NASCAR Truck Series: Driver Power Rankings after 2018 Buckle Up in Your Truck 225
By Mark Kristl
Ben Rhodes won the 2018 Buckle Up in Your Truck 225. What effect did his victory at his home track have on the NASCAR Truck Series driver power rankings?
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Ben Rhodes considers Kentucky Speedway to be his home NASCAR track. The 21-year old entered the race weekend at Kentucky Speedway in need of a victory. For much of the 2018 NASCAR Truck Series season up until this past weekend, he had endured bad luck. As a result, he sought a victory to secure a berth in the Truck Series playoffs.
Rhodes accomplished just that. He led 38 laps and won the 2018 Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 at Kentucky Speedway. He clinched a playoff berth and will contend for the 2018 Truck Series championship. Rhodes now sits in fourth place in the playoff standings and sixth place in the point standings. This victory is Rhodes’s second career Truck Series victory. He previously won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September of 2017.
Rhodes became the fourth driver to clinch a playoff berth in the 2018 NASCAR Truck Series playoffs. He joins Johnny Sauter, Brett Moffitt, and Noah Gragson as the four drivers who have clinched playoff berths this season. While Justin Haley won at Gateway, he has not officially clinched a playoff berth.
There are four races remaining in the 2018 Truck Series regular season. Those four races will be at Eldora Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Michigan International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
With four races remaining in the NASCAR Truck Series regular season, here are the are the driver power rankings. First, here are the 20 drivers who are in the top 30 in the point standings who are not in this week’s power rankings.
NOTE: “LW” means last week and “NR” means not ranked. For the previous rankings, refer to the driver power rankings following the race at Gateway Motorsports Park.
- Dalton Sargeant, #25, GMS Racing, Chevrolet
- Austin Hill, #02, Young’s Motorsports, Chevrolet
- Todd Gilliland, #4, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Toyota
- Austin Wayne Self, #22, Niece Motorsports, Chevrolet
- Wendell Chavous, #49, Premium Motorsports, Chevrolet
- Justin Fontaine, #45, Niece Motorsports, Chevrolet
- Jordan Anderson, #3, Jordan Anderson Racing, Chevrolet
- Jesse Little, #97, JJL Motorsports, Ford
- Joe Nemechek, #87, NEMCO Motorsports, Chevrolet
- Norm Benning, #6, Norm Benning Racing, Chevrolet
- Jennifer Jo Cobb, #10, Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing, Chevrolet
- Josh Reaume, #33, Reaume Brothers Racing, Chevrolet
- Spencer Davis, #51, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Toyota
- Korbin Forrister, #7, All Out Motorsports, Toyota
- Harrison Burton, #51, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Toyota
- David Gilliland, #54, DGR-Crosley, Toyota
- Robby Lyons, #15, Premium Motorsports, Chevrolet
- Parker Kligerman, #75, Henderson Motorsports, Chevrolet
- Bo LeMastus, #54, DGR-Crosley, Toyota
- Bayley Currey, #63, MB Motorsports, Chevrolet