Getty Chandler Smith (bottom) sits below the cut line with one Round of 10 race remaining.
Only one race remains in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs Round of 10 after Sheldon Creed dominated at Darlington Raceway. There are several drivers fighting for the final spot, including two separated by only five points. Here are the updated standings with one race before the first set of cuts.
Following the race on Sunday, Sept. 5, Austin Hill holds onto the final spot above the cut line. He only has a five-point advantage over Zane Smith despite winning the final two races of the regular season. The reason is that he struggled at Gateway Motorsports Park and Darlington Raceway. He took 23rd in the first playoff race and then 12th in the second.
Smith, by comparison, finished 35th at Gateway Motorsports Park after a mechanical issue. However, he turned in a bounce-back performance at The Lady in Black, racing his way to a ninth-place finish and locking up 41 crucial points in the process.
A Kyle Busch Motorsports Driver is Within Reach
Hear from @CSmithDrive after his P7 finish today from @TooToughToTame 👇
Smith may be in the best position to take the final spot above the cut line, but he is not the only one within reach. A driver with the same surname could also potentially leapfrog Hill with a strong performance at Bristol.
Chandler Smith, the rookie driver of the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra, only sits 12 points below the playoff cut line after making up considerable ground at Darlington. Like Hill and Smith, he dealt with issues at Gateway Motorsports Park en route to a 28th-place finish.
Chandler made positive strides during the second playoff race. He started ninth overall behind nearly all of the other drivers fighting to move to the Round of Eight. He then finished eighth in Stage 1, second in Stage 2, and seventh in the final segment. Chandler secured 42 points and moved within reach of the cut line.
Another Rookie Remains in Danger With 1 Race Left
Chandler has the goal of winning the Truck Series championship, but he is also fighting for another trophy. He is one of two rookie drivers — alongside Carson Hocevar — in the playoffs, and he made some moves to pull within reach of his peer in the chase for Rookie of the Year.
Hocevar, who recently signed a contract extension with Niece Motorsports, turned in a strong performance at Gateway Motorsports Park and finished eighth overall while other playoff drivers dealt with mechanical issues. He locked up 29 points and set himself up to start fifth overall at Darlington Raceway.
Hocevar started the playoff race well, turning in some of the fastest laps prior to the competition caution. The rookie finished seventh in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage 2, putting himself in position to fight for a top-five finish. However, the No. 42 team dealt with an air gun issue on pit road, dropping him back into the pack.
The rookie fought to get into the top 10 before the end of the race, but he could not complete this task. He ended the day in the 11th position, walking away from Darlington with 36 points.
Hocevar is currently above the cut line with one race remaining before the first round of cuts. However, he only has an eight-point advantage over Zane Smith. He will have to continue performing at a high level in order to remain alive in the playoffs.
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Truck Series Playoff Race Tightens Up With One Race Remaining Before Cuts