Grant Enfinger prepares for one last hoorah with GMS Racing at Phoenix. (Photo: Mike Moore | The Podium Finish).
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Over the years, Grant Enfinger has been the embodiment of consistency in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Unlike most seasons, it has not been that way heading into Friday’s Craftsman 150 at Phoenix Raceway.
While the stats suggest Enfinger being consistent with a 9.1 average finish and nine top-five finishes, both an improvement from last year, there is more than what the eye beholds.
During Championship 4 Media Day on Thursday, the 38-year-old driver noted mistakes have been made throughout the year. Notably, mistakes have occurred during pit stops which created several setbacks for the No. 23 team with Jeff Hensley on top of the pit box.
These are specific traits nobody can afford when a shot at series immortality is on the line.
“You can look at our year and find some consistent stats, but to our standards I don’t think we’ve been consistent,” said Enfinger. “We’ve been a little bit more hit or miss than in years past. We’ve made more mistakes than usual. Whether it’s me, a restart or pit road.
“I feel like we’ve gotten maybe three pit road penalties, including one myself in the playoffs. That’s something historically we haven’t done.”
Perhaps more crucial as to why mistakes cannot be made is the fact Friday’s finale will mark the final chapter for GMS Racing, a team Enfinger holds dear to his heart.
It was the very team he won the 2015 National ARCA Championship and collected half of his 10 career NCTS wins, hoping to add another win at Phoenix.
Those accomplishments have fueled Enfinger and the whole organization to fight hard in the 150-lap race and bring one more joyful moment for Maury Gallagher and company.
“We got to do our job and everything that got us here and I truly feel like we can do that. It would mean more with this being the end of the road for GMS Racing,” said Enfinger. “It means a lot to me personally these guys gave me an incredible opportunity back in 2014 and another when I came back here two years ago.
“There’s a lot of personal aspects to that and why we want this. We’re very driven and have the tools to do it. We definitely need to hit everything just right, do our job and execute. It would be nice to send them out that way.”
To “bookend it,” Enfinger will have to beat Ben Rhodes, who has made the last three straight Championship 4s, a consistently fast Corey Heim and an aggressive Carson Hocevar, who will be moving up to the Cup Series in 2024.
When things go the No. 23 team’s way, they have been blistering fast as seen with his three wins, including the famous Milwaukee Mile.
Enfinger explained how proud he’s been with his crew for bringing him strong Chevrolet Silverados all year.
“We got the speed,” said Enfinger. “When we hit everything just right, we can do what we did at Milwaukee and the first Kansas race where we can drive from the back to the front. That is something I’m very proud of.”
Enfinger added that winning at Milwaukee meant a lot to him because it was venue that’s been on his bucket list of venues he has never raced. The win was even more sentimental because it was a few days removed from the team announcing they will be ceasing operations at season’s end.
Furthermore, the century-plus old mile oval has similar traits to Phoenix that could put the competition, specifically his title rivals, on full notice.
“The fact that everybody was able to dig in deep and to make a statement there meant a lot,” said Enfinger. “Milwaukee has similarities that we brought setup wise for Phoenix. We’re bringing the same truck with a similar package. It’s not the same track as Phoenix, but you look at Milwaukee and Gateway, where we ran good at as well. I feel like we’ve brought some setups stuff to it.
“But the fact that Milwaukee has meant so much to the sport and the first time NASCAR returned there in such a long time was a great feeling.”
Certain thoughts in mind, Enfinger followed it up by saying all he is focusing on is ensuring the championship goes back to GMS Racing for the last time. They have previously won the series title on two occasions with Johnny Sauter in 2016 and Sheldon Creed four years later.
Along the way, Hensley has calling the shots for Enfinger from 2016-2020 and again since 2022. This is quite a remarkable caveat in a sport where driver/crew chief combinations can be a rotating door.
For instance, Ben Rhodes reunited with Rich Lushes after the latter worked with Hailie Deegan most of the season with little fanfare.
Enfinger admitted that he and Hensley may not have all the knowledge in their profession. But when it comes to business and how they go about such business, it outweighs the disadvantages. To the point that you won’t find a stronger driver/crew chief combo than those two in the series and Enfinger is not bashful to admit it.
“We’ve worked together for five years and it’s kind of like the intangibles. You can’t put all that into intellectual words because there’s certain people that click,” said Enfinger. “Jeff is an old school racer and I speak his language, and he speaks mine.
“I feel like neither one of us is the smartest people of our craft, but we’re always working together and working harder than the next guy I feel like. Neither one of us will settle. We’re all trying to make our stuff better and better, little by little.”
Above all else, Enfinger knows that when it comes to making adjustments with his truck, he can count on Hensley to troubleshoot and adjust the setup to his liking.
“Historically, our pairing I feel like we do a better job than anybody on pit road,” Enfinger continued. “We don’t always start the race with the best truck, but we make our stuff better every stop. I don’t think everybody else does to our extent.
“We have our weaknesses too, but our chemistry has been there. We always can speak the same language and have each other’s backs.”
