez de Lara | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet |
19 | 7 | Brennan Poole | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
20 | 10 | Corey LaJoie | Kaulig Racing | RAM |
21 | 12 | Brenden Queen | Kaulig Racing | RAM |
22 | 34 | Layne Riggs (C) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
23 | 2 | Stephen Mallozzi | Team Reaume | Ford |
24 | 25 | Conor Daly | Kaulig Racing | RAM |
25 | 91 | Christian Eckes (C) | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Chevrolet |
26 | 1 | Nick Leitz | TRICON Garage | Toyota |
27 | 14 | Mini Tyrrell | Kaulig Racing | RAM |
28 | 81 | Kris Wright | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Chevrolet |
29 | 13 | Cole Butcher | ThorSport Racing | Ford |
30 | 42 | Parker Eatmon | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet |
31 | 4 | Connor Hall | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet |
32 | 33 | Josh Reaume | Team Reaume | Ford |
33 | 76 | Spencer Boyd | Freedom Racing Enterprises | Chevrolet |
34 | 22 | Clayton Green | Team Reaume | Ford |
35 | 20 | Daniel Dye | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Chevrolet |
36 | 93 | Caleb Costner | Costner Motorsports | Chevrolet |
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Toby Christie is the Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. He has 15 years of experience as a motorsports journalist and has been with Racing America since 2023.
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