Power Rankings: How all 12 Championship 4 drivers stack up

12. Ben Rhodes, No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota (CWTS)

Comment: It’s hard to believe, but last year’s champion is looking like the underdog compared to the rest of the Truck Series Championship 4 field. He’s the lone single-race winner among them, with his seven top fives, 12 top 10s and 263 laps led fewest among the title contenders as well. That said, though he’s never won in his seven Phoenix starts that’s still a good deal of experience compared to the other championship competitors, and he finished third there last year to land the big trophy. Definitely possible, as it is for any of these dozen drivers.

11. Josh Berry, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)

Comment: Berry is a bit of a late bloomer, making his first full-time season in NASCAR this season at 31 years old — and squeezing every last drop of juice out of it, with three wins and a new contract to try to do it all again next year. He’s capable of winning, just the clear underdog of the four with his 11 top fives and 20 top 10s fewest among the Championship 4 drivers, who also all have more than double his total of laps led (356). He ran well at Phoenix in the spring with a P3-finish, however, so you never know what could happen.

10. Chandler Smith, No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota (CWTS)

Comment: There’s at least a 50% percent chance of a Smith winning this year’s Truck Series title, and Chandler makes a mighty-fine pick, with a tie for the series lead in wins with three and 440 laps led — more than anybody. He’s shown tremendous improvement from his first full-time year last season, whittling his average finish down from 16.8 to 9.0. He’s no slouch at Phoenix either, beating the Championship 4 drivers last year to win the race and bring an average finish of 2.3 to the track.

9. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford (Cup)

Comment: Logano left Las Vegas looking like the title favorite — having been the only one to lock himself into Phoenix before Sunday at Martinsville — but now might somehow be the underdog as he searches for title No. 2. He ranks last among the Championship 4 drivers in top fives (10) and top 10s (16), with five of his nine playoff finishes thus far landing him 17th or worse on the results sheet. That said, all that time to prep for Phoenix should have crew chief Paul Wolfe giving him a No. 22 Ford that can compete, and Logano is the kind of driver to take it into his own hands and will his way to a championship.

8. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS)

Comment: Say what you will about how he got there, but Gibbs will be racing for a championship this weekend at Phoenix. His 2022 pedigree — second-most wins in the series, with six — would indicate he’ll be a threat to win, but he’s the lone JGR car on an island in a sea of three JR Motorsports title contenders. And that’s not to mention anybody else in the field who might try to make the waters a little extra choppy, if you know what I mean. He does have a series-best 5.6 average start, however, so perhaps he gets out front early and stays there.

7. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)

Comment: Another Allgaier-esque season is just about in the books for the longtime veteran, adding another three wins to put him on the cusp of 20 for his career and an average finish (10.8) that’s better than his overall average across his 404 starts. He’s the senior JRM driver with the most experience in this position — it’s his fifth Championship 4 appearance — and this could be the year, especially with his Phoenix resumé. Allgaier has two wins there from 2017-on, with an 8.7 average finish overall.

6. Ty Majeski, No. 66 ThorSport Racing Toyota (CWTS)

Comment: Majeski has had a dream run to the championship, turning in a season of 15 top 10s (10 of which were top fives) after never having more than three in any year prior. It was a season that included his first two national series wins as well — both of which have come in the last three races. His teammate and fellow Championship 4 contender Ben Rhodes was adamant after Miami that Majeski was the driver to beat and he might be right.

5. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Cup)

Comment: Sure, you could look at Bell’s laps led count (573) and average finish (13.9) being worst among the Championship 4 contenders, but would you want to bet right now against the guy that just won in two must-win spots to clinch his title spot? Didn’t think so. Bell has been nothing short of elite in these playoffs, only running into issues not of his doing and otherwise battling for the win in just about every other opportunity. His Phoenix numbers aren’t exceptional — 17.0 average finish and just two top 10s in five starts — but this looks like a championship-ready team.

4. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

(Cup)


Comment: For much of the season it appeared the title was Elliott’s to lose, and with him now in the Championship 4 it feels odd to say — but he’s not the favorite. The 2020 champ notched a series-best five wins, 857 laps led and 12.0 average finish. He obviously also won this race in 2020 to claim his first championship, but rolls into Phoenix this year with a 16.33 average finish in the last six races that’s only buoyed by a win at Talladega. Still, it’s not like we can wash away the entire season where he was the guy and he’ll have just as good a shot as the others to clinch No. 2.

3. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (CWTS)

Comment: A Zane Smith Truck Series championship has felt inevitable for a few years now and this is inarguably his best shot yet. The No. 38 driver tied for the series lead in wins and his series-leading 13 top fives are more than he’d compiled in his prior 46 starts — and he was the series runner-up in each of the past two seasons. Smith has two Phoenix starts, both of which were top fives. He was the runner-up in 2020 with 48 laps led. Championship or bust.

2. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (Cup)

Comment: Step aside, Tony Danza. Ross is the boss now. Chastain’s ascension both this season and on the final lap at Martinsville have been eye-popping to say the least, and he is now in position to finish the job and take home the title in his first-ever playoffs appearance. He’s been a revelation in 2022, landing a series-best 14 top fives while tying Elliott for the lead in top 10s (20) and turning in a 13.5 average finish to rank second overall. Chastain was the spring runner-up at Phoenix, but his team will likely aim to help him qualify better than he has this season — the 14.1 average start in 2022 is by far the worst among title contenders. Still, when's the last race you remember him not being a factor in? Exactly.

1. Noah Gragson, No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)

Comment: Gragson has done just about everything right this year, turning in his best statistical season in NASCAR as he rounds the corner with JRM before moving up to Cup next year with Petty GMS. His eight wins and 975 laps led were series highs, with his 20 top fives, 25 top 10s and 8.3 average finish better than any other Championship 4 competitor. The No. 9 driver is also the most recent Phoenix victor, having won there in the spring. Nobody has a better shot this year to close the deal than Gragson and this talented group.