I’ll admit, when it was announced that the NASCAR Truck Series would expand the playoff field to 10 drivers, I was flabbergasted. Was this going to become a participation award?

Well, after six races, I think the expansion is going to work out well.

So far, several big named veterans are on the outside looking in. Defending series champion Matt Crafton is 31 points back of the 10th and final spot. He’s got two top 10 finishes this year, but only one of which was a top five and also three finishes of 15th or worse including a 40th place finish Sunday in Pocono.

Stewart Friesen in 12th (-20) as he does have three top 10 finishes in his last five starts of the season.

A Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck in rookie Raphael Lessard is 15th (-49). What makes this interesting is, any of those trucks can win at any time.

Plus, they’re chasing a veteran in Johnny Sauter right now who’s holding that 10th and final spot by just nine points over rookie Derek Kraus. Sauter, has four top seven finishes in six starts this year, but that penalty from Atlanta is costing him.

Still, Sauter has six top four finishes in the last seven years in the final standings too. He’s two spots behind Brett Moffitt for ninth.

Moffitt, Crafton and Friesen were in the Championship 4 last year and now all three are on the playoff bubble or outside of it.

Meanwhile, drivers like Todd Gilliland (4 too 7s last 5), Christian Eckes (2 top 8s last 3), Zane Smith (3 top 6s last 4) and Tyler Ankrum (2 straight top 10s) and defending winner at our next race in a couple of weeks at Kentucky are all in

Still, there’s plenty of time left for movement. 11 points separate 10th from sixth. If Crafton, Friesen, Lessard or anyone else on the outside looking in wins, this race will get even more heated.

For the championship favorite you have to say it’s Austin Hill. Yes, Grant Enfinger has two wins this season and is the only Series regular to have won this season, but Hill has a top 10 in every race run this year to go along with three top threes in his No. 16 Toyota.

1. Enfinger (🏁🏁)
2. Hill +94
3. Rhodes +43
4. Creed +30
5. Gilliland +28
6. Eckes +20
7. Smith +18
8. Ankrum +15
9. Moffitt +11
10. Sauter +9
11. Kraus -9
12. Friesen -20
13. Gray -26
14. Crafton -31
15. Lessard -49
16. Majeski -54