NASCAR Truck Series Driver Power Rankings after 2018 Corrigan Oil 200
By Mark Kristl
One race left in the Truck Series regular season
Bristol Motor Speedway is scheduled to host the last race of the Truck Series regular season. Thanks to Racing-Reference.info, I discovered that no current full-time driver has won a NASCAR race before in any of the three major series at Bristol. Last year, Kyle Busch won the Truck Series race at the track. His victory driving the #46 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota began his weekend sweep of the three NASCAR races there.
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However, Truck Series drivers have won races at Bristol Motor Speedway before, just in different series. On May 21, 2017, Myatt Snider won the 2017 Short Track U.S. Nationals at the track. The race was the sixth race of the 2017 CARS Late Model Stock Tour schedule. He led 80 of the race’s 100 laps, so he knows how to race at Bristol. A win in the 2018 UNOH 200 would be his first career Truck Series win, and it would give him his first career Truck Series playoff berth.
This past April, Todd Gilliland won the 2018 Zombie Auto 150 at Bristol Motor Speedway. That race was the second race of the 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season. He led 64 of the race’s 150 laps, and won it by 1.494 seconds.
The reason why Gilliland has not competed in every Truck Series race this season is because he was not yet 18 years old earlier in the year. NASCAR granted him a playoff waiver, but his only way of making this season’s Truck Series playoffs is by winning at Bristol.
Finishing in second place in the Zombie Auto 150 was part-time Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Harrison Burton. Third place belonged to full-time Truck Series driver Noah Gragson, another Kyle Busch Motorsports driver. Lastly, Spencer Davis, who drove the #51 Kyle Busch Motorsports at Michigan, finished in seventh in that Bristol race. In summation, expect Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers to contend for the win at Bristol.
While I mention Kyle Busch Motorsports, 29 other drivers representing several other teams will compete for the trophy in the UNOH 200. For several teams, qualifying for the race will be their first challenge.
Walked through the @NASCAR_Trucks garage, teams are expecting between 40-42 entries for next Thursday's race @BMSupdates.
— Chris Knight (@Knighter01) August 10, 2018
Full field is 32.
I'll take it. #NASCAR
Short track racing is where many of these drivers started their careers. Bristol Motor Speedway will provide plenty of excitement for the final race of the Truck Series regular season. The 0.533-mile track can seat up to 153,000 fans. The UNOH 200 will take place under the lights on Thursday night, beginning the NASCAR race weekend. To boot, Fox will broadcast the race. Are you excited? So am I!
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Who will make the playoffs? Which drivers will gain momentum from the Bristol race to begin the playoffs on a high note? The 2018 UNOH 200 is scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 16. Fox will broadcast the race beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET. Make sure to tune in to see the Truck Series drivers race on a short track under the lights!