2016 Truck Series season in review: Ben Kennedy

CREW CHIEF: Joey Cohen

TEAM: GMS Racing

POINTS: 7th

WINS: 1

LAPS LED: 54 (second to 56 in 2014)

TOP 5s: 4 (same number as 2015)

TOP 10s: 10 (single season career-best)

POLES: 0

WHAT WENT RIGHT: The grandson of the late Bill France Jr., and son of International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy, Ben Kennedy enjoyed the best of his first three full-time seasons in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Not only did he earn his first career win in the series (Bristol, spring), he also had his highest finish in the series (seventh). … Qualified for the first Truck Chase and advanced to the second round before being eliminated from the third and final round.

WHAT WENT WRONG: Kennedy failed to make the final round of the Chase due primarily to an 18th place finish at Martinsville and 13th place showing at Texas. … Kennedy began the season with Red Horse Racing, but parted ways after the third race of the season. He rebounded by signing with GMS Racing, for which he spent the rest of the season with.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2017: Kennedy has continued to make progress in each of his three full-time seasons in the Truck Series to date, a trend that is likely to continue in 2017. He also competed in one Xfinity Series race in 2016 (top-10 finish), and it’s likely he’ll do so again in 2017.