By: Ashley McCubbin

While everyone is excited for the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season to begin, it’s a sharp reminder that the battle to be one of the championship contenders begins right with Daytona International Speedway. After all, a win and you’re in the show.

But is it possible to predict who the final four and the champion will be? Alas, here are the way to early predictions for the NASCAR playoffs.

Round 8: Christian Eckes, Matt Crafton, Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim, Jake Garcia, Ty Majeski, Ben Rhodes, Nick Sanchez

Round of 6: Christian Eckes, Matt Crafton, Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim, Ty Majeski, Ben Rhodes

Round of 4: Christian Eckes, Matt Crafton, Corey Heim, Ben Rhodes

Champion: Christian Eckes

With each season behind the wheel in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Christian Eckes has continued to improve as a driver. You could even say that last year was his break-out campaign with four victories and and 10 top-five’s with McAnally-Hillegmann Racing. Returning back with the team and no changes to be made, they are only going to build on what they have together and continue to be successful.

Admittedly, Eckes was not my first choice in the championship slot as I was building my bracket. I had put Ben Rhodes there, and he’s an obvious choice as to why you would do so. He has already won two championships with ThorSport Racing, and returns with them once again. It has everyone begging the question as to when he will get the chance to move up to the next tier and prove himself. If things are going well and you don’t mess with them, that is not set to change – right?

Matt Crafton did not have the 2023 campaign he probably wanted with missing the playoffs and placing ninth in the standings. It probably hurt even more just seeing two top-five’s on the scoreboard. A veteran of his caliber and talent is not going to allow that to happen for a second year in a row. Let’s consider this – he has three titles to his name, and his teammate won the championship so the logic seems reasonable. The only thing that makes me wonder about this decision? The fact he has placed ninth in points now back-to-back seasons. What is missing for the No. 88 truck?

Corey Heim is another driver who had a break-out campaign last year with TRICOR Garage, scoring three victories and 12 top-five’s. He also had a legitimate shot at winning the championship until contact with Carson Hocevar halted those efforts. So it seems very reasonable he tries to make it happen once again.

Experience explains how Grant Enfinger and Ty Majeski will make it to the Round of 6, as both were part of the Championship 4 in 2023. You could argue that Majeski will probably easily return and this is where possibly having Crafton in the final four is not the right route to take. As for Enfinger, there are unknowns as he will be with a different team, joining CR7 Motorsports full-time after GMS Racing closed. He will have familiar faces and equipment underneath him, but whether they are able to put the pieces together timely will factor into how far they go.

Nick Sanchez proved he belonged in the series last year, cementing himself in headlines by proving he won’t back down to the veterans while coming close to winning on multiple occasions. Perhaps being over-aggressive and finding himself in trouble is the only drawback, and why he did not get that checkered flag in 2023. But he was part of the playoffs, and you have to think that will repeat itself.

Jake Garcia has shown talent in late models, and was fast last season with three top-five’s and nine top-10’s in his rookie campaign in the series. He will be surrounded by experience now, though, with the move to ThorSport Racing in the off-season. With having gotten used to the trucks and tracks, it should combine to making the cut for 2024.

Sanchez and Garcia were arguably the hardest choices of all the drivers here, though, as there is a list of others that just missed the cut. Is it right to overlook Layne Riggs for being a rookie, considering he will jump in the truck that Zane Smith drove to a championship? Is it right to overlook Chase Purdy with Kyle Busch Motorsports being sold to Spire Motorsports? What about Ty Dillon, who has a lot of experience as he makes his return to the series?

Then there’s Daniel Dye, Tyler Ankrum, Tanner Gray, and Thad Moffitt….

So please let us know if we have the breakdown correct, or where you feel the prediction has gone off track.