The 2015 Kroger 200 was the 20th stock car race of the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and the 17th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, October 31, 2015, in Ridgeway, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 mi (0.847 km) permanent paperclip shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. Matt Crafton, driving for ThorSport Racing, would hold off the field on the final restart with two laps to go, and earned his 10th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win, and his fifth of the season. Pole-sitter Cole Custer dominated the majority of the race, leading a race-high 96 laps. To fill out the podium, John Hunter Nemechek, driving for family-owned SWM-NEMCO Motorsports, and Cameron Hayley, driving for ThorSport Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Background
Martinsville Speedway is a stock car racing short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, just south of Martinsville. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in stock car racing, being built in 1947 by partners H. Clay Earles, Henry Lawrence, and Sam Rice, nearly a year before NASCAR was officially formed. It is also the only race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948. Along with this, Martinsville is the only oval track on the NASCAR circuit to have asphalt surfaces on the straightaways and concrete to cover the turns. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It is owned by International Speedway Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of NASCAR.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMakeSponsor00Cole CusterJR MotorsportsChevroletHaas Automation0Brad FoyJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevroletDriven2Honor.org1Camden MurphyRick Ware RacingChevroletRick Ware Racing02Tyler YoungYoung's MotorsportsChevroletRandco, Young's Building Systems4Erik Jones (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaToyota05John Wes TownleyAthenian MotorsportsChevroletZaxby's5Dalton SargeantWauters MotorsportsToyotaGalt6Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevroletNorm Benning Racing07Ray Black Jr. (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevroletScubaLife08Brandon HightowerMB MotorsportsChevroletAdvanced Specialized Carriers8John Hunter Nemechek (R)SWM-NEMCO MotorsportsChevroletSWM-NEMCO Motorsports10Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevroletDriven2Honor.org11Ben KennedyRed Horse RacingToyotaLocal Motors13Cameron Hayley (R)ThorSport RacingToyotaCarolina Nut Co.14Daniel Hemric (R)NTS MotorsportsChevroletCalifornia Clean Power15Mason MingusBilly Boat MotorsportsChevroletCall 811 Before You Dig17Timothy PetersRed Horse RacingToyotaRed Horse Racing18Ross Kenseth (i)Hattori Racing EnterprisesToyotaAisin AW19Tyler ReddickBrad Keselowski RacingFordBrad Keselowski's Checkered Flag Foundation23Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevroletAllegiant Travel Company29Austin CindricBrad Keselowski RacingFordCooper-Standard Automotive32Justin HaleyBraun MotorsportsChevroletGreat Clips33Brandon Jones (R)GMS RacingChevroletLucas Oil35Jim WeilerEmpire RacingFordRoadRenovations.com50Travis KvapilMAKE MotorsportsChevroletCorvetteParts.net51Daniel Suárez (i)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaArris54Gray GauldingKyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaKrispy Kreme63Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevroletPixographs74Paige DeckerMike Harmon RacingRAMMike Harmon Racing75Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevroletFood Country USA, Tide Pods82Austin HillEmpire RacingFordEmpire Racing Driver Development86Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevroletCoastal Carolina University87Chuck Buchanan Jr.Charles Buchanan RacingFordSpring Drug88Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyotaFisher Nuts, Menards92David Gilliland (i)RBR EnterprisesFordBlack's Tire Service94Timmy HillPremium MotorsportsChevroletTestoril, Champion Machinery98Johnny SauterThorSport RacingToyotaSmokey Mountain Herbal SnuffOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, October 30, at 1:00 PM EST, and would last for 55 minutes. Timothy Peters, driving for Red Horse Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 19.721, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed117Timothy PetersRed Horse RacingToyota19.72196.020288Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota19.77695.752313Cameron Hayley (R)ThorSport RacingToyota19.80595.612Full first practice results
Final practice The final practice session was held on Friday, October 30, at 2:30 PM EST, and would last for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Timothy Peters, driving for Red Horse Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 19.708, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed117Timothy PetersRed Horse RacingToyota19.70896.083213Cameron Hayley (R)ThorSport RacingToyota19.71296.063302Tyler YoungYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet19.83895.453Full final practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, October 31, at 10:15 AM EST. The qualifying system used is a multi car, multi lap, three round system where in the first round, everyone would set a time to determine positions 25–32. Then, the fastest 24 qualifiers would move on to the second round to determine positions 13–24. Lastly, the fastest 12 qualifiers would move on to the third round to determine positions 1–12.
Cole Custer, driving for JR Motorsports, would win the pole after advancing from the preliminary rounds and setting the fastest time in Round 3, with a lap of 19.530, and an average speed of .
