Craftsman Truck Series Power Rankings: 2026 Chase preview

The final stretch is here. 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. That said, how do the 10 postseason contenders stack up to one another? Let's find out, with NASCAR.com's John Crane ranking the 10 Chase drivers before The Chase begins at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). RELATED: Craftsman Truck Series standings | Craftsman Truck Series schedule

Seed: No. 1 Postseason appearance: 2nd Regular-season stats: 6 wins, 10 top fives, 11 top 10s, 4 poles, 598 laps led Best Chase tracks: Bristol, Charlotte, Phoenix, Martinsville, Homestead Analysis: It's difficult (but not impossible, as you'll see) to find a driver on as much of a heater as Riggs. After all, the No. 34 pilot has won five of the last nine races dating back to Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. It wouldn't be shocking if the 24-year-old Riggs starts The Chase on a high note, given he has past victories at Bristol and Charlotte, two of the first three Chase tracks. Few things are scarier for the field than a driver with as much speed -- and experience from his first postseason appearance last year -- as Riggs.

Seed: No. 2 Postseason appearance: 2nd Regular-season stats: 2 wins, 11 top fives, 13 top 10s, 3 poles, 319 laps led Best Chase tracks: Kansas, Charlotte, Phoenix, Talladega Analysis: Finishing first at Richmond Raceway and third at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to close the regular season has the 23-year-old Honeycutt on as much of a momentum swing as Riggs. The key for Honeycutt? Survive Bristol -- where he only has one top 10 in seven attempts -- and capitalize on the Kansas-Charlotte-Phoenix-Talladega stretch, where Honeycutt has combined for a 9.4 average finish in 15 contests. The talent is there (his 8.8 average finish led all full-timers), as is the truck (Heim won the title in it last year). Can Honeycutt capitalize just enough? Let's see.

Seed: No. 3 Postseason appearance: 4th Regular-season stats: 2 wins, 9 top fives, 12 top 10s, 0 poles, 145 laps led Best Chase tracks: Bristol, Kansas, Phoenix, Martinsville, Homestead Analysis: Smith enters his final full-time Truck postseason (he departs for the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2027) on a stretch of four straight top-seven finishes, including a win. Smith's 10.9 average finish ranks third among full-timers (behind Honeycutt's 8.8 and Riggs' 9.7), and he is the only full-timer aside from Riggs and Honeycutt to tally multiple wins this season. Consider these three to be the title frontrunners. For Riggs, it's 2026 production. For Honeycutt, it's a truck that has already won a title. Smith's X factor? Experience: His 105 Truck Series starts easily lap the other two (Riggs, 72; Honeycutt, 77).

Seed: No. 4 Postseason appearance: 5th Regular-season stats: 0 wins, 6 top fives, 11 top 10s, 0 poles, 173 laps led Best Chase tracks: Bristol, Kansas, Charlotte, Phoenix, Martinsville Analysis: When discussing Truck title contenders, there are the drivers above and then everyone else, though if a driver can break into the upper echelon, it's the 25-year-old Eckes. Simple statistics can speak for themselves there, primarily his laps led, which rank third among full-timers. Eckes' 2023-2024 Truck stretch -- where he won eight times -- is also doing some lifting here, but in terms of talent and prior winning pedigree, the upside is huge. That said, Eckes still must execute, and that means finding a way to Victory Lane once again.

Seed: No. 7 Postseason appearance: 8th Regular-season stats: 1 win, 3 top fives, 5 top 10s, 0 poles, 35 laps led Best Chase tracks: Kansas, Talladega, Martinsville, Homestead Analysis: Relative to other Chase drivers, Enfinger's 2026 was a slow brew. After finishing outside the top 20 in six of the first eight contests, Enfinger has found sturdier footing, especially of late; the 41-year-old has finished 14th or better in four of the past five races, including a Lime Rock Park victory in July. That momentum could continue into The Chase, given how the schedule stacks in the veteran's favor. He has won at four of the seven venues, and the odd tracks out (Bristol, Charlotte, Phoenix) have also yielded solid results.

Seed: No. 5 Postseason appearance: 1st Regular-season stats: 0 wins, 4 top fives, 9 top 10s, 0 poles, 59 laps led Best Chase tracks: Bristol, Kansas, Charlotte, Talladega Analysis: The 20-year-old Ruggiero has been steady from the jump, staying inside the top five of the standings all season. He now enters a postseason slate that includes the track he won at last year (Talladega), with another Victory Lane appearance not out of the question. A 7.6 average start -- second only to Honeycutt's 5.9 mark -- shows the No. 17 pilot's strong qualifying efforts, and for a young driver with fewer Truck starts under his belt than others, continuing this trend in the postseason will be vital.

Seed: No. 8 Postseason appearance: 3rd Regular-season stats: 0 wins, 2 top fives, 8 top 10s, 0 poles, 5 laps led Best Chase tracks: Bristol, Kansas, Martinsville, Homestead Analysis: Save for North Wilkesboro Speedway and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (where he finished 20th and 34th, respectively), Hemric has been nails in the results department since late May, with the seven other starts in that span all netting top-15 finishes. Here is the not-so-good: Hemric's five laps led rank ninth out of the 10 Chase drivers. Finding more speed will be necessary if the 35-year-old wishes to make a push for the title. Some solace: He led laps -- and won -- at Martinsville Speedway last season, with the track back in The Chase this year.

Seed: No. 6 Postseason appearance: 5th Regular-season stats: 0 wins, 5 top fives, 8 top 10s, 2 poles, 34 laps led Best Chase tracks: Bristol, Phoenix, Homestead Analysis: After alternating finishes inside the top 15 with results outside the top 20 over the first 14 races, some week-to-week consistency has finally emerged for the 2024 Truck Series champion, with four straight results inside the top 20. Is it too little, too late? You can't discount a former title victor entirely, but Majeski will need to string together top fives -- or wins -- to make a case for a second championship. If he does, watch out. If he doesn't, then expect minimal movement up The Chase table.

Seed: No. 9 Postseason appearance: 8th Regular-season stats: 0 wins, 4 top fives, 5 top 10s, 1 pole, 147 laps led Best Chase tracks: Bristol, Charlotte, Phoenix, Martinsville Analysis: Majeski's ThorSport teammate has a similar Chase outlook based on past pedigree and recent trends. Momentum of late hasn't been on Rhodes' side, though, with only one top 10 in his last eight races. Again, for a former champion (in this case, a two-time champion), you can't shrug off the chance of Rhodes going on a tear. But at this juncture, best to be in see-it-to-believe-it mode. If it does happen, look for Bristol and Charlotte (where Rhodes has average finishes of 11.9 and 7.6, respectively) to be the spark.

Seed: No. 10 Postseason appearance: 5th Regular-season stats: 0 wins, 1 top five, 5 top 10s, 0 poles, 3 laps led Best Chase tracks: Bristol, Martinsville, Homestead Analysis: Overcoming faulty brakes and finding a little magic at the "Magic Mile" helped Ankrum sneak into the postseason picture. Much more magic will be needed, though, if there is any realistic chance of Ankrum hoisting the championship hardware when it's all said and done. Ankrum's three laps led this season rank last among Chase pilots. For a seven-race championship run, that lack of front-running speed is problematic. Never say never, but Ankrum will have to put up the best seven-race stretch of his career. It's the only way.