{"id":21397,"date":"2018-08-21T16:05:55","date_gmt":"2018-08-21T21:05:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=21397"},"modified":"2018-08-25T10:19:11","modified_gmt":"2018-08-25T15:19:11","slug":"nascar-camping-world-truck-series-playoffs-media-day-notebook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2018\/08\/21\/nascar-camping-world-truck-series-playoffs-media-day-notebook\/","title":{"rendered":"NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs Media Day Notebook"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

The playoffs contenders for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, front row L-R: Noah Gragson, Johnny Sauter, Brett Moffitt, Ben Rhodes and back row L-R: Justin Haley, Stewart Friesen, Grant Enfinger, and Matt Crafton, pose for a group portrait during the Production Media Day at FOX Sports Studios on August 21, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

WILL LIFESTYLE CHANGE PAY OFF WITH A TITLE FOR NOAH GRAGSON?<\/b><\/p>\n

CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2013 Noah Gragson<\/strong> hopes a lifestyle change will help propel him to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series<\/a> Championship.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Noah Gragson answers questions from the media assembled for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Production Media Day at FOX Sports Studios on August 21, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Gragson was forced to sit out the July 28 event at Pocono Raceway because of illness. Even though he received a medical Playoff waiver from NASCAR, the experience of watching Erik Jones drive the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Gragson was supposed to drive was not one he was eager to repeat.<\/p>\n

That and a refresher meeting with a sports psychologist Gragson has been seeing prompted the 20-year-old from Las Vegas to start molding his life in the image of a champion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started having a set bedtime, going to be early, waking up early,” Gragson said on Tuesday during a Playoff preview at FOX Studios. “Just trying to be more productive with my Monday through Friday schedule, trying to be more organized, trying to have a structured schedule, going to the shop, working out, trying to eat healthier, doing everything it takes to be a champion, going that extra mile.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019ve been trying to focus on, just doing that. It\u2019s been a big change for me. I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s what you need to do for a championship, but I\u2019m not going to let it be \u2018Oh, I didn\u2019t win the championship ship because of…\u2019 I want to do everything within my power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gragson has been working with a psychologist who specializes in helping athletes realize their potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been teaching me the mind-set to be a champion,\u201d he said. \u201cWorking with him throughout this whole year, I started out really good, and then we had a refresher. And when I met him for the refresher, we kind of hit on some more stuff and going that extra mile.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Drivers attend a press conference at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Production Media Day at FOX Sports Studios on August 21, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cJust being able to work with him has been a really big eye-opener. I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be in the position I am right now if it weren\u2019t for working with him at the beginning of this year and all through the year. He\u2019s really changed my mind-set, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the eight NCWTS contenders\u2014Johnny Sauter, Brett Moffitt, Justin Haley, Ben Rhodes, Grant Enfinger, Stewart Friesen and Matt Crafton in addition to Gragson\u2014the first elimination round of the Playoffs is set to begin Aug. 26 on the road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. After subsequent first-round races at Las Vegas and Talladega, two of the eight drivers will be eliminated.<\/p>\n

To make it through the round, Gragson will have more than a sports psychologist to help him. He\u2019ll also have champion crew chief Rudy Fugle.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows what it takes to get the job done at Homestead and how to prepare the young drivers,\u201d Gragson said. \u201cHe\u2019s really prepared me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Ben Rhodes answers questions from the media assembled for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Production Media Day at FOX Sports Studios on August 21, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

BRETT MOFFITT IS A CASE STUDY OF DOING A LOT WITH A LITTLE<\/b><\/p>\n

Four regular-season victories and the second seeding in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs is a monumental accomplishment for any team.<\/p>\n

But for driver Brett Moffitt and his Hattori Racing Enterprises team, the feat is particularly noteworthy because of the relative lack of resources the organization has at its disposal.<\/p>\n

Team owner Shigeaki Hattori has been raising sponsorship money on a race-by race basis. As the NCWTS Playoffs approach, two of the postseason events\u2014at Talladega and Texas\u2014remain in inventory. Despite the uncertainty of funding, Moffitt has put himself in an enviable position entering the first elimination round.<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old driver is proud of his team\u2019s success\u2014justifiably so.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone on our race team has a lot of pride, and they wear their hearts on their sleeves for the team,\u201d Moffitt said. \u201cThey\u2019re really passionate. And to see all their hard work pay off, and my hard work pay off, it\u2019s really special for our group.\u201d<\/p>\n

FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS IS A GREAT UNKNOWN<\/b><\/p>\n

The first round of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs features more variables than a complex physics equation.<\/p>\n

\"\"

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader Johnny Sauter answers questions during the press conference for Production Media Day at FOX Sports Studios on August 21, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

The first race in the round that will eliminate two drivers will take place Aug. 26 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. It\u2019s the only road course event on the NCWTS schedule.<\/p>\n

Justin Haley is perhaps the most adept road racer of the eight championship contenders, but at 19, he\u2019s also the youngest, and he has no previous playoff experience in any of NASCAR\u2019s three national series.<\/p>\n

Noah Gragson got a leg up on the competition with an appearance in the May 28 Pinty\u2019s Series race at the Bowmanville, Ontario, track, where he finished third as the only non-Canadian in the field. But Gragson is 20 years old and, like Haley, has no prior playoff experience.<\/p>\n

The second Playoff race will be run at Las Vegas, where every one of the contenders feels he has a chance to win.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s Talladega, a home game for Grant Enfinger, but one where there is no home-court advantage, given the fickle, unpredictable nature of the track.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like, if we can make it through this first round\u2014get through Canada, get through Talladega\u2014I feel really good about the second round,\u201d said Enfinger, who enters the Playoffs as the sixth seed and without a victory to his credit so far. \u201cI feel really good about the trajectory our 98 (ThorSport Racing) team is on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re bringing better Ford F-150s to the track each week. We\u2019re just not there yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interviews: <\/h3>\n

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs Media Day Press Conference – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/2018NCWTSPlayoffsMediaDayPresser_082118.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Noah Gragson –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/2018NCWTSPlayoffsMediaDay_NoahGragson_082118.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Johnny Sauter –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/2018NCWTSPlayoffsMediaDay_JohnnySauter_082118.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Brett Moffitt –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/2018NCWTSPlayoffsMediaDay_BrettMoffitt_082118.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben Rhodes – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/2018NCWTSPlayoffsMediaDay_BenRhodes_082118.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Justin Haley –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/2018NCWTSPlayoffsMediaDay_JustinHaley_082118.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stewart Friesen –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/2018NCWTSPlayoffsMediaDay_StewartFriesen_082118.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Grant Enfinger –   <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/2018NCWTSPlayoffsMediaDay_GrantEnfinger_082118.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Matt Crafton – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/2018NCWTSPlayoffsMediaDay_MattCrafton_082118.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service WILL LIFESTYLE CHANGE PAY OFF WITH A TITLE FOR NOAH GRAGSON? CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2013 Noah Gragson hopes a lifestyle change will help propel him to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship. Gragson was forced to sit out the July 28 event at Pocono Raceway because of illness. Even […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":21400,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[16,160,268],"class_list":["post-21397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","tag-nascar","tag-nascar-camping-world-truck-series","tag-ncwts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/357422-e1535073924199.jpg?fit=640%2C456","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-5z7","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21397"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21417,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21397\/revisions\/21417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}