The final stretch is here and a championship trophy awaits. After a near-month-long break, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to action, with The Chase presented by Mobil 1 beginning in earnest. With 10 drivers jockeying for title glory across seven postseason races, the stakes and excitement will only get higher as the 2026 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway inches closer.
John Crane of NASCAR.com has ranked the 10 Chase drivers before the action gets underway at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday. Sitting at No. 1 with his 2nd postseason appearance is Riggs, holding 6 wins, 10 top fives, 11 top 10s, 4 poles, and 598 laps led. The No. 34 pilot has won five of the last nine races dating back to Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, backed by past victories at Bristol and Charlotte.
At No. 2 with his 2nd postseason appearance stands Honeycutt, boasting 2 wins, 11 top fives, 13 top 10s, 3 poles, and 319 laps led. He closed the regular season with a first-place finish at Richmond Raceway and a third-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His 8.8 average finish led all full-timers. Meanwhile, Smith takes the No. 3 seed for his 4th postseason appearance with 2 wins, 9 top fives, 12 top 10s, 0 poles, and 145 laps led, entering his final full-time Truck postseason before departing for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2027.
Eckes grabs the No. 4 seed for his 5th postseason appearance, putting up 0 wins, 6 top fives, 11 top 10s, 0 poles, and 173 laps led. His laps led rank third among full-timers. Right behind him at No. 5 in his 1st postseason appearance is Ruggiero, with 0 wins, 4 top fives, 9 top 10s, 0 poles, and 59 laps led, alongside a 7.6 average start. Majeski takes the No. 6 seed for his 5th postseason appearance with 0 wins, 5 top fives, 8 top 10s, 2 poles, and 34 laps led, searching for consistency after four straight results inside the top 20.
Enfinger holds the No. 7 seed for his 8th postseason appearance, registering 1 win, 3 top fives, 5 top 10s, 0 poles, and 35 laps led, highlighted by a Lime Rock Park victory in July. Hemric sits at No. 8 for his 3rd postseason appearance with 0 wins, 2 top fives, 8 top 10s, 0 poles, and 5 laps led. Rhodes takes the No. 9 seed for his 8th postseason appearance, bringing 0 wins, 4 top fives, 5 top 10s, 1 pole, and 147 laps led as a ThorSport teammate to Majeski. Finally, Ankrum rounds out the field at No. 10 for his 5th postseason appearance, securing his spot with 0 wins, 1 top five, 5 top 10s, 0 poles, and 3 laps led after overcoming faulty brakes at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
