The Playoff Format that NASCAR has implemented has been well known for having a diverse crowd of champions. Across the Truck, Xfinity and Cup series, only two drivers, Tyler Reddick in Xfinity and Kyle Busch in Cup, have won multiple championships under this format. Each of the Championships see a mixed bag of seasoned veterans and breakout stars, starting in the Truck series.
Photo: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
Camping World Truck Series
Past Champions: Matt Crafton (2013-14, 2019)
First Timers: John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith
Now, with Matt Crafton not winning a race all year, it could be easy to assume one of the other finalists would be a lock to win it all. The only problem is that Matt Crafton won the 2019 championship in this exact same spot. Crafton has been his vintage self this postseason, running consistently and doing just enough to have a shot at his record-tying fourth championship. While Zane Smith got the clutch win at Martinsville, it was just his second top-five all year. I fear that he doesn’t have the firepower to repeat, losing in the championship for a second straight year. Ben Rhodes has surprisingly avoided more trouble in the playoffs. While many around him faltered, Rhodes has four top-10s after nabbing two wins in the regular season. However, John Hunter Nemechek has to be the favorite. While he hasn’t been as good in the second half, there is no doubt who the best driver has been all season. It will likely take a win to take the championship, and Nemechek has more than anybody this year. When the checkered flag falls, Nemechek will become the newest NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion.
Advantage: First Timers
Photo: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
Xfinity Series
Former Champions: Austin Cindric (2020)
First Timers: Daniel Hemric, Aj Allmendinger, Noah Gragson
Unlike the Truck series, I really could see all four of these drivers walking away with the championship. This includes Daniel Hemric, who is notorious for having the worst luck when he has a chance to win. Even if Phoenix isn’t his first win, Justin Allgaier runs very well in the desert, perhaps it could become a race for second. Noah Gragson just drove the race of his life in Martinsville. With how strong he’s run on shorter tracks, might he pull a Chase Elliott and win back to back at Phoenix, where he was leading last year on the last lap? Aj Allmendinger has been a pleasant surprise all year. We saw what he was able to do to lock up the regular season championship at Bristol. Could he strike again when it matters most? To me, the favorite has to be the defending champion, Austin Cindric. Cindric’s reputation speaks for itself, Cup ride secured, five wins on the year, two wins at Phoenix including last year’s championship. Cindric said he wants to match Tyler Reddick’s two titles. There’s no reason he can’t get it done on Saturday.
Advantage: Former Champions
Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Cup Series
Former Champions: Martin Truex Jr. (2017), Chase Elliott (2020)
First Timers: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin
Kyle Larson’s performance this season is nothing short of incredible. That being said, I don’t predict that he’s going to win the championship. He’s had strong runs at Phoenix, running top-10 his last five starts. What worries me is that he hasn’t really faced any pressure all season. How will he and the no. 5 team react to being back on an even playing field? Boy do I hope he proves me wrong. In my eyes, this championship favors the past champions, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott. Larson and Denny Hamlin have been known for coming up short in the past. Elliott and Truex have not only been clutch, but they’ve been very good at Phoenix, winning the last two races at the track. My gut feeling tells me that Elliott is going to win his second straight championship. We haven’t seen the best of him in these playoffs and he’s still made it to this point. His strong run last week showed that they’re for real. The Napa car is going to be champion again.
Advantage: Former Champions
So for those of you keeping track at home, you know that the former champions have a 2-1 advantage in my predictions. This year’s championships are as wide open as any year in recent memory, and I can’t wait to see who rises to the top.
Who will win the NASCAR Truck, Xfinity and Cup championships? Leave a comment or tweet me @HBLoomis. Let’s talk racing!
コメント