NASCAR
Who’s Left to Make a Truck Series Playoff Statement at Richmond?
250 laps around Richmond Raceway on Saturday night are all that separate the Craftsman Truck Series from their Playoffs. Through 15 races so far in 2024, seven drivers have secured a postseason berth through wins or on points. This leaves three golden tickets for the taking at the Commonwealth track. Here are the drivers currently in the provisional Playoffs and the cut line battle that could come down to the wire.
Taylor Gray +48 points
Amidst his first full-time NASCAR season, Taylor Gray has the best Playoff points buffer of those not yet locked in. The 19-year-old for TRICON Garage will likely seal up a Playoff berth prior to Saturday’s checkered flag, with a nearly 50 point gap.
Gray’s impressive 2024 season to date may lack a victory, but has still seen a few high points. Eight top-10s in 15 starts is punctuated by a runner-up result to teammate Corey Heim at COTA. The Toyota powerhouse aims to put more than just Heim into title contention this season. Taylor Gray should help his team achieve this feat midway through Richmond’s cut race. Gray was an impressive third in the Richmond Xfinity race earlier this year.
Ben Rhodes +22
2024 has gone far from expected for reigning Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes. The two-time title winner only has two top-fives all year, with none since Charlotte in May. Rhodes’ 22 point cushion gives him some breathing room but not much looking ahead to Richmond.
The 99’s last two starts have seen poor results outside of the top-10. Barring a new winner, Rhodes should make the 10-man cut, but this team has lacked pace all year. It will be a steep hill to climb ahead for Rhodes, who will likely begin with single-digit Playoff points.
Tanner Gray +5
The elder brother at TRICON Garage, Tanner Gray is also on the cusp of his first Playoff appearance. The 25-year-old has yet to earn any top-fives this year however. His best finish was seventh at Kansas. The weeks since then have seen the No. 15 hover on both ends of the cut line. Heading into Richmond, Gray holds a very small margin over elimination.
Gray has 16th as a best career Richmond result, coming on three separate occasions. It will likely take a much stronger result Saturday to send the 15 playoff racing.
Daniel Dye -5
The sophomore Truck season has been anything but a slump for Daniel Dye. The Florida driver has bested his stat line from a year ago in every area, with five top-10s so far. Largely thanks to a recent runner-up at Nashville, Dye has created a very tight cut line battle. Only five points separate the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 43 from postseason glory.
Dye has flirted with a top-10 points position for almost this entire season. It will likely be a head-to-head matchup between Dye and Tanner Gray to see who gets the coveted final ticket. Dye has the opportunity ahead to outscore Gray in Stages, but that may set back his ultimate finish. Should both drivers stay clean, the final transfer spot may come down to the checkers on Saturday.
Aside from the drivers listed above, there are many storylines heading into Saturday’s Clean Harbor 250. Christian Eckes will likely lock up the regular season championship early on. This would give the No. 19 team a big advantage over title rival Corey Heim. These two drivers will probably be battling each other for the win.
On the opposite end of the standings, veterans Matt Crafton and Stewart Friesen face win-or-bust scenarios for their Playoff lives. 2024 would mark the first time in nine years where Crafton misses a Truck Series Playoffs.
The Truckers’ regular season finale goes green Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. By the time the checkers wave, we will know the 10 combatants for the 2024 Truck Series title. It will be fun to follow the stories aplenty from most of the field, and see if a Hail Mary win can emerge for a Playoff spot.
Written by Peter Stratta
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