With the news that not only is GMS shuttering their NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series operation, but Kyle Busch Motorsports doing so too, it makes you wonder what the future of this series truly is. There’s been a lot of teams leaving over the last few years.

However, there’s also been some new ones coming around too. In fact, one could say that the Truck Series is a more viable path to a Cup ride now than going from Trucks to the Xfinity Series then to Cup.

Just look at what drivers like Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar have done in their limited Cup opportunities thus far. They’ve both turned heads and arguably led to paths to a Cup seat and have done so by also bypassing the Xfinity Series in their path.

Yes, Smith and Hocevar have each made select Xfinity Series starts, but they’ve not been on a full-time basis and with the way it stands now, they may never need to be.

Smith signed a deal with Trackhouse to run on loan to Spire in an alliance deal for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. In his Cup debut last year at the World Wide Technology Raceway while filling in for Chris Buescher for RFK Racing, he finished 17th. His second Cup start was this past February’s Daytona 500. He finished 13th. He’s made 7 Cup starts this season with a top 10 finish in the Coca-Cola 600.

He did so while making just one Xfinity Series in 2021 and one more this year.

Why go the traditional route of Trucks to Xfinity when he’s clearly got what it takes to race in Cup?

Same for Hocevar.

He’s made five Xfinity Series starts. All coming this season. He was 38th, 6th, 8th, 36th, 32nd in them.

He’s also made 5 Cup starts this season too. The first with Spire at World Wide Technology Raceway. He was 36th. But, in four races lately for Legacy Motor Club, he’s finished 17th (Southern 500), 20th (Kansas), 11th (Bristol) and 16th (Texas).

This ride has only 3 top 20 finishes this season prior to him. 12th in Atlanta, 20th in COTA and 19th from Mike Rockenfeller at Waktins Glen. 3 of Hocevar’s 4 finishes have been better than all those races minus Atlanta but his 11th at Bristol was the best result that this car has had since the 2022 Daytona 500 with Ty Dillon.

Think about that and look at what races Hocevar is doing this in. They’re playoff races and prestigious ones at that.

Why would he go to the Xfinity Series?

Which means does that open up a new route to Cup? Should you just bypass the Xfinity Series altogether?

At this point, the Truck Series is more comparable to the Cup Series. Both have similar downforce and horsepower levels. The Xfinity Series is actually a more powerful car than the Cup ride now.

Plus, with racing with a top team in either Trucks or Xfinity, it’s similar money.

I mean just look at Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series now. This is arguably one of the top teams in that series but they have no drivers signed for next season. They’ve gone to the route of needing pay drivers for some of those cars.

Which is why both series are now searching for identities. The Xfinity Series boasts the slogan that, “Names Are Made Here.” While that still can be true, it may be the Truck Series making more names first.

On the flip side of the coin however, the Truck Series is also lined with youth and inexperience and some outrageous driving at times. These kids haven’t honed their race craft yet and just drive over your. At least in the Xfinity Series, there’s probably more talent and more veterans that don’t race as rough as they do in the Truck Series. So as far as a talent evaluator, it may be better to judge someone in that series compared to in Trucks, but if you have a keen eye for judging and scouting talent, the Truck Series being comparable to the Cup car may be the preferred route.