The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is set to begin their inaugural Chase. Three drivers appear as realistic championship contenders, winning five of the last six races. The final third of the regular season saw Layne Riggs dominate, with three victories at Naval Base Coronado, Indianapolis Raceway Park, and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The other two contenders, Chandler Smith and Kaden Honeycutt, secured wins on the short tracks of North Wilkesboro Speedway and Richmond Raceway respectively. Finally, Grant Enfinger broke a long winless streak at Lime Rock Park.
My power rankings are based on performance in the last six races from the now 20 full-time Craftsman Truck Series drivers, with equipment and speed considered above DNFs. Additionally, I’ve included an outlook to the Chase. Now, let’s get to ranking.
20. Kris Wright (-1)
The last four races have been miserable for Kris Wright. The Pennsylvanian secured consecutive top-20s on the road courses, but has not finished better then 30th in these four races. Notably, Wright is behind part-time drivers Landen Lewis and Connor Mosack in points despite having over twice as many starts. Looking forward, Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway stand out as Wright’s best tracks. The former saw his career best Truck Series finish of 11th-place in 2025, while the latter has his only career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series top-10 and multiple top-20s in Trucks.
19. Mini Tyrrell (-1)
Like Wright, Kaulig Racing’s Truck program, as a whole, has seen a disappointing four race stretch. Mini Tyrrell earned his spot on Race for the Seat due to his CARS Tour success, but failed to finish inside the top-20 in the past four races. His only top-20 in the past six races was an 11th-place at Coronado. The Chase races at Bristol Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway will be the first races the Virginian sees a track for the second time. If Ram improves as the season goes on and seeing tracks a second time helps the 22-year-old, then the end of the season could be his best stretch.
18. Cole Butcher (+2)
On the topic of best stretches, Cole Butcher had his most consistent stretch in these six races. While he did not secure a second top-10, he also did not finish below 23rd. The Canadian has seemingly found momentum in his rookie season for ThorSport Racing. If Butcher can continue finishing in or around the top-20 in the Chase, and potentially turn some of those runs into top-10s, Butcher will be in a better position to return for a second season.
17. Dawson Sutton (=)
Dawson Sutton’s mid-pack consistency has continued. Three of his results are between 15th-place and 17th-place, while the other three are between 25th and 26th-place. While both his highs and lows have been lower than Butcher, I rank the 20-year-old above the 30-year-old for one reason: Three of Sutton’s four top-10s and both of his top-fives were at Chase tracks. Kansas Speedway and Talladega saw top-5s with a top-10 at Bristol. If Sutton can match these results, then the Chase could be a career stretch for the Tennessean.
16. Andrés Pérez de Lara (-1)
Andrés Pérez de Lara’s road course talent showed with a top-10 at Lime Rock, but an 11th-place finish at IRP was his only other top-20 in this stretch. Unfortunately for the Mexican driver, the Chase races on seven ovals. Bristol and Martinsville, both of which saw Pérez de Lara finish top-10 in 2025, will be his best chances for a strong result in the Chase.
15. Tanner Gray (+1)
While Tanner Gray has continued to underachieve compared to his teammates, the final six races have been consistent. The New Mexico driver secured his second top-10 of the season at Lime Rock, and has not finished below 22nd. His other top-10 of the season came at the Chase track of Charlotte. Like Butcher, continuing the consistent runs and turning some of his top-20 days into top-10s will be a successful end to the season for Gray.
14. Justin Haley (=)
Eleven drivers earned multiple top-10s in the final third of the regular season, and one of them is Justin Haley. Alongside his two top-10s, he earned two additional top-20s but two finishes outside the top-25. Looking forward, the Chase lines up well for the 27-year old. Bristol and Homestead-Miami Speedway saw two of his best Cup Series results in 2025, Bristol and Charlotte saw top-20s earlier this season, and Haley has four O’Reilly wins at superspeedways. If Ram improves, these final seven races could build momentum for a Chase charge for Ram in 2027.
13. Jake Garcia (-3)
A DNF at Coronado and a six-race stretch with only one finish about twelfth place cost Jake Garcia a spot in the Chase. Despite missing the Chase, there is still a chance for Garcia to earn his first victory of the season. ThorSport seems to be on an upswing, and two of his best tracks in Bristol and Phoenix Raceway sit in the Chase. Garcia has top-10s in the last two spring Bristol races, and a mechanical failure cost him a potential first victory at the track last fall. While Phoenix is also a strong track and anything can happen at Talladega, Bristol is Garcia’s best chance to earn his first top-5 of the season, and potentially his first victory.
12. Brenden Queen (=)
The driver of the No. 12 RAM-1500 for Kaulig Racing remains twelfth in the Power Rankings. Brenden Queen has been incredibly consistent these past four races with three finishes of 20th-place and a fourth of 21st. Continued consistency is precisely what Ram needs at this phase of their return, and there are several tracks that could see a return to the top-10. Like Pérez de Lara, Bristol and Martinsville stand out as strong races for the 28-year-old.
