NASCAR Truck Series: How do the 2019 playoffs work?

With the 16-race 2019 NASCAR Truck Series regular season in the books, the playoffs are set to get underway. How do they work?

Of the 23 races on the 2019 NASCAR Truck Series schedule, the first 16 are in the books. As a result, the regular season has been completed, and only the three-round, seven-race playoffs separate now from the champion being crowned.

The playoffs are scheduled to get underway this Thursday, August 15 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, and they are scheduled to conclude in slightly over three months on Friday, November 15 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.

Here is a link to the 2019 Truck Series playoff schedule.

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So how do the playoffs work?

Eight drivers have qualified for the playoffs, with six doing so by winning at least one of the 16 regular season races and the other two doing so on the strength of their point totals.

Regular points, including points for race results and top 10 finishes in stages, will be awarded normally throughout the round of 8 and the round of 6.

The opening round of the playoffs is the round of 8, and it consists of three races. After this round, two drivers will be eliminated from championship contention while the other six drivers will move on to the second round, the round of 6. The round of 6 also consists of three races.

After the round of 6, two more drivers will be eliminated from championship contention while the other four drivers will move on to the third and final round, the Championship 4. This round consists only of the season finale.

The playoff points that drivers have accrued throughout the regular season, which include five points for race victories and one point for stage victories, were added to their point totals to start the playoffs. In addition, 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.

Playoff points will still be awarded throughout the playoffs.

Here is a link to the opening Truck Series playoff picture.

Upon the conclusion of the round of 8 when six drivers advance to the round of 6, the six drivers who advance to the round of 6 will again have their point totals reset, and the playoff points that they will have accrued, including those from the regular season and those form the round of 8, will be added to their point totals to start the round of 6.

The four drivers who advance to the Championship 4 will not have any playoff points added to their point totals when their point totals are reset ahead of the Championship 4, and they will be ineligible to score stage points in this round. The highest finishing driver of these four drivers in the season finale will be crowned 2019 Truck Series champion.

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Tune in to Fox Sports 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 15 for the live broadcast of the opening race of the 2019 NASCAR Truck Series playoffs, the UNOH 200, from Bristol Motor Speedway.

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