NASCAR Truck Series: Success of ARCA drivers in 2018 Texas Roadhouse 200

Three ARCA Racing Series regulars competed in the 2018 Texas Roadhouse 200. How did these drivers fare in their ventures into the NASCAR Truck Series?

A total of 35 drivers attempted to qualify for the Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville Speedway, but only 32 drivers can qualify for a NASCAR Truck Series race. Three ARCA Racing Series regulars ended up competing in this race.

Once a driver turns 18 years old, he/she is eligible to compete at all race tracks on the NASCAR Truck Series schedule. Prior to his/her 18th birthday though, the driver can only race at road courses and tracks less than one mile in length. Martinsville Speedway is a 0.526-mile short track, so more drivers are eligible to compete in the Truck Series race at the track.

As a result, three ARCA Racing Series regulars attempted to qualify for the race. Christian Eckes returned for his third Truck Series start of the year. The youngest of those three, the 17-year-old drove the part-time fourth Kyle Busch Motorsports entry, the #46 Toyota.

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Fresh off winning the 2018 ARCA Racing Series championship, Sheldon Creed attempted to make his first career Truck Series start of the season. The 21-year-old California native drove the #2 GMS Racing Chevrolet in this race.

Lastly, days before his 19th birthday on Thursday, November 1, Chase Purdy sought to make his Truck Series debut. He drove the #99 MDM Motorsports Chevrolet.

Before the race, ARCA Racing Series communications director Charles Krall tweeted his excitement for those three drivers who were set to compete in the Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Yes, all three drivers successfully qualified for the race. Let’s take a look at each driver’s ARCA season and their 2018 Texas Roadhouse 200 race at Martinsville Speedway.

Christian Eckes

Christian Eckes earned his first career ARCA Racing Series victory in the race at Salem Speedway in April of 2018. He finished the 2018 ARCA season 11th place in the championship standings despite the fact that he only competed in 13 of the 20 races on the schedule. He won two more races this season, one at Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack and one at Lucas Oil Raceway.

Eckes is set to turn 18 on November 10, 2018. In 2019, he is set to compete full-time in the ARCA Racing Series driving for powerhouse Toyota team Venturini Motorsports. Expect him to contend for the 2019 championship.

Eckes made his NASCAR Truck Series debut in the 2018 M&M’s 200 at Iowa Speedway back in June. He recovered from an early spin and finished in eighth place in that race, an impressive comeback and Truck Series debut.

The Texas Roadhouse 200 was his third Truck Series race of the season. In the race, Eckes qualified in 12th place and finished in ninth. He is scheduled to compete in the Lucas Oil 150 at ISM Raceway in November. He has driven the #46 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota in all of his Truck Series races so far this season.

Sheldon Creed

Sheldon Creed dominated the 2018 ARCA Racing Series season. He won four races and he only finished outside the top 10 in two races. His four victories came in the races at Michigan International Speedway, Gateway Motorsports Park, Iowa Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Most notably, all of his wins came at tracks that are on at least one of the schedules of the three major NASCAR series. Subsequently, he won the 2018 championship.

Prior to 2018, Creed had made three Truck Series starts, all at the dirt track Eldora Speedway. Following the departure of Cody Coughlin from GMS Racing, Creed was named the driver of the #2 Chevrolet for the final four races of the 2018 Truck Series season.

In his first race driving the #2 GMS Racing Chevrolet, Creed qualified in 15th place and finished in 19th. MDM Motorsports, his current ARCA Racing Series team, would like to compete full-time in the Truck Series next season. Creed hopes to be their driver, and he hopes to race for the Rookie of the Year Award. If he does not get an opportunity to do so driving for MDM Motorsports, maybe GMS Racing will give him an opportunity in 2019.

Chase Purdy

Chase Purdy made his NASCAR Truck Series debut in the Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville Speedway. He competed full-time in the ARCA Racing Series in 2018. He did not win, but he finished in fourth place in the championship standings.

Purdy announced his NASCAR Truck Series debut on Twitter.

Driving the #99 MDM Motorsports Chevrolet, Purdy encountered a setback when rain forced the cancellation of the practice sessions. As a result, the first time he drove the truck occurred in qualifying. With no owner points to rely on, Purdy needed to qualify on time. He did just that, and his team noted that small victory.

Starting in 27th place in the race, Purdy quickly fell a lap off the lead, but he received the free pass during the lap 38 caution flag period. Back on the lead lap, he steadily gained positions, but he was involved in the incident that brought about the final caution flag period of the race on lap 161. He ultimately finished on the lead lap in 21st.

Following the race, MDM Motorsports recapped Purdy’s Truck Series debut.

MDM Motorsports have fielded three #99 Chevrolet in three Truck Series races this season. Purdy is also set to drive this car in the upcoming race at ISM Raceway.

It would indeed be nice to see MDM Motorsports field a full-time entry in the 2019 Truck Series season. In my opinion, both Creed and Zane Smith, who also made his Truck Series debut this year, are ready to make the transition into the Truck Series.

MDM Motorsports contend for wins in the ARCA Racing Series, so they would certainly continue their hard work to strive to achieve the same goals in the Truck Series.

Conclusion

Lastly, the fact that these three drivers competed in the race at Martinsville Speedway demonstrates the ladder system that NASCAR desires for its series.

With its purchase of the ARCA Racing Series, NASCAR can further develop that ladder system through scheduling so that ARCA drivers can compete in the Truck Series.

For proof that ARCA drivers can succeed in NASCAR, look no further than Grant Enfinger. He won the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship and is now battling for a berth in this year’s Truck Series Championship 4.

Texas Motor Speedway is set to host the next NASCAR Truck Series race, which is the JAG Metals 350. This race is scheduled to take place at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, November 2, and live television coverage of it is set to be brought to you by Fox Sports 1.