11. Ben Rhodes (-4)
Ben Rhodes is the lowest ranked Chase driver. Like multiple drivers, Rhodes has been a consistent figure in the midfield the past four races, with four consecutive results between 14th and 18th place. A top-10 at Coronado and a 31st-place at Lime Rock round out the final third of the regular season. Rhodes consistently sat in 7th-place for most of the Regular Season, but enters the Chase as the 9th-seed. If Rhodes does not return to form, he will not be a contender in the Chase, but tracks such as Bristol, Charlotte, and Phoenix could provide strong runs. Notably, the 2023 race at Charlotte is Rhodes’ latest victory.
10. Tyler Ankrum (-1)
Like Rhodes, Tyler Ankrum limped into the Chase. McAnally-Hilegemann Racing has regressed from 2025, and it shows with Ankrum only having one top-5 and five top-10s on the season. Notably, the 25-year old has the potential to end the season with a bang; he is a strong superspeedway racer, earned two top-10s at Martinsville in 2025, and has back-to-back top-5s at Homestead.
9. Stewart Friesen (+2)
Stewart Friesen had an incredible three race stretch of consecutive top-10s, as well as a 4th-place finish at New Hampshire. On the flip side, his other two results in this stretch were DNFs at Coronado and Richmond, and these cost him a spot in the Chase. None of the Chase tracks particularly stand out for Friesen as great tracks, but none stand out as bad tracks either. Friesen’s incredible surge propels him to ninth in the Power Rankings.
8. Grant Enfinger (+5)
The past six races have seen two top-5s, including a win at Coronado, but these are his only finishes above twelfth. Grant Enfinger has not been the fastest, but his execution ensured a Chase spot. All but one of the 41-year-old’s top-10s have come on tracks longer then a mile, this combined with historic results and the fact his past six wins come on this track length mean the intermediates of Charlotte, Kansas, and Homestead should be strong tracks for Enfinger.
7. Daniel Hemric (=)
Three drivers enter the Chase with back-to-back top-10s, one of which is Daniel Hemric. Like Enfinger, intermediates have been strong for Hemric. In seven mile-and-a-half tracks since returning to the series, the 35-year-old has two top-fives and five top-10s. This combined with his strong short track results recently means Hemric has potential for a strong Chase run. The main thing stopping Hemric from being a title contender is the fact he only has two top-5s on the season, neither of which came on ovals.
6. Gio Ruggiero (-1)
Gio Ruggiero has greatly improved from his rookie season; the 20-year-old went from missing the postseason to entering it as a fifth seed. Half the past six races have been top-10s for the Massachusetts native. Ruggiero has the speed to be a top five driver, but race craft has been an issue for him. His three top-10s could have been five had he not made questionable moves at Lime Rock and New Hampshire. These moves, combined with his contact with lapped car Dynasty Spurlock in the ARCA race at Kansas, have earned the 20-year-old a reputation as a dirty driver. If he can clean these moves up, a top-5 points finish is likely, but if he doesn’t, it will be a long postseason for the second year driver.
5. Ty Majeski (+1)
The first two thirds of the regular season was incredibly topsy-turvy for Ty Majeski. A top-10 one race, a sub 20th-place result the next. It took until the sixteenth race of the season, but that race saw Majeski earned a second conseucitve top-10s. He enters the Chase coming off a 19th-place at New Hampshire, but the 32-year-old has finally found consistency. The past two postseasons have been very strong for Majeski, with points finishes of first and second. Additionally, he went seven for seven in top-10s last postseason. If the No. 88 team gets hot again, then he could play spoiler in the championship conversation.
4. Christian Eckes (=)
Christian Eckes concluded his quietly strong regular season with three top-5s and four top-10s. The driver who dominated 2024 has not won so far, but has been a consistent figure in the top-5 and top-10. Like Majeski, if the 25-year-old gets hot, he could make a late season run and play spoiler. Eckes has won at four of the seven Chase tracks.
3. Chandler Smith (=)
The top three drivers of 2026 finished top three in the regular season finale New Hampshire. Chandler Smith enters the Chase with four consecutive top-10s which includes a victory and two additional top-5s. Two of Smith’s strongest tracks, Bristol and Phoenix, are Chase races. The 24-year-old has multiple victories at both tracks. His struggle will be intermediates, as he only has one career victory on a track longer than a mile and zero at a traditional intermediate. If he can survive the intermediates and win at his strong tracks, Smith will be a player for the 2026 championship.
2. Kaden Honeycutt (=)
Kaden Honeycutt has speed everywhere. He has victories at a short track and a road course and finishes of second and third at the two intermediates. The Tricon No. 11 has been the team to beat since 2023, and Honeycutt is a force everywhere. The 23-year-old’s one weakness is superspeedways, but if he survives Talladega, the sky is the limit. Charlotte and Phoenix stand out as his best tracks; he has never finished outside the top-10 at either track.
1. Layne Riggs (=)
Three victories in six races and a commanding points lead at the end of the regular season ensured Layne Riggs’ spot at number one. Like Honeycutt, the 24-year-old’s only weakness is drafting tracks. Riggs has multiple wins at Bristol, is the defending winner at Charlotte, and has finished top-5 at every Chase track. Honeycutt and Smith will make the North Carolina native earn it, but the 2026 championship is Layne Riggs’ to lose.
