NASCAR’s Truck Series Had a Big Year on TV

Getty Zane Smith celebrates a championship win.

The 2022 Camping World Truck Series season came to an end with Zane Smith winning the championship. He capped off a year that saw major growth in TV ratings.

FOX Sports announced on November 9 that the Truck Series had improved ratings throughout the 2023 season. The series averaged 627,000 viewers for 23 races across FOX and FS1 in 2022. This was a 5% increase from 599,000 viewers for 22 races in 2021.

On FS1 alone, the Camping World Truck Series had a 4% increase over 2021 with 624,000 viewers compared to 599,000. This serves as a sign of progress as the Truck Series reunites with Craftsman and takes on both North Wilkesboro Speedway and the Milwaukee Mile.

The 2022 Truck Series Season Featured Some Big Moments

GettyKyle Busch has won at a road course for the first time in his Truck Series career.

The 2022 Truck Series season played out differently than 2021. There were more drivers in contention for the regular-season championship, a list that included Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes, Chandler Smith, and John Hunter Nemechek. In 2021, it was mostly a battle between Rhodes and Nemechek.

Along with more drivers getting involved, there was also a trip to a new/old destination. The Truck Series returned to Sonoma Raceway for the first time since the 1998 season. This was a one-year stop, and it featured Kyle Busch winning a Truck Series race on a road course for the first time in his career.

While Busch was checking off personal goals in California, a three-time champion was making history once again. Matt Crafton made his 500th career start during the trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and he became the only driver in series history to hit this mark. He is also the only driver to reach 400 starts in the Truck Series.

The story of the 2022 season featured Hailie Deegan becoming the only female Truck Series driver with multiple top-10 finishes, Grant Enfinger delivering a stunning win at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Todd Bodine reaching 800 national series starts, and William Byron capturing Spire Motorsports’ first win in the series.

2023 Will Deliver in Different Ways

GettyJack Wood will join a new Truck Series team in 2023.

The 2022 Camping World Truck Series season just ended, but there is already excitement building for 2023. There are multiple reasons why, including the return of Craftsman as the title sponsor.

Along with a name and color change, there will be a mixup in the schedule. The Truck Series drivers will only have one dirt race (Bristol) while adding North Wilkesboro Speedway and Milwaukee Mile.

The driver lineup will also undergo some changes. Kyle Busch Motorsports will move to the Chevrolet Performance family while adding Jack Wood and Chase Purdy as its main drivers.

Meanwhile, Rev Racing will partner with KBM and move up to the Truck Series with Nick Sanchez as the full-time driver. The reigning ARCA Menards Series champion will be eligible for both the championship and Rookie of the Year.

David Gilliland Racing will replace KBM as the Toyota Racing pipeline while changing its name to TRICON Garage. It will move forward with Corey Heim, Tanner Gray, and Taylor Gray as the primary drivers.

The championship battle will include some heavy hitters. Zane Smith will be back to defend his title while Chandler Smith will move up to the Xfinity Series. Ben Rhodes and Ty Majeski will likely be back in pursuit of spots in the championship four, but ThorSport Racing has yet to reveal its lineup.