NASCAR Truck Series: Driver Power Rankings after 2018 Eaton 200

#5. <p>NASCAR describes the Xfinity Series as “Names are made here”. That may be more applicable to the Truck Series. Drivers such as Erik Jones and Austin Dillon first raced in the Truck Series. They won Truck Series races and they each won a Truck Series championship. They now compete in the Cup Series. Justin Haley seeks to follow in their footsteps. He earned his first Truck Series victory at Gateway and will likely compete in the playoffs. as a result of it If he wants to boost his championship hopes, he’ll need to earn some more playoff points. He has not won any stages yet, so more stage wins and race victories will aid him in his quest to win the title.</p>. No. 24, GMS Racing. Chevrolet, LW: 8. JUSTIN HALEY

STEWART FRIESEN. #4. Stewart Friesen once again had a fast #52 Chevrolet. He earned points in both stages and appeared to be on his way to earning top 10 finish. Unfortunately, contact from Johnny Sauter spun him out. Thanks to the free pass rule, he got back on the lead lap, but he ultimately came home in 13th. Like it did for Justin Haley, a win would likely lock Friesen into the playoffs. At the moment, Friesen is fifth in the championship standings and sixth in the playoff standings. He is comfortable enough to be able to take risks to compete for that elusive first Truck Series victory.. No. 52, Halmar Friesen Racing. Chevrolet, LW: 4

#3. <p>Noah Gragson led 63 laps and appeared to be in line for victory. Unfortunately, with 10 laps to go, he radioed to his team that he felt like he had a flat tire. Rather than give away track position, he stayed out on the track. On the restart, he slid up high, losing several positions. A saving grace came in the form of another caution flag period. He came down pit road. In a two-lap shootout, he recovered to finish in 10th. While 10th place is a solid finish, the #18 Toyota displayed far more speed. He keeps challenging for victories, and that bodes well for the championship hopeful driver.</p>. No. 18, Kyle Busch Motorsports. Toyota, LW: 3. NOAH GRAGSON

Toyota, LW: 2. BRETT MOFFITT. #2. <p>Brett Moffitt passed the most trucks in the race, yet he finished in 14th. Why? Because on lap 134, contact with Todd Gilliland caused him to hit the wall. After Hattori Racing Enterprises fixed the #16 Toyota, he charged through the field again. Then, during the two-lap shootout, Jesse Little made contact with him. Because he managed to save his truck, NASCAR did not throw the caution flag. As a result, he fell back to 14th. He tweeted that the odds his team races at Chicagoland Speedway are not good as of now due to a lack of funding. Here’s hoping that he finds a sponsor to continue his impressive 2018 season.</p>. No. 16, Hattori Racing Enterprises

#1. <p>Johnny Sauter complained about his truck the whole race. His pit crew did not have fast stops and he made contact with Stewart Friesen. When the checkered flag flew, he finished in third place. He is unquestionably the 2018 NASCAR Truck Series championship front-runner. He has a 73-point lead in the championship standings, four wins and 22 playoff points. Additionally, he won the Chicagoland Truck Series race last year. That is the next race on the schedule. This has been the season of Johnny Sauter.</p>. No. 21, GMS Racing. Chevrolet, LW: 1. JOHNNY SAUTER