Brandon Brown, Camden Murphy, Jim Weiler, and Charles Buchanan Jr. would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)Time (R3)Speed (R3)100Cole CusterJR MotorsportsChevrolet19.86095.34719.69096.17119.53096.959213Cameron Hayley (R)ThorSport RacingToyota19.78295.72319.70796.08819.62296.50438John Hunter Nemechek (R)SWM-NEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet20.07394.33619.75095.87819.67996.224419Tyler ReddickBrad Keselowski RacingFord19.97394.80819.69296.16119.69696.141514Daniel Hemric (R)NTS MotorsportsChevrolet19.85395.38119.62696.48419.72096.024651Daniel Suárez (i)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota20.02694.55719.75595.85419.75295.869754Gray GauldingKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota20.07594.32619.74495.90819.76295.82084Erik Jones (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota19.99294.71819.74695.89819.78195.728902Tyler YoungYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet19.91195.10319.76895.79119.81395.5741011Ben KennedyRed Horse RacingToyota19.83595.46819.78695.70419.85995.3521117Timothy PetersRed Horse RacingToyota20.05794.41119.64796.38119.87095.2991292David Gilliland (i)RBR EnterprisesFord19.90795.12219.78595.70919.88695.223Eliminated from Round 21388Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota19.93694.98419.78995.690––1429Austin CindricBrad Keselowski RacingFord19.93195.00819.80595.612––155Dalton SargeantWauters MotorsportsToyota20.06594.37319.80795.603––1633Brandon Jones (R)GMS RacingChevrolet20.03994.49619.82995.496––1798Johnny SauterThorSport RacingToyota20.10294.20019.83395.477––1875Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet19.85395.38119.85395.381––1915Mason MingusBilly Boat MotorsportsChevrolet20.02194.58119.85995.352––2023Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet20.03994.49619.88495.232––2107Ray Black Jr. (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet20.09094.25620.01694.604––2232Justin HaleyBraun MotorsportsChevrolet19.95994.87420.10294.200––2350Travis KvapilMAKE MotorsportsChevrolet20.09894.21820.15493.957––2494Timmy HillPremium MotorsportsChevrolet20.06594.373––––Eliminated from Round 12518Ross Kenseth (i)Hattori Racing EnterprisesToyota20.10494.190––––2605John Wes TownleyAthenian MotorsportsChevrolet20.10794.176––––2782Austin HillEmpire RacingFord20.11094.162––––Qualified by owner's points2863Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevrolet20.29593.304––––2908Brandon HightowerMB MotorsportsChevrolet20.37792.928––––301Camden MurphyRick Ware RacingChevrolet20.42092.7333174Paige DeckerMike Harmon RacingDodge20.88690.664––––3210Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet21.09389.774––––Failed to qualify3386Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet20.14693.994––––3535Jim WeilerEmpire RacingFord20.62391.820––––3687Chuck Buchanan Jr.Charles Buchanan RacingFord21.60887.634––––Withdrew376Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet20.75891.223––––380Brad FoyJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet––––––Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings11388Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota20063Running47$39,197238John Hunter Nemechek (R)SWM-NEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet20032Running43$29,6733213Cameron Hayley (R)ThorSport RacingToyota2000Running41$21,6274100Cole CusterJR MotorsportsChevrolet20096Running42$23,5695419Tyler ReddickBrad Keselowski RacingFord2000Running39$17,41361117Timothy PetersRed Horse RacingToyota2000Running38$15,47171633Brandon Jones (R)GMS RacingChevrolet2000Running37$15,00581875Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet2000Running36$12,70091798Johnny SauterThorSport RacingToyota2000Running35$14,8951084Erik Jones (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota2000Running34$15,789112605John Wes TownleyAthenian MotorsportsChevrolet2000Running33$14,78312514Daniel Hemric (R)NTS MotorsportsChevrolet2000Running32$14,64413902Tyler YoungYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2000Running31$14,589141011Ben KennedyRed Horse RacingToyota2000Running30$14,534152350Travis KvapilMAKE MotorsportsChevrolet2000Running29$14,82316651Daniel Suárez (i)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota2000Running0$12,290172518Ross Kenseth (i)Hattori Racing EnterprisesToyota2000Running0$12,035181915Mason MingusBilly Boat MotorsportsChevrolet2000Running26$14,228192782Austin HillEmpire RacingFord2000Running25$11,923202107Ray Black Jr. (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2000Running24$14,61821754Gray GauldingKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota2009Running24$14,090222863Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevrolet2000Running22$14,062231292David Gilliland (i)RBR EnterprisesFord2000Running0$11,78524301Camden MurphyRick Ware RacingChevrolet2000Running20$12,757251429Austin CindricBrad Keselowski RacingFord2000Running19$12,852262494Timmy HillPremium MotorsportsChevrolet1990Running18$11,674272908Brandon HightowerMB MotorsportsChevrolet1960Running17$11,59128155Dalton SargeantWauters MotorsportsToyota1960Running16$11,345292023Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet1960Running15$11,290303174Paige DeckerMike Harmon RacingRAM1930Running14$10,790313210Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet1860Running13$9,290322232Justin HaleyBraun MotorsportsChevrolet1190Accident12$8,290Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings
Pos Driver Points 1 Erik Jones 776 1 2 Matt Crafton 766 (-10) 1 3 Tyler Reddick 763 (–13) 4 Johnny Sauter 722 (–54) 5 Timothy Peters 680 (–96) 6 Cameron Hayley 663 (–113) 7 Daniel Hemric 644 (–132) 8 John Wes Townley 627 (–149) 9 Ben Kennedy 595 (–181) 10 Spencer Gallagher 574 (–202)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
References