Craftsman Truck Series Power Rankings: Familiar faces lead the way

With the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season five races old, we've seen a bit of everything. A pair of title contenders in Chandler Smith (Daytona) and Layne Riggs (St. Petersburg) have left their mark in victorious fashion. Kyle Busch continues stacking wins. And 2025 Truck Series champion Corey Heim has back-to-back victories and leads the driver standings … despite being a part-timer who isn't eligible for The Chase. These storylines have left the full-time Truck field in a bit of a jumble relative to our preseason rankings. So, how does everything currently shake following the most recent on-track action at Rockingham Speedway? NASCAR.com's John Crane ranks the top 10 drivers with more than a quarter of the regular season complete. RELATED: Craftsman Truck Series standings | Craftsman Truck Series schedule

Analysis: It was a bumpy ride to begin 2026 for the 23-year-old Riggs, finishing 31st and 27th at Daytona International Speedway and EchoPark Speedway, respectively. But for a driver unanimously viewed as a title contender, his fortunes were bound to turn around, and that they have with three consecutive finishes of 12th or better, highlighted by a 70-point win at St. Petersburg. Riggs maintains the top spot in this ranking installment, but others are hot on his heels.

Analysis: The current points leader among full-timers is the 22-year-old Honeycutt, who ironically shares the points lead with part-timer Heim, the previous driver of the No. 11. While Honeycutt has yet to put his Toyota in Victory Lane, it could come soon; Honeycutt has finished eighth or better in four of five races this season and has led laps in three of those four. Lump it together with two 30-plus and two 50-plus points payouts, and Honeycutt is in good shape early on.

Analysis: Let's start with the good news. Smith won the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, storming through the pack during the second lap of NASCAR Overtime thanks to a strong push from Ty Majeski. Now for the bad: After initially finishing fourth at Rockingham, the No. 38 Ford failed post-race inspection, resulting in a disqualification and just one point earned. Every point matters in The Chase, so this isn't ideal, but even still, the 23-year-old still has what it takes to recoup lost points.

Analysis: After starting on the pole for six races in 2024, it was goose eggs for Majeski last year. Enter 2026, and Majeski has already broken the ice on that front, claiming the pole at Daytona (and finishing fourth). The 2024 Truck Series champion is still aiming to capture his first checkered flag since that season at Phoenix Raceway. There have been signs of a potential breakthrough, including a St. Petersburg runner-up. Two finishes of 28th or worse are a damper, though, so more consistency will be needed.

Analysis: After a solid 2025 rookie season, the 19-year-old Massachusetts native is off to a good sophomore start with two top fives and three top 10s. Ruggiero has certainly started race weekends strongly, beginning all five contests inside the top 10; his 7.0 average start leads full-timers. That said, Ruggiero has yet to lead a lap, which will be needed if he wishes to find Victory Lane for the first time since Talladega Superspeedway last fall.

Analysis: Speaking of leading laps, Rhodes has certainly done that, with 93 circuits to his name after leading 74 over the two prior years combined. The 2021 and 2023 Truck Series champion currently possesses a 14.6 average finish, which will need improvement, but a Darlington DNF -- with just two laps completed -- certainly skews the data. What's next for Rhodes? Rekindle early-season success; after finishing the first three races 12th or better, the 29-year-old has finished 18th or worse in the last two contests.

Analysis: Similarly to Rhodes, a DNF for Eckes (EchoPark) throws the metrics for a bit of a loop. Eckes has finished inside the top 15 in every other race, a decent start to his full-time Truck Series racing return. Eight laps led is a far cry from his 1,401 circuits from 2023-24, however, and if Eckes wishes to find Victory Lane once again (after doing so eight times in his last two full seasons), he will need to find more field-leading speed.

Analysis: It's great to see Friesen behind the wheel once again after a July 2025 crash during a Super DIRTcar Series event sidelined him for the remainder of last season. And the 42-year-old Canadian is making the most of it, with two top 10s and a stage win to his 2026 ledger. A P4 result at "The Rock" has momentum on Friesen's side, and with a touch more of where that came from, the No. 52 Toyota could turn heads.

Analysis: Haley's P10 position in the standings leads Kaulig Racing's five-truck Ram contingent. A former NASCAR Cup Series mainstay, the 26-year-old Haley is a veteran leader for the team -- and manufacturer -- to build behind, and with finishes of 15th or better in the last four races, there is a rallying point as the organization wheels into the bulk of the schedule. Patience will be needed for the team and manufacturer, but Haley could very well bump up in these rankings once again in due time.

Analysis: If there is one thing Garcia has a knack for spanning back to 2025, it's collecting pole positions. After capturing three pole awards last season, the 21-year-old Garcia already has two to his credit in 2026 … in only five races. It's certainly a good predictor of success; Garcia finished inside the top 10 in both races in which he claimed the pole this season (EchoPark, Rockingham). There are building blocks to work with here.