The 2023 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 was the 11th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the first race of the Triple Truck Challenge, and the 20th iteration of the event.
The race was held on Friday, May 26, 2023, in Concord, North Carolina at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 134 laps to complete. Ben Rhodes, driving for ThorSport Racing, took advantage of a pit road strategy and dominated the final portion of the race to earn his 7th career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win and his first of the season. He also earns the additional $50,000 for winning the first Triple Truck Challenge race. Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar dominated the majority of the race, leading 49 and 43 laps, respectively.
To fill out the podium, Heim, driving for Tricon Garage, and Dean Thompson, also driving for Tricon Garage, finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Background Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, and the Bank of America Roval 400. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports with Greg Walter as track president.
The complex also features a state-of-the-art drag racing strip, ZMAX Dragway. It is the only all-concrete, four-lane drag strip in the United States and hosts NHRA events. Alongside the drag strip is a state-of-the-art clay oval that hosts dirt racing including the World of Outlaws finals among other popular racing events.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMake1David GillilandTricon GarageToyota02Kris WrightYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet04Johnny SauterRoper RacingFord4Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet5Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota9Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet11Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota12Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet13Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord15Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota16Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota17Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota19Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet20Matt MillsYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet22Mason MaggioAM RacingFord23Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet24Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet25Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet30Ryan VargasOn Point MotorsportsToyota32Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet33Josh ReaumeReaume Brothers RacingFord34Keith McGeeReaume Brothers RacingFord35Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet38Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord41Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet42Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet43Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet45Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet46Armani WilliamsG2G RacingToyota51Jack WoodKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet52Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota56Tyler HillHill MotorsportsToyota88Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord90Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota98Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord99Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Friday, May 26, at 1:35 PM EST, and would last for 20 minutes. Ty Majeski, driving for ThorSport Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.100, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed198Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord30.100179.402217Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota30.254178.489342Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet30.302178.206Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, May 26, at 2:05 PM EST. Since Charlotte Motor Speedway is an intermediate racetrack, the qualifying system used is a single-car, one-lap system with only one round. In that round, whoever sets the fastest time will win the pole. Tanner Gray, driving for Tricon Garage, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 29.936, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed115Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota29.936180.385298Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord29.970180.180311Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota29.983180.102424Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet30.070179.581552Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota30.141179.158619Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet30.151179.09975Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota30.155179.075841Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet30.240178.57191David GillilandTricon GarageToyota30.242178.5601051Jack WoodKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet30.309178.1651123Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet30.320178.1001242Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet30.320178.100134Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet30.348177.9361438Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord30.363177.8481535Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet30.390177.6901645Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet30.397177.6491717Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota30.418177.5261843Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet30.483177.1481999Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord30.500177.0492025Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet30.550176.7592113Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord30.913174.684229Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet30.979174.3122302Kris WrightYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet31.014174.1152488Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord31.062173.8462512Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet31.302172.5132632Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet31.427171.8272733Josh ReaumeReaume Brothers RacingFord31.555171.1302820Matt MillsYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet31.877169.4012956Tyler HillHill MotorsportsToyota32.050168.4873046Armani WilliamsG2G RacingToyota32.279167.2913122Mason MaggioAM RacingFord32.306167.152Qualified by owner's points3290Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota32.760164.8353334Keith McGeeReaume Brothers RacingFord32.921164.029342Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet––3516Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota––3630Ryan VargasOn Point MotorsportsToyota––Withdrew3704Johnny SauterRoper RacingFord––Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 30 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts111Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota10242Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet935Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota8424Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet7538Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord6698Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord5715Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota4852Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota391David GillilandTricon GarageToyota21017Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota1 Stage 2 Laps: 30 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts142Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet10211Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota935Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota8438Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord7552Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota6617Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota5799Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord481David GillilandTricon GarageToyota392Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet21019Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet1
Stage 3 Laps: 74 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts11999Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord13437Running442311Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota13449Running54375Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota1340Running5041242Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet13443Running5251123Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet1340Running326619Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet1340Running327298Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord1340Running3582025Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet1340Running299342Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet1340Running30101717Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota1340Running3311424Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet1340Running33122488Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord1340Running2513841Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet1340Running241491David GillilandTricon GarageToyota1340Running28151535Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet1340Running2216134Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet1342Running21171645Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet1340Running20181051Jack WoodKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet1340Running19191843Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet1340Running1820229Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet1340Running17212632Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet1340Running1622552Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota1340Running24231438Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord1340Running27242956Tyler HillHill MotorsportsToyota1340Running13253122Mason MaggioAM RacingFord1340Running12263630Ryan VargasOn Point MotorsportsToyota1340Running1127115Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota1333Running14283516Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota1320Running9292733Josh ReaumeReaume Brothers RacingFord1310Running8302820Matt MillsYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet1310Running7312512Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet1310Running6322302Kris WrightYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet1300Running5332113Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord1280Running4343290Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota1220Running3353046Armani WilliamsG2G RacingToyota650Accident2363334Keith McGeeReaume Brothers RacingFord200Fuel Pump1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Corey Heim 425 2 Ty Majeski 399 (-26) 3 Zane Smith 382 (-43) 4 Grant Enfinger 362 (-63) 1 5 Ben Rhodes 349 (-76) 1 6 Christian Eckes 343 (-82) 7 Matt Crafton 315 (-110) 3 8 Carson Hocevar 302 (-123) 1 9 Tanner Gray 287 (-138) 10 Matt DiBenedetto 281 (-144)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
References