NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview
Event: North Carolina Education 200, Race 7 of 23, 134 Laps – 30/30/74; 201 Miles
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile quad-oval)
Date/Broadcast: May 18, 2018 at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
What You Need to Know
- Brandon Jones qualified 13th and finished ninth last week driving the No. 51 Tundra at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City in his first of five-scheduled starts for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) this season. This week Jones moves over to the No. 46 Tundra, as KBM will put a fourth entry on the track for the first time in 2018. Jones has totaled 36 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts since 2013, resulting in seven top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.
- Friday night’s 134-lap event will mark Jones’ fourth career Truck Series start at Charlotte. His best result to date was an 11th-place finish in the 2016 running of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. The Georgia native has also produced an average finish of 13.0 across his four starts at the 1.5-mile quad-oval in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
- Cody Glick, who oversees KBM’s Super Late Model program, will serve as Jones’ crew chief this week at Charlotte. Glick picked up his first career Truck Series victory when he called the shots for Kyle Busch’s win from the pole at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway last year. All together in four races atop the pit box in 2017, two with Busch and two with Todd Gilliland, the No. 46 team earned one win, one pole, 109 laps led, two top-five and three top-10 finishes under the Pennsylvania native’s guidance.
- Mobil 1™ will serve as Jones’ primary sponsor for Friday night’s event. The world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand will also serve as the primary sponsor for three races with Christian Eckes in the No. 46 Tundra later this season.
Brandon Jones, Driver Q&A
How did your first race with KBM go at Kansas last week?
“My first race here at KBM — being that it was my first time working with them — was awesome. Got another top 10 to knock off for this year — I thought that was pretty good. I thought we could’ve been a little bit better as far as our race position at the end, but all in all it was a very smooth day. It was fun to get back in the Truck Series and it was fun to race one of KBM’s trucks.”
Are there similarities between Kansas and Charlotte?
“Yes and no. Kansas and Charlotte, obviously both being mile-and-a-halves, I thought there was a little bit of similarity there with the throttle inputs, but I think Charlotte is getting so rough with it being weathered so much that there are a lot more bumps and lot more things to miss at Charlotte as far as on your lines and things like that. As far as that goes they’re a little bit different, but I think our on-throttle times are going to be similar.”
Brandon Jones Career Highlights
- Currently competes full time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for Joe Gibbs Racing where he has one pole, one top-five and six top-10 finishes in 10 starts this season
- Picked up his fourth career ARCA Racing Series victory at Michigan last year
- Has one NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win (Iowa Speedway, 2014)
Brandon Jones’ No. 46 Mobil 1 Tundra:
KBM-044: The No. 46 Mobil 1 team will race KBM-044, for Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Tundra finished fifth in its most recent outing with Todd Gilliland at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway last October. Owner-driver Kyle Busch piloted the truck to a victory at Kansas Speedway last May.
KBM Notes of Interest
- KBM drivers have collected five wins, three poles, 524 laps led, nine top-five and 14 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 9.8 across 20 starts at Charlotte
- Owner-driver Kyle Busch has collected all five of his organization’s wins (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2017)
- The No. 46 team will be making its first start of the 2018 season. All together in four races last season, two with Kyle Busch and two with Todd Gilliland, the No. 46 team earned one win, one pole, 109 laps led, two top-five and three top-10 finishes
- KBM holds the NCWTS records for most career wins (67) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record six Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers; Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
