NASCAR
Is there a Gander Outdoors Truck Series Title Favorite as the Regular Season Winds Down?
So far in 2019, the Gander Outdoors Truck Series has been anything but lacking in headline drivers and races. The first 12 races of the season have seen 6 different winners, including some great underdog moments. Only 4 races remain until the 8-man Truck Series Playoffs kick off in August. With half of the Playoff field being secured, is there any true title favorite at this point? Let’s examine in-depth the Truck Series standouts from 2019, and try to determine who the favorites are heading into the postseason.
Grant Enfinger
While still winless in 2019, Alabama native Grant Enfinger has only finished outside of the top 10 twice. His stellar consistency has him atop the points standings. The 98 ThorSport Racing Ford has been strong at times this season. But they have yet to execute a full race. Enfinger made the postseason last year and was able to win at Las Vegas. The win would propel him onto the Round of 6.
If Enfinger can keep his quiet consistency alive, he should be a favorite to make the Championship 4 in Homestead. From there, any guess at a title favorite is valid. However, the 98 needs to win if they want to be in the championship discussion. Their most recent race was perhaps their best though. At Chicagoland Speedway, Enfinger had arguably the fastest truck, led 49 laps and won Stage 2. If Enfinger can bring more trucks of that caliber throughout the remainder of the year, he may just be a title favorite.
Stewart Friesen
Though he is still searching for that elusive first win, Stewart Friesen has had a below-the-radar steady year. If not for a miscommunication on the last pit stop, Friesen would likely have won at Kansas last month. The 52 has shown race-winning pace multiple times this year, as Friesen attempts to make his second-straight postseason appearance. It appears to be a question of ‘when’ not ‘if’ the Canadian will score his first win. While a title favorite is a bit of a stretch for the 52, consistency can deliver them to the finale. Much like Enfinger though, Friesen truly needs to score a win and take that next leap in performance before becoming a true contender.
Matt Crafton
The most experienced man in the Truck Series, Matt Crafton is closing in on a 2-year anniversary since his last win. While the 88 Menards Ford has not finished worse than 9th since February, he lacks constant winning speed. The dynamic duo of Crafton and Crew Chief Junior Joiner have made deep runs in each of the 3 previous Truck Series Playoffs. Like those aforementioned though, Crafton needs a win to be named as a title favorite. The 2-time champion’s most recent win was on the Eldora dirt back in 2017. He has to find victory lane again and soon if he is to go for a third title.
Ben Rhodes
Kentucky native and ThorSport driver Ben Rhodes has endured a very up-and-down year. In 12 starts, Rhodes has 8 top 10s, 72 laps led, and 2 Stage wins. Like both of his previously mentioned teammates, the 99 truck has lacked race-winning pace or performance throughout the year. Rhodes has been a top 10 truck for most of 2019, but strategy calls gone bad or unlucky breaks have kept him from stronger results.
With a projected Playoff rank of 7th, Rhodes is in danger of potentially missing the postseason if his performance does not improve. A win at any of the next 4 tracks will change that, as Rhodes’ most recent win came at Kentucky, the site of the next race. What Rhodes is hoping for over the next 4 races is that nobody beneath him in points wins, as he will be knocked out. These dangers were compounded by an early exit from Chicagoland. On the initial start, the 99 of Rhodes was billowing a cloud of smoke. Lap 1 would see Rhodes head to the garage, and out of the race with an engine failure. Rhodes more than anyone else is in a precarious position for the Playoffs. The 22-year old is looking to make his 3rd Playoff run, but he is in danger of being outside the elite 8.
Brett Moffitt
A winner by default in 2019, Brett Moffitt is already on his way to defend his 2018 title in 2019. After Ross Chastain’s Iowa win was deemed illegal, the win and postseason berth were awarded to then-2nd place Moffitt. This marked Brett’s first win as defending series champion, and first victory with GMS Racing. Outside of Iowa, Moffitt has had a very streaky season. He earned 1 more win in the most recent race at Chicagoland. Moffitt’s other stats from 2019 are 7 top 5s, but also 4 finishes outside of the top 10.
With the pressure of winning gone, the 24 truck should be fairly care-free to aggressively chase more victories. Moffitt has been pegged as a title favorite from the start of 2019, as he is now with a powerhouse team at GMS. Should Moffitt survive in the Playoffs, he has to be considered as one of the biggest threats to win it all.
Harrison Burton
The rookie taking over the famed Kyle Busch Motorsports 18 truck, Harrison Burton has had a steady but less-than-stellar year. Through the first 12 races, the 18-year old has 7 top 10s, 2 DNFs, and just 4 laps led. For a team as well-funded as KBM, these stats seem less-than-impressive for a rookie. However, Burton is still relatively inexperienced racing in a national series. The Trucks are a big jump up from K&N or ARCA, so a learning curve is to be expected.
