Semblance of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series former glory has evidently been restored in 2021. This unique transitional period for the developmental series has provided the best racing in over a decade, largely attributed to the diverse identity change from youth to experience throughout the field.
This season has been Toyota, specifically John Hunter Nemechek, who accounted for five of the manufacturer’s 12 victories out of 15. To say the 24-year-old is the Championship favorite would be an understatement. The question now becomes, who will serve as his worthiest adversary?
Based on trends and statistics, here’s what could potentially be expected for the Truck Series postseason.
An Unlikely Challenger?
Is it possible the Truck Series title fight could come down to a battle of long-standing heritage and tradition between two prodigies? All signs point to this direction as Todd Gilliland silently scorches his path to a bid as a serious title contender.
Gilliland’s 5.0 average over the past three weeks is a second-best only to Austin Hill, in addition to his 133 points amassed. The No. 38 is riding a seven-race top-10 streak (tied with Hill for best stretch of the season), which began with a win at the Circuit of the Americas.
There was a point in time where many gave up on Gilliland, but you get the sense now the 21-year-old is just getting started. He’s currently the fourth seed in the standings, and he’s on pace for a career year with seven top-fives and an average finish of 8.4.
Front Row Motorsports secured the biggest headline of 2021 thus far when Michael McDowell won the Daytona 500. Whether the series finale comes down to a battle between Nemechek and Gilliland in the desert remains to be seen, but it would be an outstanding full circle moment if it does.
Hill’s Heating Up
It’s been a melting pot of challenges for Nemechek throughout the regular season. First was Ben Rhodes, who began the year winning back-to-back races, but now it appears to be the heavy-hitter in Hill. Over the last two years, you got the sense the driver of the No. 16 was on the cusp of emerging as a Championship favorite. Could 2021 be the year?
Hill makes a strong case for being most consistent all season in terms of speed, but there were quite a few races that slipped away before he clicked off two consecutive wins at Knoxville Raceway and Watkins Glen International. He now enters the postseason as the hottest driver in the series, riding a seven-race top-10 streak and a pair of victories, just 28 points behind Nemechek for the lead.
With a 2.3 average over the last three races, expect Hill to be a force for the remainder of the 2021 season.
Championship 4
Without overstating the obvious, Nemechek should be a lock for the Championship 4. With five wins this year and consistently being the truck to beat, it’s only a matter of who will join him in the chase for the title at Phoenix Raceway.
Having already documented Gilliland and Hill’s recent success, two other drivers have the potential to contend from different ends of the spectrum — Matt Crafton and Zane Smith.
Crafton has had a rough season but seems to be hitting his stride as of late, finishing sixth in the past three races. Although he’s failed to find victory lane thus far, it was proven in 2019, that doesn’t mean much, especially for the driver of the No. 88, who won the Championship.
As for Smith, he, too, appears to be heating up at the right time. His five-race top-10 streak was brought to a halt in the most recent event at Knoxville, bringing his total to nine on the year. The 22-year-old finished runner-up to his GMS Racing teammate for the Championship in 2020, so he should know how to get back in contention and be better prepared should he advance to Phoenix.
The Championship 4 could contain Nemechek, Hill, Smith, and Gilliland, but former Champions and veterans like Crafton could make a run based on current trends. Ultimately, it’s too early to tell, and the remaining sporadic Truck Series schedule may prove to be difficult in terms of sustaining consistency.
