NASCAR Truck Series: 2019 opening playoff picture

With the 2019 NASCAR Truck Series regular season in the books, how do the eight playoff drivers stack up against one another heading into the playoffs?

The three-round, seven-race 2019 NASCAR Truck Series playoffs are scheduled to begin this Thursday, August 15 now that the 16-race regular season is in the books.

A total of eight drivers qualified for the playoffs. Six of these eight drivers qualified by winning at least one of the regular season’s 16 races while the other two qualified based on their point totals.

Throughout the course of the regular season, each these eight drivers earned playoff points. Five playoff points are awarded for each race victory while one playoff point is awarded for each stage victory.

Here is how the eight playoff drivers stack up against one another in terms of the amount of playoff points that they accrued throughout the regular season.

Rank – Driver – Car, Team, Manufacturer – Playoff Points (Wins, Stage Wins)
1st – Brett Moffitt – #24, GMS Racing, Chevrolet – 12 (2 , 2)
1st – Ross Chastain* – #45, Niece Motorsports, Chevrolet – 12 (3, 3)
3rd – Austin Hill – #16, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota – 10 (2, 0)
4th – Johnny Sauter – #13, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 8 (1, 3)
5th – Stewart Friesen – #52, Halmar Friesen Racing, Chevrolet – 7 (1, 2)
6th – Tyler Ankrum – #17, DGR-Crosley, Toyota – 5 (1, 0)
7th – Grant Enfinger – #98, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 4 (0, 4)
8th – Matt Crafton – #88, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 3 (0, 3)

*=Ross Chastain earned two of his three victories and two of his three stage victories before he had declared for Truck Series points.

These playoff point totals, however, were not the playoff point totals that were added to the point totals of these drivers before the playoff begins. The playoff drivers who finished the regular season in the top 10 in the championship standings were awarded additional playoff points based on where they finished.

Here is how these additional playoff points were awarded.

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Rank – Playoff Points
1st – 15
2nd – 10
3rd – 8
4th – 7
5th – 6
6th – 5
7th – 4
8th – 3
9th – 2
10th – 1

Here is how the eight playoff drivers finished the regular season in the championship standings and how many additional playoff points they were awarded as a result of their finishes.

Rank – Driver – Car, Team, Manufacturer – Points – Extra Playoff Points
1st – Grant Enfinger – #98, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 665 – 15
2nd – Brett Moffitt – #24, GMS Racing, Chevrolet – 614 – 10
3rd – Matt Crafton – #88, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 598 – 8
4th – Stewart Friesen – #52, Halmar Friesen Racing, Chevrolet – 596 – 7
9th – Austin Hill – #16, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota – 484 – 2
10th – Johnny Sauter – #13, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 445 – 1
12th – Tyler Ankrum – #17, DGR-Crosley, Toyota – 334 – 0
14th – Ross Chastain – #45, Niece Motorsports, Chevrolet – 267 – 0

Here are the playoff point totals for each of the eight playoff drivers.

Rank – Driver – Car, Team, Manufacturer – Playoff Points
1st – Brett Moffitt – #24, GMS Racing, Chevrolet – 22
2nd – Grant Enfinger – #98, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 19
3rd – Stewart Friesen – #52, Halmar Friesen Racing, Chevrolet – 14
4th – Austin Hill – #16, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota – 12
4th – Ross Chastain – #45, Niece Motorsports, Chevrolet – 12
6th – Matt Crafton – #88, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 11
7th – Johnny Sauter – #13, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 9
8th – Tyler Ankrum – #17, DGR-Crosley, Toyota – 5

As a result, here is the opening playoff picture.

Rank – Driver – Car, Team, Manufacturer – Points (Difference)
1st – Brett Moffitt – #24, GMS Racing, Chevrolet – 2022 (-)
2nd – Grant Enfinger – #98, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 2019 (-3)
3rd – Stewart Friesen – #52, Halmar Friesen Racing, Chevrolet – 2014 (-8)
4th – Austin Hill – #16, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota – 2012 (-10)
4th – Ross Chastain – #45, Niece Motorsports, Chevrolet – 2012 (-10)
6th – Matt Crafton – #88, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 2011 (-11)
7th – Johnny Sauter – #13, ThorSport Racing, Ford – 2009 (-13)
8th – Tyler Ankrum – #17, DGR-Crosley, Toyota – 2005 (-17)

For more information regarding how both regular points and playoff points are earned in addition to how they will transfer from round to round throughout the playoffs, click here (available after 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, August 12, 2019).

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The 2019 NASCAR Truck Series playoffs are scheduled to begin with the UNOH 250 this Thursday, August 15. Tune in to Fox Sports 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of this race from Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.

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