Written by Gabriel Tsui, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
After a redemption win by Ty Majeski in Richmond Raceway, the regular season came to a close. Christian Eckes took the regular season championship, scoring 15 top-ten finishes in 16 races, with three wins to top it off.
However, the road to the Phoenix starts now, with the playoffs starting in two weeks. Let’s introduce the drivers by ranking them in tiers, and analyse if they will be able to make a run for the championship.
Tier One: The Contenders
The contenders will be those who have had the most consistent performances so far into the season, and those who have the best results of the field. These drivers are proven figures within the series, and have previous runs at the playoffs.
Christian Eckes, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, Chevrolet, #19
Eckes has been one of the most experienced drivers within the field, with 2024 being his fourth full season within the trucks series. In the previous three complete seasons, he made the playoffs and made it out of the round-of-ten every single time, but failed to advance to the championship four in all of those years.
However, this year might be the year where his luck takes a turn. This year, the 23-year-old stepped up his game and put on a masterclass throughout the regular season, including a dominating race win in Nashville, leading every single lap of the race. He is the championship favourite, and he should be able to make it to Phoenix.
Corey Heim, Tricon Garage, Toyota, #11
After a breakthrough season in 2023 that saw Heim make it all the way to the championship four, he stepped up his game even further, doubling his win total with five wins within the regular season. One of the up-and-coming young stars of the industry, he will be looking for a championship to boost his chances for XFinity or even Cup Series opportunities.
He has wins in a few of the playoff tracks, such as Bristol and Martinsville, and also had great performances in other tracks such as Milwaukee, Kansas and Homestead. However, if he wants the Truck Series championship to his name, he must overcome his past misfortunes in Phoenix, and rise above his competition.
Ty Majeski, ThorSport Racing, Ford, #98
Majeski had a rough start to the season, with a few questionable performances in Daytona and Bristol. He made a turn with top five finishes in COTA, Martinsville, Darlington, and Gateway, but was still unable to edge out a win.
However, right before heading into the playoffs, he secured two consecutive wins in Indianapolis and Richmond, boosting his overall standing and securing important playoff points.
His past experiences in the series will significantly aid his bid for his maiden truck series championship. He has made it to Phoenix in 2022, albeit with a Toyota engine.
After ThorSport’s switch to Ford in 2023, the #98 team had shaky performances throughout two seasons but finally got it all together this season, and this year might be the game changing season that takes Majeski a step further in his career.
Nicholas Sanchez, Revolution Racing, Chevrolet, #2
After two seasons of success in ARCA Menards, he joined the trucks in 2023, and immediately secured a playoff berth and made it out of the round of ten. It was an inspiring rookie season for Sanchez, but he exceeded expectations in his second year, with seven top-ten finishes and two wins.
He had a poor run to end the regular season, with only one top-ten finish in the final four regular season races. It remains to be seen if Sanchez could improve upon his already solid performances in the playoffs, but as far as driving skill and car performance, Sanchez has one of the best chances at making the Final Four.
Tier Two: The Dark Horses
For tier two, these are drivers that are expected to be at least advancing from the round-of-ten, and potentially able to sneak into the final four if any of the contenders slip up, or somehow get overpowered by these fellow drivers.
Rajah Caruth, Spire Motorsport, Chevrolet, #71
Following a solid season with GMS, Caruth secured a seat with Spire for 2024, and he ran away with that opportunity. He had four consecutive top-ten finishes at the start of the season, including a win in Las Vegas.
He is a bit further away in terms of playoff experience and consistency, but a strong Spire Motorsport team could be the boost that propels him to the final four.
Tyler Ankrum, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, Chevrolet, #18
After five years of hopping between mid-tier teams, he secured a seat with MHR for 2024, an up and coming team with championship aspirations.
He missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, but finally made the playoffs this year with eight top-ten finishes and five top-five finishes. He has experience but hasn’t shown he could clutch up in playoff scenarios, but it seems to be pretty guaranteed that he makes it out of the round-of-ten.
Grant Efinger, CR7 Motorsports, Chevrolet, #9
The 39-year-old did not have the best season of his career in the trucks, as he finished the season without a win, and only seventh in the regular season standings.
Certainly, it isn’t the most optimal performance for the veteran driver, but the team is quite new to the Series, and Efinger secured the first playoff appearance for the team. There will be certain expectations for Efinger as the veteran driver of the field, but it remains a mystery if the car has the performance to go all the way to Phoenix.
Tier Three: Boom or Bust Potential
For the final tier, these are mostly composed of drivers who barely made the playoffs, and/or doesn’t have much experience in the playoff stage, but can often surprise and make a huge run in the playoffs.
Ben Rhodes, ThorSport Racing, Ford, #99
Naming the defending champion within the bottom tier might come with some controversy, but the performance warrants it. He did not have the best season, as he was only able to secure two top-five finishes and six top-ten finishes.
However, the playoff schedule reshuffling works greatly to his favour, with Bristol moved to the first round, he will have an easier time moving on to the round of eight.
The second round of Talladega, Martinsville, and Homestead are all tracks where he had great performances. If he could put it all together, he can definitely make another huge run this season.
Taylor Gray, Tricon Garage, Toyota, #17
The 19-year-old Gray will make his playoff debut with Tricon Garage, and has incredible chances to show out for his first playoff series. He secured nine top-ten finishes and five top-five finishes, an incredible feat for the rookie.
Bristol and Kansas are on the schedule for the first round, two tracks where Gray had incredible performances in previous years. Though he is expected to be one of the first drivers to bow out of the playoffs, he can still make some noise with a few good performances.
Daniel Dye, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, Chevrolet, #43
Dye barely snuck into the playoffs after a top-ten finish in Richmond, alongside a few decent stage finishes. Similar to the aforementioned Gray, this will be Dye’s first year in the playoffs. Throughout the season, Dye secured six top-ten finishes and one top-five finish.
His past performance in the first round playoff tracks are slightly questionable, so he is still expected to be a first round exit, and a very low chance of making the final four. This will be a learning year for Dye, adapting to the pressure and the complications of the playoffs.
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