NASCAR Truck Series Power Rankings: Martinsville jumbles playoff drivers

Four of the six NASCAR Truck Series playoff drivers changed positions in the championship standings after the 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame 200.

The 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 at Martinsville Speedway was quite chaotic. The NASCAR Truck Series round of 6 race featured 12 cautions for 80 laps, more than a third of the total number of laps. As the chaos at the short track ensued, Todd Gilliland held off Ross Chastain on the final restart to earn his first career NASCAR Truck Series victory.

With Gilliland’s first career win, none of the six playoff drivers clinched a Championship 4 berth. But four of those drivers switched positions in the championship standings, shifting the playoff picture.

With those changes and one race remaining in the round of 6, how do the round of 6 drivers stack up against one another in the power rankings?

More from Camping World Truck Series

• NASCAR: New team confirmed for Kyle Busch for 2024
• NASCAR: Replacement confirmed for driver released before Talladega
• NASCAR team releases driver with three races left
• NASCAR Truck Series: Spencer Boyd speaks on Montucky, Bristol tradition
• NASCAR title-winning team shutting down after 2023

NOTE: “LW” refers to last week.

1. Brett Moffitt, #24, GMS Racing, Chevrolet, LW: 1

Brett Moffitt won the first stage and finished in seventh place in the second stage. Yet his involvement in the lap 124 wreck left him with a 29th place finish, the worst of the playoff drivers.

His 14 stage points were his saving grace, as he still sits 45 points above the Round of 6 cut line. While he is not guaranteed a Championship 4 berth, Moffitt is well-positioned to defend his title.

2. Stewart Friesen, #52, Halmar Friesen Racing, Chevrolet, LW: 2

Stewart Friesen finished the first two stages in eighth and 10th place, respectively. He spun on lap 150 after contact with Johnny Sauter, but his Halmar Friesen Racing team never gave up. He ultimately finished in sixth, the second best of the playoff drivers. He has a 35-point lead over the Championship 4 cut line. Although he is not guaranteed to race for the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he is in control of his own destiny.

3. Austin Hill, #16, Hattori Racing, Enterprises, Toyota, LW: 3

In NASCAR, the “Big One” is generally associated with superspeedways. But on Saturday, it happened at Martinsville Speedway and involved playoff drivers Moffitt, Austin Hill and Tyler Ankrum. The damage sustained by Hill’s #16 Toyota proved terminal. He failed to finish the race and was scored in 26th place. He lost one spot in the championship standings and is now the last driver above the Championship 4 cut line with a nine-point margin, which is not exactly a comfortable margin for error.

4. Ross Chastain, #45, Niece Motorsports, Chevrolet, LW: 5

The biggest mover in the championship standings was Ross Chastain. Chastain scored eight stage points and finished in second place. While he would’ve preferred to win to clinch a Championship 4 berth, he finished 0.879 seconds behind Gilliland and is now 20 points above the Championship 4 cut line. This likely will be Chastain’s only full-time Truck Series season, and he is just one race away from competing for the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

5. Matt Crafton, #88, ThorSport Racing, Ford, LW: 4

A power issue derailed Matt Crafton’s race, but his ThorSport Racing team never quit. They repaired his #88 Ford and he soldiered on to a 23rd place finish. However, he still finished ahead of three playoff drivers. This resiliency has him only nine points below the Championship 4 cut line, although he left Martinsville Speedway angry with the NT1 engine program. It already ended the playoff runs for teammates Johnny Sauter and Grant Enfinger. Crafton has one strategy for the round of 6 finale at ISM Raceway: “We’ll go there with plans to kick their teeth in. Take no prisoners.”

6. Tyler Ankrum, #17, DGR-Crosley, Toyota, LW: 6

Tyler Ankrum was involved in the “Big One” on lap 117. After his pit crew attempted to repair his #17 Toyota, he was unable to meet minimum speed, and his race ended after 133 laps. He finished in 25th place and is now last of the playoff drivers in the championship standings. He sits 15 points below the Championship 4 cut line. However, if he fails to advance to the Championship 4, it wasn’t for a lack of effort from his DGR-Crosley team.

Lucas Oil 150 preview

The Lucas Oil 150 at ISM Raceway is the final race in the Round of 6. Two drivers will be eliminated and the remaining four will battle for the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Which of the six playoff drivers have fared well at the 1.0-mile track in Avondale, Arizona?

Brett Moffitt is the defending race winner. He started in fifth place, led 19 laps and won the race to advance to the Championship 4 race, which he also won to capture the championship as well.

In three races at ISM Raceway, Stewart Friesen has one top five finish and two top 10 finishes. While he hasn’t led any laps, he has completed all the laps in his three races there.

Austin Hill has not fared well at ISM Raceway. In both races there, he has failed to finish due to mechanical failures. A DNF in the Lucas Oil 150 would be probably eliminate him from the playoffs.

Ross Chastain has competed at ISM Raceway in all three NASCAR series. He took the Truck Series pole position there in 2013 and finished in second place in that race. Last season in the Xfinity Series race at the track, he started in 16th and finished in 17th, one lap off the lead lap.

Matt Crafton is determined to win at ISM Raceway. In 18 career starts there, he has eight top five finishes and 11 top 10 finishes without a win. Although he has finished runner-up once, he has only led 16 laps at the track.

Finally, Tyler Ankrum competed at ISM Raceway last season. He started in 15th place and finished in sixth, but he didn’t collect any stage points. If he doesn’t win the Lucas Oil 150, then collecting stage points will be a high priority for him.

Lastly, qualifying for the Lucas Oil 150 will be crucial for the playoff drivers. Only twice in the 28 Truck Series races at ISM Raceway has the winner qualified outside the of top 10.

Which drivers will advance to the 2019 NASCAR Truck Series Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway? The Lucas Oil 150 at ISM Raceway is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 8 beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET with live TV coverage provided by Fox Sports 1.