The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returned to Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend in the Lone Star State for race number 21 of the season and the second race in the Round of 6. With one driver already locked in, another driver also locked himself into the Championship 4.
Here’s a look at this week’s power rankings.
1. Justin Haley – Coming into Texas, Haley was just two points below the cutline. He didn’t necessarily have to win, but a strong points finish was needed in the next two races to make him a championship contender. What becomes someone’s misfortune can often become another’s good fortune. That’s what was said Friday night when race leader, Todd Gilliland, had fuel issues, which saw him slow on the backstretch. This gave the eventual race winner, Justin Haley, the opportunity to grab the win and he is now locked into the Championship 4 with his teammate, Johnny Sauter. Haley won Stage 1 and finished third in Stage 2. It was the third win of the season for the GMS Racing driver.
Previous Week Ranking: 2nd
2. Brett Moffitt – Moffitt ran a quiet race for the most part. The Hattori Racing driver finished fifth and sixth in both stages. In the middle part of the race, Moffitt ran in the top 15 but was back in the top 10 on lap 59. Throughout the final stage, the team reported “chattering the right front tire.” With late-race pit stops occurring, Moffitt recycled in the sixth position. Ultimately, the No. 16 team finished third and now sits comfortably 22 points ahead of the cutline. Moffitt needs one more solid race to be locked into the Championship 4.
Previous Week Ranking: 3rd
3. Johnny Sauter – Last weeks winner at Martinsville fought adversity all night long. He has a great qualifying lap that put him on the pole. From the start, Sauter fought a loose-handling truck all night and was involved in a wreck on Lap 40 which set the team back a bit. They were eventually back in the top 10 and top five late in the going, but ended up finishing 11th. Not the best day for the No. 21 GMS Racing team, but they’re able to breathe as they’re locked into the Championship 4. That’s what the championship is all about. Fight through the bad days to get the good days.
Previous Week Ranking: 1st
4. Todd Gilliland – Gilliland had the truck to beat Friday night in the Lone Star State. He qualified 12th and raced his way into the top 10 to finish 10th in Stage 1. In Stage 2, Gilliland finished one spot better in ninth. On Lap 71, the No. 4 team took the lead and led for 37 laps until he pit with 33 to go. Gilliland retook the lead as the leader on Lap 124. It looked liked he had the race won, but fuel issues prevented him from winning and he was relegated to a fourth-place finish. It’s only a matter of time before Gilliland starts winning numerous races.
Previous Week Ranking: Not Ranked
5. Myatt Snider – It seems as though the No. 13 team is getting one step closer to leading races, and eventually finding victory lane. Last week at Martinsville, Snider took the lead for a brief moment, but still finished in the top five. Before Stage 2 started at Texas, Snider and six other drivers stayed out, which saw Snider taking the lead. He led for 35 laps before handling started to go away and he reported, “the Truck was not turning.” Snider and company finished 13th, one lap down. However, it was enough to keep him in the top five power rankings.
Previous Week Ranking: 5th
Fell Out
1. Noah Gragson – Gragson was involved on a Lap 40 wreck and collected damage on the side of his truck. He came back to finish 10th and is now 18 points above the cutline.
