Ben Rhodes nearly clinched his way into the Championship 4 at Talladega, but there are still 3 spots left. Now the truck series heads to Homestead to decide who runs for a championship and who just races at Phoenix. Here is a look at the 8 drivers left in the playoffs 2022 season statistics, ranks among drivers in 2022 with ranking through 21 races since the playoffs starts in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2022 intermediate (1.3-1.5 miles) track statistics and Homestead statistics.
1 Seed – Ty Majeski
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ¹Rank Thru 21 Races |
| Wins | 1 | T5th | T32nd |
| Poles | 3 | 2nd | T4th |
| Top2 | 2 | T6th | T43rd |
| Top3 | 5 | T3rd | T22nd |
| Top5 | 9 | T2nd | T15th |
| Top10 | 14 | T2nd | T22nd |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T5th | T25th* |
| Stage T10s | 29 | T2nd | T25th* |
| Stage Pts | 165 | 5th | 30th* |
| Playoff Pts² | 8 | T6th | T28th* |
¹Since Playoffs started in 2016
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year
- 1 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 2, 2 Top 3, 2 Top 5, 4 Top 10, 2 Stage Wins, 8 Stage Top 10’s, 50 Stage Points, 7 Playoff Points earned in a race
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Intermediate Stats
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 6.57, Best 2nd, Worst 13th, Led 2.32% of laps run, 0 Wins, 1 Poles, 1 Top 3, 4 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 64 Stage Pts
- Homestead Statistics
- 2020 Homestead Race
- Finished 10th, Started 21st, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage Points
- Notable Homestead Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 10.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 10th)
- Best Finish: 10th, Worst: 10th
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 times finish outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 Stage Top 10’s
Outlook
Talladega saw Ty Majeski’s 5 race Top 10 streak come to an end, but with a win in this round he didn’t have to do much but show up. This season Majeski has been very good with his 2022 ranks being 2nd or 3rd in Top 3’s, Top 5’s and Top 10’s. In the playoffs Majeski has been even more impressive with a Win, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s and 50 Stage Points in 5 races. The success continues at intermediate tracks as Majeski has the best average finish of any full time driver this year of 6.57. Even though he hasn’t won he has 6 Top 10’s and a Top 15 in every intermediate race this year. The last time the trucks raced here Majeski made his only Homestead start and came home 10th with no stage points. This weekend I see Majeski mixing it up more than he did at Talladega, getting a few stage points and finishing inside the Top 10.
Talladega saw Ty Majeski’s 5 race Top 10 streak come to an end, but with a win in this round he didn’t have to do much but show up. This season Majeski has been very good with his 2022 ranks being 2nd or 3rd in Top 3’s, Top 5’s and Top 10’s. In the playoffs Majeski has been even more impressive with a Win, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s and 50 Stage Points in 5 races. The success continues at intermediate tracks as Majeski has the best average finish of any full time driver this year of 6.57. Even though he hasn’t won he has 6 Top 10’s and a Top 15 in every intermediate race this year. The last time the trucks raced here Majeski made his only Homestead start and came home 10th with no stage points. This weekend I see Majeski mixing it up more than he did at Talladega, getting a few stage points and finishing inside the Top 10.
