NASCAR Truck Series playoff bubble watch: Who rose, fell after Nashville
NASCAR Truck Series driver Ben Rhodes.
After Christian Eckes' dominant win at Nashville on Friday, just three regular-season races are remaining for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs.
With only four drivers locked into the postseason field after 13 races, it's anyone's guess as to who will compete for the championship.
Here's where the bubble drivers stand after Nashville.
5. Ty Majeski (+144)
6. Tyler Ankrum (+47)
7. Taylor Gray (+38)
8. Ben Rhodes (+34)
The defending Truck Series champion actually lost two points to the cut line on Friday, but after a rough start to the season, the No. 99 team is finally starting to turn things around. Rhodes finished seventh on Friday, making it three finishes of seventh or better for Rhodes in the last four races. Rhodes should be able to point his way into the postseason, and he's proven he can win the title as an underdog - twice.
9. Grant Enfinger (+33)
Enfinger can be marked as one of the biggest winners of the night when it comes to the playoff cut line, as the veteran driver gained seven points and one spot after a sixth-place effort at Nashville. The speed is becoming more constant in the No. 9 truck, and July 19's race at IRP - where Enfinger won in 2022 - could be where Enfinger puts it all together for his first win of the season.
10. Tanner Gray (+14)
Gray finished 14th on Friday after an incident early in the race, but he continues to get better by the week. Gray has a history of starting the season strong before heavily falling off, but he's been steady so far in 2024. He'll have to race hard over the next three races to ensure a playoff berth, but right now, he's got as good of a shot as anyone to make his way in.
11. Daniel Dye (-14)
There couldn't have been a better time for Dye to notch his best career finish (second) than Friday at Nashville, where Dye's runner-up performance gained him 23 points on the playoff cut line. At just 20 years old, Dye may not have postseason experience, but the speed in the No. 43 truck is finally showing through on a weekly basis. Dye was left out of a lot of playoff brackets at the beginning of the season, but the young driver could be on the edge of another breakout performance soon.
12. Stewart Friesen (-17)
While Friesen lost his 11th-place spot in points to Dye, Nashville was still a gain of nine points for Friesen to the playoff cut line. Winning the pole and earning eight stage points certainly helped soften the blow for what was an otherwise mundane 11th-place run. Friesen needs to run up front more often to be taken seriously, but he may have enough veteran savvy to weasel his way into the playoffs.
13. Matt Crafton (-54)
Crafton may not notch the worst points finish of his career in 2024, but if he misses the playoffs for the first time this season, it wouldn't be a stretch to call his 24th full-time season the worst of his legendary career. The three-time champion ran inside the top-10 at Nashville before finishing 23rd, two laps down. With three races to make up 54 points or score his first win in four years, it's put up or shut up time for Crafton, who at 48 years old, is nearing the end of his career.
14. Chase Purdy (-61)
15. Jake Garcia (-67)
16. Layne Riggs (-80)
17. Dean Thompson (-95)
18. Ty Dillon (-107)
19. Bayley Currey (-114)
20. Bret Holmes (-122)
Want more articles like this? Follow Yardbarker on MSN to see more of our exclusive NASCAR content.
More must-reads:
Trending slideshow: Vroom service: The 20 best films about racing (Provided by Yardbarker)