The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series heads to the Martinsville Speedway on Friday for the final race in the round of 8 in the 2021 playoffs in the United Rentals 200. Martinsville is the smallest track on the truck series circuit at .526 mile. Martinsville is old school short track racing and there will be a ton of beating and banging during the race. Track position is the most important at Martinsville because it’s most difficult to pass.
Here are a few drivers to consider for the United Rentals 200.
John Hunter Nemechek +350- John Hunter will fire off from the pole position on Saturday afternoon for the United Rentals 200. Solid weekend for John and the guys at Kyle Busch Motorsports at Talladega last time out, coming home with an 4th place finish after starting 7th. John Hunter has 5 wins through 20 races on the Truck Series schedule here in 2021. John Hunter has 12 starts at Martinsville in the Truck Series, has come away with 4 top 5 finishes including a win in 2018 when driving for his dad Joe. Great track position to start Saturday’s race, solid favorite.
Sheldon Creed +400– Creed will take the green flag in the United Rentals 200 from the 4th starting spot. On the 2021 Truck Series season, Creed has 8 top 5 finishes and 3 wins. Creed is only 5 points above the cut line to make it in final round of the 2021 Truck Series Playoffs to be held next weekend at Phoenix. The round of 8 has been brutal on Creed and the GMS team, crashing and finishing 36th at Las Vegas while coming home 12th from Talladega. Creed had his best Martinsville Truck Series finish in 2020, coming home 8th after starting on the pole. Creed must have a good run Saturday and could possibly end up in victory lane.
Todd Gilliland +1000- Gilliland will start Saturday’s United Rentals 200 from the 1st row in the 2nd position after a nice 3rd place effort at Talladega last time out in the Truck Series. Todd has reeled off 15 top 10 finishes on the 2021 season including 10 top 5 finishes and a victory. The win for Gilliland came at the road course event in Austin, TX and had a 6th place finish at Richmond earlier in the season. In 6 career Truck Series starts at Martinsville, Gilliland has 2 top 5 finishes including a win in 2019. Once again, Gilliland is one of the best values on the board Saturday afternoon and look for great things.
Ben Rhodes +1200- Rhodes rides into Saturday’s United Rentals 200 starting from the 3rd position. Rhodes has 14 top 10 finishes including 7 top 5 finishes and 2 wins to date in the NASCAR Truck Series in 2021. Rhodes has been solid in the 2021 Truck Series Playoffs, only blemish was at Darlington with a 34th place finish. 10 career Truck Series starts at Martinsville for Ben with 5 top 10 finishes including 3 top 5s. Rhodes has a nice cushion in the point standings, only 1 behind John Hunter Nemechek and a solid finish will secure a spot in the Final 4 at Phoenix next week.
Stewart Friesen +1400- Friesen will roll off from the 7th position for Saturday’s United Rentals 200 at the Martinsville Speedway. Friesen has 8 top 10 finishes on the 2021 season including 6 top 5 finishes. Friesen sits only 5 points behind Sheldon Creed in the point standings but is the first one out of th2021e Playoffs heading into Martinsville. Friesen has 7 career Truck Series starts at Martinsville with 4 top 10 finishes including 1 top 5. Nice longshot price on a Friesen who needs a win to get in at Phoenix next weekend.