A weather‑hit shuffle in the Truck field
Rain clouds gathered over Richmond early on Saturday, prompting officials to postpone the Craftsman Truck Series race. The delay forced Christopher Bell, a full‑time Cup Series competitor, to step away from the No. 62 Halmar‑Frisen Racing Toyota that he had qualified seventeenth for, leaving the team scrambling for a replacement.
Enter Leland Honeyman Jr., a driver with a modest Truck Series résumé but extensive experience in the O'Reilly Series. Honeyman will inherit the No. 62 entry, but rather than starting from a competitive spot he will begin at the rear of the field, a position that reflects both the sudden nature of his insertion and the limited preparation time he has had for this particular event.
The qualifying session still delivered a headline moment: Shane van Gisbergen, the New Zealand standout, captured his first NASCAR oval pole, edging out the rest of the field and underscoring his adaptability to American stock car racing. His performance added a layer of excitement to a race that had already been reshaped by weather and driver changes.
Bell’s withdrawal also highlights his recent dominance in the series. He had previously celebrated a victory with the HFR team at Bristol and, despite a flawless start to the 2026 Cup season, has been stuck on seven runner‑up finishes. The decision to sit out Richmond underscores the strategic calculus teams must make when weather threatens to disrupt tightly contested schedules.
Looking ahead, Bell is slated to return to the Truck circuit at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where he will once again pilot the No. 62 entry. Meanwhile, Honeyman’s stint at Richmond marks his second start in the National Camping World Truck Series this year and his third career start overall, a milestone that could serve as a springboard for future opportunities.