NASCAR Truck Series: 5 reasons Ross Chastain can still win the 2019 title

No dominant driver

Aside of the non-championship eligible Kyle Busch, there has not been a dominant driver in the Truck Series so far this season. Only three full-time drivers, including only two who have been championship eligible since the season began, have taken the checkered flag at any point this season.

Hattori Racing Enterprises’ Austin Hill and ThorSport Racing’s Johnny Sauter are the two drivers who have taken a checkered flag so far this season and have been championship eligible since the season began. Hill won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway and Sauter won the season’s sixth race at Dover International Speedway.

Chastain, meanwhile, has won twice and is the only full-time driver who has done so.  Unfortunately, his first victory did not count toward locking him into the playoffs since he had not yet declared for Truck Series points at the time, and his second victory was stripped and handed to second place finisher Brett Moffitt of GMS Racing.

Assuming he can lock himself into the playoffs with a top 20 finish in the regular season championship standings and at least one victory in the regular season’s final six races, Chastain should be considered not only a true contender but the championship favorite given the fact that there is no clear standout in the Truck Series this season. Had he been declared for Truck Series points since the season began, he would easily be that standout as we speak.

The only driver in the top six in the championship standings who has actually won a race this season is Moffitt, who sits in fourth place, and he won after finishing in second.