There are five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers who are feeling comfortable.
There are three who have every reason to be nervous.
With three races left before the series Playoffs start at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Johnny Sauter, Brett Moffitt, Noah Gragson, Ben Rhodes and Justin Haley are locked into Playoff on the strength of race victories.
On the other hand, Grant Enfinger, Stewart Friesen and Matt Crafton are winless. And though those three drivers are in comfortable positions to make the Playoffs on points, a victory by any of the drivers chasing them could have dire consequences.
Eight drivers will make the Playoffs, with race wins taking precedence over position in the standings.
With three victories, Moffitt knows he’ll have a Playoff spot. And with 16 Playoff points in his pocket, he ought to be a contender for the series championship.
Those Playoff points could prove critical, given the three tracks in the first round: the road course at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, high-speed Las Vegas and unpredictable Talladega.
“Being locked in is a huge weight off your shoulders,” Moffitt said on Friday before opening NCWTS practice at Pocono Raceway. “And I think with the Truck Series, the same thing as our races being short, our season’s short, so all you can do is go out there and try to win races.
“Obviously, you don’t want to make any moves to take yourself out of races, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to win and get Playoff points to secure yourself through that first round, with it being Canadian Tire and Talladega in one round–that’s kind of messy.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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