NASCAR Craftsman Trucks at Circuit of the Americas preview: Info, storylines

AUSTIN, TEXAS — The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is in action back-to-back weeks for the first time in 2023.

However, some crew members won’t be in action at Circuit of the Americas this weekend.

REAUME BROS. CREW MEMBERS SUSPENDED

NASCAR suspended three crew members from Reaume Bros. Racing’s No. 33 team for three races:

• Crew chief and fueler Greg Rayl
• Mechanic Matt Crossman
• Tire technician Travis Armstrong

Early in last Saturday’s Fr8 208 at Atlanta, Mason Massey’s No. 33 Ford lost a ballast. Polesitter Zane Smith said over the radio he hit it, which caused damage.

Smith finished 20th and Massey finished 29th. Massey will be in the No. 33 at COTA.

ROPER REINSTATED

Meanwhile, NASCAR reinstated owner-driver Cory Roper after he violated the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy after Daytona. Roper’s suspension lasted less than a month.

Roper’s driver, Kaden Honeycutt, is entered to drive their No. 04 Ford this weekend.

XPEL 225 PREVIEW

Zane Smith is the defending winner of the XPEL 225. Last year, Smith took the lead in overtime after John Hunter Nemechek, Kyle Busch and Alex Bowman locked themselves into a three-wide logjam for the lead.

Bowman will race the same No. 7 HendrickCars.com Spire Motorsports Chevrolet he raced last year. Busch will race the same KBM No. 51 but as a Chevrolet and with Zariz Transport as a sponsor.

Ross Chastain is the other NASCAR Cup Series driver in the Truck field. He’ll drive the No. 41 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet.

NEMCO Motorsports’ No. 8 Chevrolet returns this weekend for the first time since the Daytona road course in February 2021. Samuel Lecomte is their driver.

INDYCAR driver Ed Jones will drive the No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet with sponsorship from Little Caesars.

Taylor Gray will also make his first start in the No. 17 TRICON Garage Toyota as he also turns 18 years old and begins his full-time Truck effort in 2023.

OTHER NOTABLE ENTRIES

• Kaz Grala in the No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota (was Layne Riggs at Atlanta)
• Logan Bearden in the No. 22 AM Racing Ford (was Josh Reaume at Atlanta)
• Colin Garrett in the No. 30 OnPoint Motorsports Toyota (was Ryan Vargas at Atlanta)
• Mason Filippi in the No. 34 Reaume Bros. Racing Ford (was Keith McGee at Atlanta)
• Parker Kligerman, No. 75 Henderson Motorsports Chevrolet returns for the first time since Daytona

The XPEL 225 goes green at Circuit of the Americas around 1:30 p.m. ET, March 25 (TV: FS1; Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90).