NASCAR Truck Series: Driver Power Rankings after 2018 Buckle Up in Your Truck 225
By Mark Kristl
Conclusion
Eldora Speedway hosts the next Truck Series race. It is the only dirt track in any of NASCAR’s major three series. In the next day or so, there will be an article about the uniqueness of Eldora. The race serves as a wild card for the drivers below the playoff cut line. At the moment, Stewart Friesen, Grant Enfinger, and Matt Crafton all have comfortable margins above the playoff cut line. But if a driver below the cut line wins, that cut line will move.
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During the post-race coverage of the Buckle Up in Your Truck 225, the announcers mentioned that Dalton Sargeant and Todd Gilliland are the top two candidates to win their way into the playoffs.
Both drivers race for championship-caliber Truck Series teams. Sargeant drives for GMS Racing, whose driver Johnny Sauter won the 2016 Truck Series championship. Gilliland drives for Kyle Busch Motorsports, whose driver Christopher Bell won the 2017 Truck Series championship driving the #4 Toyota, which is the same truck that Gilliland currently drives.
While Sargeant has four career ARCA Racing Series wins, none of the tracks at which he won are on the remainder of the 2018 Truck Series schedule. Gilliland, however, won the 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Bristol Motor Speedway, a track that is still on the 2018 Truck Series schedule.
While Gilliland drives the same number truck as reigning Truck Series champion Christopher Bell, the #4 Toyota has a different crew chief than it did last season. Although I highlight those two drivers, 32 drivers compete at each Truck Series race. Any one of those drivers would gladly end their race with a celebration in victory lane.
Next: 5 teams that should join the Truck Series
As mentioned, the next race on the NASCAR Truck Series schedule is the Dirt Derby 150 at Eldora Speedway on Wednesday, July 18. The format for the Dirt Derby 150 is unique, so here is the TV information for it. Fox Sports 1 will carry all the racing action from the 0.5-mile dirt track. First up is single-truck qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET. Next, the qualifying races will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET. Finally, the feature will take place at 9:00 p.m. ET.