NASCAR Truck Series Power Rankings: Matt Crafton, second most titles

Matt Crafton won the 2019 NASCAR Truck Series championship, tying him for the second most titles. How did the season finale affect the final power rankings?

The NASCAR Truck Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway crowned three different winners. Austin Hill swept all three stages of the 2019 Ford EcoBoost 200 to secure his fourth win of this season.

Finishing in second place was Matt Crafton. Crafton won the Truck Series championship, the third of his career, in doing so. He won the title without winning a race all year, marking the first time a Truck Series champion has achieved such a feat.

Crafton tied Jack Sprague for the second most championships by winning this title. Only NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. has more championships, four, and Crafton will have the opportunity to tie him next year.

Lastly, Christian Eckes drove the #51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota to a third place finish. As a result, Kyle Busch won the owners championship. After winning the 2019 ARCA Menards Series championship, Eckes has earned himself a promotion. He is set to drive the #18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota full-time next year.

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With the NASCAR Truck Series season complete, how did the eight playoff drivers fare in the final power rankings of the year?

NOTE: “LW” refers to the power rankings after the 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 at Martinsville Speedway and “NR” means not ranked.

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

Don’t hate the player; hate the game. Matt Crafton achieved everything he needed to do and he won the championship as a result. He became the first Truck Series champion not to win a race. It is doubtful Crafton and his team are concerned about that statistic. Instead, they’re celebrating jubilantly at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

http://twitter.com/NASCAR_Trucks/status/1195566286715150336

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

Despite leading 36 laps, Ross Chastain was unable to reel in Crafton as the laps wound down in the third stage. In a memorable year, Chastain won three races and finished in second place in the championship standings. He elevated the performance of Niece Motorsports. Reflecting on their year, the team said, “Not many people knew who Niece Motorsports was coming into this year. They knew we were here tonight. Thanks for a heck of a ride, Ross Chastain.”

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

Ironically, Hattori Racing Enterprises won back-to-back Truck Series races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Last year, Brett Moffitt won the race and the championship. This year, Austin Hill won the race for the team, but Moffitt now drives for GMS Racing. Battling for the championship, he ran inside the top five all race, but he finished in fifth place, three positions behind Crafton. Moffitt was dejected after the race, but he will be back next year as the driver of the #24 Chevrolet and likely more determined.

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

Entering Homestead-Miami Speedway, Stewart Friesen arguably had the most momentum, as he won the most recent race at ISM Raceway. Yet he was unable to keep pace with Crafton for most of the race. He fell back to an 11th place finish, certainly not the finish he and his team desired. Friesen won two races this year, so it was a career-best year for him. As far as his plans for next year, he is unsure, though he wants to continue racing in the Truck Series.

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

Austin Hill failed to advance to the Championship 4, but Hattori Racing Enterprises brought him a fast #16 Toyota. Hill respectfully raced the Championship 4 drivers. There was no stopping him, though. He retook the lead on lap 112 and drove to a 1.569-second victory ahead of Crafton. Hill is set to return to the team in 2020.

https://twitter.com/HomesteadMiami/status/1195565734153334784

6. Johnny Sauter, #13, ThorSport Racing, Ford, LW: NR

Johnny Sauter won a race for the fourth straight season this year. Yet he had his fewest top five finishes since he started competing full-time in the Truck Series back in 2009 with four. Nevertheless, he finished in sixth place in the championship standings. He has finished inside the top nine in every season he has competed full-time. Crafton won the championship as a 43-year-old; can Sauter win next year as a 42-year-old?

7. Grant Enfinger, #98, ThorSport Racing, Ford, LW: NR

Leading the point standings at the end of the regular season, Grant Enfinger felt good about his chances to at least to advance to the Championship 4. However, his lack of a win in the playoffs coupled with a blown engine in the playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway led to his elimination after the round of 8. Enfinger finished the season in seventh place in the championship standings, but he left Homestead-Miami Speedway happy with his performance this year.

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

Tyler Ankrum left Homestead-Miami Speedway with an honor. As the only rookie driver to make the playoffs, he won the 2019 NASCAR Truck Series Rookie of the Year Award. He earned his first career victory at Kentucky Speedway, made the playoffs and had a shot to make the Championship 4. Not bad for an 18-year-old who missed three races earlier this year due to being underage. He is set to compete full-time with GMS Racing next year, but he was grateful for his rookie year with DGR-Crosley.

Beyond the Flag also recognizes those drivers who competed in every Truck Series race this year. Although these drivers did not make the playoffs, they raced in every event and deserve this shoutout.

• Ben Rhodes, #99, ThorSport Racing, Ford
• Sheldon Creed, #2, GMS Racing, Chevrolet
• Todd Gilliland, #4, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Toyota
• Harrison Burton, #18, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Toyota
• Gus Dean, #12, Young’s Motorsports, Chevrolet

Congratulations to Matt Crafton and ThorSport Racing on winning the 2019 NASCAR Truck Series championship. Also, thank you to all the readers of these power rankings.