Currently, Burton is projected to be the last man in the Playoffs. However, once Ross Chastain breaks the top 20 in points, Burton will be put below the cut line by a wide margin. In short, Burton is likely to be outside of the top 8 in the coming weeks, and is facing a must-win scenario to put the 18 in the postseason. Even if Burton is to win his way into the Playoffs, both KBM teams have been too inconsistent to be labeled as a title favorite.
Austin Hill
Outside of his season-opening Daytona win, Austin Hill and Hattori Racing have done little to call themselves a title favorite. Despite being the defending championship-winning team, the 16 has been a 7th to 12th place truck for much of 2019. Hill has been locked into the Playoffs since February, but he needs to put together some strong runs to close out the regular season. Hill made recent headlines for his Iowa dust-up with Johnny Sauter. In order to be a part of the title fight, Hill will need to headline for more wins or strong runs.
Todd Gilliland
Taking over the KBM 4 truck full time this year, Todd Gilliland came into 2019 with lots of hype. From the start, many named him as a title favorite due to his team’s history. In spite of the buildup, Gilliland has not lived up to expectations so far in the Trucks. His lack of strong runs has drawn the ire of his boss, as Kyle Busch has very publicly criticized Gilliland’s performance. In an attempt to find better speed, the 4 has had 3 different crew chiefs throughout 2019.
Facing a likely must-win scenario for a Playoff berth, can Gilliland have a race fall into his favor? The historic speed of KBM trucks would make one say yes. However, Todd has proven to be overly aggressive at times, causing damage or a loss of track position. Gilliland may be going at it against his teammate Burton to battle for the last Playoff spot as well. Overall, the KBM trucks this year have seen a downturn in performance. This comes in spite of Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle winning 6 times in the 51. If either of Kyle’s drivers want to battle for a title, they need to win 1 of the next 4 races. Who would have thought that a postseason without a KBM truck could have been a possibility?
Sheldon Creed
The rookie driver at GMS, Sheldon Creed has put together a solid first year that currently has him just outside the Playoffs. Currently at 9th in points, the X-Games star will likely have to win to break into the top 8 and run for a championship. However, Creed does have a 3 top 10s in the last 4 races. This hot streak is a positive for Creed and his Playoff chances. While the 2 team is far from a title favorite, they do still have a chance at making the postseason.
Johnny Sauter
The most dominant man in the Truck Series a year ago amazingly has just a lone win to this point. In his return season to ThorSport, Johnny Sauter won at Dover back in May for the 3rd-straight year. Since then however, Sauter has yet to even score a top 10. He also only has 11 starts currently, rather than 12. This is due to his suspension following his intentional wrecking of Austin Hill at Iowa a few weeks ago.
After a week away from the Truck Series, Sauter returned at Chicagoland Speedway and picked up a disappointing 18th place finish. Sauter was tied with a series-high 6 victories in 2018, can that style of dominance return in 2019? To date Sauter is the only driver from ThorSport win this year. With a Playoff spot already locked up, Sauter should be one of the strongest in the postseason run. After a dismal performance at Homestead last year however, calling Sauter a title favorite may be stretching it.
Ross Chastain
The self-appointed ‘Busiest Man in NASCAR’ Ross Chastain has set the Truck Series on fire in 2019. Through 12 races, the watermelon farmer has 2 wins, 11 top 10s, and 228 laps led. All of this coming at Niece Motorsports, an underdog team who last year only had 3 top 10s. 2018 was the first year of a technical alliance between Niece and powerhouse GMS, an ongoing partnership that has certainly seen Niece elevate to unprecedented levels.
At the start of the year, Ross was not even competing for the Truck Series title. He was initially contending for the Xfinity Series Playoffs, but chose to switch to the Truck Series title earlier this month. In the 4 races since declaring for Truck Series points, Ross has finished 10th at Texas, 32nd at Iowa after being disqualified from his win, 1st at Gateway, and 7th at Chicago. While he is technically not in the Playoffs yet, with his determination and speed it may be impossible to beat him this fall.
Currently, Chastain is 24th in the standings, only ten points outside of the top 20. He needs to reach the top 20 in points to officially lock himself into the Playoffs. He will likely achieve this in the coming weeks, which will move the cut line up a spot and kick out somebody.
Can Anyone Stop Chastain?
What are Ross Chastain’s chances at being the Truck Series champion in November? Anyone not currently listing him as the title favorite may be sorely mistaken. While there is plenty of racing left and many opportunities for costly mistakes, Chastain has more speed, performance, and execution than anyone else in the Truck Series. If this unlikely run can continue throughout the postseason, Chastain may go to Homestead as the odds on favorite to win it all.
While 4 races remain in the Truck Series regular season, the Playoff field is beginning to take shape and contenders are separating themselves. With Chastain set to break into the top 20 in points, only 3 spots will remain open heading into the last 4 races. This late summer stretch also includes the ultimate wild card race on the Eldora dirt. An upset winner there can clinch a postseason berth. Even though some are currently a title favorite, there is a lot of racing left to determine the 2019 Gander Outdoors Truck Series champion. Be sure to follow along as the regular season winds down and the Playoffs heat up.
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Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo credit to NASCARMedia.
