On Friday, the stars of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will take on the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Here’s everything you need to know before the 11th race of the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.
Favorite: Corey Heim, No. 11 Toyota, TRICON Garage
Heim dominated the May 17 race at North Wilkesboro Speedway before coming up just shy of his fourth win of the season. He’s won two mile-and-a-half races this season (Las Vegas and Texas) and will undoubtedly have a fast truck under him. Even with Kyle Busch entered into Friday’s race, Heim should be looked at as the favorite and the man the whole field will have to beat if they want to go to victory lane.
Underdog to watch: Ben Rhodes, No. 99 Ford, ThorSport Racing
It’s difficult to call Rhodes, a two-time Truck Series champion and seven-time Truck Series race winner, an underdog, but the No. 99 team has fallen on hard times as of late. Rhodes sits 11th in points 10 races into the season and is struggling to find winning speed for the second year in a row. However, he has a penchant for performing when he’s least expected to, and a win at Charlotte – a track he won at 2023 – would be his latest masterpiece.
BJ McLeod gets his shot
McLeod is the definition of a journeyman driver. On Friday, he’ll pilot the No. 07 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in what will be the best vehicle he’s ever driven in NASCAR competition. It’s his first shot at a win in competitive equipment, and even if the race doesn’t go McLeod’s way, it’s always great to see underdog drivers get the opportunity to show the world what they can do.
Busch looks to bounce back, spoil the show
Busch, the winningest driver in the history of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, was surprisingly absent from the race-winning conversation at North Wilkesboro. Busch will compete in the Truck Series race at Charlotte on Friday in search of his 68th win. He’s easily the biggest threat to Heim and the rest of the series regulars, but if North Wilkesboro was any indication, his path to victory won’t be easy.
How will Charlotte impact the playoff bubble?
Including the aforementioned Rhodes, a plethora of drivers find themselves on the bubble as the circuit heads to Charlotte. Those drivers include Kaden Honeycutt, Stewart Friesen, Rhodes, Gio Ruggiero and Rajah Caruth, among others, making every race more important as the Truck Series marches towards the playoffs. Look for there to be significant movement should even one of these driver suffer a serious issue.
Weekend Schedule
Practice: Friday, May 24, 3:35 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 2
Qualifying: Friday, May 24, 4:40 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 2
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Race: Friday, May 24, 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1, NASCAR Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Defending North Carolina Education Lottery 200 race winner: Nick Sanchez
Defending North Carolina Education Lottery 200 pole winner: Tanner Gray
Defending Truck Series race (North Wilkesboro) winner: Chandler Smith
Most recent 1.5-mile track (Texas) winner: Corey Heim
NASCAR Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Preview: Favorite, Underdog, Top Storylines