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Ask the drivers: Who’s the biggest threat in Gander Trucks Playoffs?
By Chase Wilhelm | Published: September 15, 2020 10
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs will kick off Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET; FS1, MRN, SiriusXM). The 10 drivers set to compete for the 2020 championship made their Zoom rounds during Monday's playoff media day. NASCAR.com asked drivers who they thought would be the biggest threat to take the title in November at Phoenix Raceway. Here's what they had to say.
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Brett Moffitt
"My teammates are certainly gonna be a handful in these playoffs, which I hope when we get to Phoenix and we're all four racing for a championship. That's the ultimate goal here at GMS. I'd say right now, my teammates, the 16 (Austin Hill) and the ThorSport trucks are definitely the guys to watch and who you're going to have to beat. I could be wrong, I could be caught off guard by saying that. The way things have been ramping up getting ready for the playoffs, I believe that's where the competition is gonna be at."3 of 10

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Sheldon Creed
"Moffitt. 100%. I mean he won it in '18, right? So, he knows how to do it. I feel like everyone's counted him out, which I don't think anyone realizes, or maybe they forgot about how good he is. Obviously we work together with Josh (Wise) and being teammates. Honestly, I think he's going to be the one to beat and come to Phoenix with and be the one to beat to get there. Obviously he hasn't won yet this year, but I don't think that means anything for him. I think him and his team are warming up right at the right time. ... He'll be hard and I think our other teammate Zane Smith will be tough to beat."4 of 10

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Austin Hill
"I'm gonna probably say Sheldon (Creed) right now. They've been really good all season long. They've been really fast. He's taken last year what he's learned from being fast and making throughout the whole race and finishing races. So, I think he's going to be really good. But you really can't count out any of the GMS trucks. I feel like they've been really good all season long. Even though Brett (Moffitt) hasn't won a race, I think that he's going to be hard to beat. He won the championship back in 2018, so he's been there before, he's done it. He knows how to get it done and he made the final four last season. I think that he has a shot at making it again."5 of 10

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Grant Enfinger
"I really don't know. I really don't know how to answer that right now. I truly haven't seen a dominant truck, a dominant driver or a dominant organization this year. I feel like our organization, ThorSport Racing, has made huge strides this year. We're competitive week in and week out. Man, I don't who I'd put my thumb on as the favorite. You've got guys like Moffitt and Crafton who've got championships to hang their hats on already. I think those guys will be tough, but they necessarily haven't had the dominant speed this year. Crafton has run really well for sure. I haven't seen any one particular person like we have in years past that says, 'hey, this is the guy.' "6 of 10

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Ben Rhodes
"I would say the biggest threat has to be the GMS trucks. They've just come out strong at every single race. ... If you want to look at one single team that has been very consistent, I would say the 16 (of Hill). They did just pick up the Regular Season Championship. They've had great consistency throughout the season and when they're having bad days, they seem to kind of minimize those bad days. But the GMS trucks are on kind of like a roller coaster. They've been very up and down. But as a combo for the team, whether it's Sheldon or Zane or Brett or whoever's driving, they seem to be having speed. One of those drivers has speed each week. They've been up and down, but their raw speed has been very fast."7 of 10

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Matt Crafton
"I can only rattle off about five of them (playoff drivers). I haven't looked at all of them to be totally honest. It sounds bad, but I just worry about myself and what we are doing. If we maximize ourselves, then they should be worrying about us. I know our teammates are in it. They're definitely going to be very good. They're rolling ... I mean the last two races, ThorSport has won. Those two -- Ben and Grant -- would be the ones that I'd be worried about the most right now. Besides that, GMS is I'm sure going to be good, but hopefully worry about us, as well."8 of 10

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Christian Eckes
"I'd probably say Sheldon (Creed), just from the speed that they've had. They've run really well. Him and his crew chief, Stanky, have run really well. They won a championship together in the past. You know, if they put it together, they're going to be really strong. I'd probably rank him as the biggest threat."9 of 10

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Todd Gilliland
"I think personally, I'd say Zane Smith. To me, it seems like they've been really, really solid week in and week out. At some point or another, you see them hop up the leaderboard. You know, Sheldon Creed's been fast, but they're hit and miss at times. Brett Moffitt is obviously going to be really good when we get down there. He has championship experience, but he hasn't broke through and gotten the win, a lot like us."10 of 10

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images