2 Seed – Chandler Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ¹Rank Thru 21 Races |
| Wins | 3 | T1st | T9th |
| Poles | 0 | T9th | T61st |
| Top2 | 3 | T4th | T26th |
| Top3 | 4 | T6th | T32nd |
| Top5 | 8 | T4th | T22nd |
| Top10 | 14 | T2nd | T22nd |
| Stage Wins | 6 | 4th | T13th* |
| Stage T10s | 27 | T4th | T36th* |
| Stage Pts | 186 | 3rd | 17th* |
| Playoff Pts² | 21 | 2nd | T9th* |
¹Since Playoffs started in 2016
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year
- 1 Win, 0 Pole, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10, 4 Stage Wins, 9 Stage Top 10’s, 70 Stage Points, 9 Playoff Point earned in a race
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Intermediate Stats
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 9.0, Best 1st, Worst 21st, Led 3.22% of laps run, 1 Win, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 43 Stage Pts
- Homestead Statistics
- 2020 Homestead Race
- Did not race
- Notable Homestead Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 0 Races
Outlook
At Talladega Chandler Smith helped his cause in getting to the Championship 4 by getting 17 Stage Points and a Top 15 finish. His stages have been the biggest highlight of his year as he has 186 Stage Points this year which is 3rd most. He has also done well in finishing in the Top 10 as well as he is tied for the 2nd most Top 10’s this year with 14. To continue the stage love for Chandler he has won 4 of 10 stages in the playoffs, finished in the Top 10 in 9 of 10 stages and tied for the most stage points in the playoffs with 70. At intermediate tracks this year Chandler’s stage points are not as impressive, but he does have 1 Win, 5 Top 10’s and 6 Top 15’s in 7 starts. This is all we really have to go off of as he has never competed here at Homestead. Since Chandler is 30 points above the cutline I see him trying to get stage points early and then I also see a finish between 6th and 10th most likely.
At Talladega Chandler Smith helped his cause in getting to the Championship 4 by getting 17 Stage Points and a Top 15 finish. His stages have been the biggest highlight of his year as he has 186 Stage Points this year which is 3rd most. He has also done well in finishing in the Top 10 as well as he is tied for the 2nd most Top 10’s this year with 14. To continue the stage love for Chandler he has won 4 of 10 stages in the playoffs, finished in the Top 10 in 9 of 10 stages and tied for the most stage points in the playoffs with 70. At intermediate tracks this year Chandler’s stage points are not as impressive, but he does have 1 Win, 5 Top 10’s and 6 Top 15’s in 7 starts. This is all we really have to go off of as he has never competed here at Homestead. Since Chandler is 30 points above the cutline I see him trying to get stage points early and then I also see a finish between 6th and 10th most likely.
3 Seed – Zane Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ¹Rank Thru 21 Races |
| Wins | 3 | T1st | T9th |
| Poles | 0 | T9th | T61st |
| Top2 | 7 | 1st | T3rd |
| Top3 | 9 | 1st | T5th |
| Top5 | 12 | 1st | T3rd |
| Top10 | 17 | 1st | T2nd |
| Stage Wins | 7 | T2nd | T8th* |
| Stage T10s | 29 | T2nd | T25th* |
| Stage Pts | 188 | 2nd | 16th* |
| Playoff Pts² | 22 | 1st | T7th* |
¹Since Playoffs started in 2016
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year
- 0 Wins, 0 Pole, 1 Top 2, 2 Top 3, 3 Top 5, 4 Top 10, 0 Stage Wins, 8 Stage Top 10’s, 37 Stage Points, 0 Playoff Points earned in a race
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 4 straight Top 3 finishes
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes (twice)
- 2022 Intermediate Stats
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 12.57, Best 1st, Worst 36th, Led 25.94% of laps run, 1 Win, 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 3 Stage Wins, 75 Stage Pts
- Homestead Statistics
- 2020 Homestead Race
- Finished 37th (crash), Started 6th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage Points
- Notable Homestead Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 37.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 42nd)
- Best Finish: 37th, Worst: 37th
- 0 Top 15’s
- 1 time finish outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks 30th)
- 1 DNF, 100% (% ranks 39th)
Outlook
Zane Smith got the job done as far as not digging himself a hole at Talladega and sits 18 points above the cutline. It would be a shame if he does not make the Championship 4 as he clearly has had the best season in the trucks this year. Zane ranks 1st or 2nd in every 2022 rank above except for Poles and is tied for 2nd most Top 10’s in a season thru 21 races since 2016. Even in the playoffs Zane has been solid with 2 Top 3’s and 4 Top 10’s. Intermediate tracks this year have also been good for him as he has 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s in 7 races. As if this wasn’t good enough he also has the most Stage Points on intermediate tracks with 75, but he does have 2 finishes outside the Top 20 which brings his average finish down to 12.57. Zane has only raced once at Homestead and it didn’t go well as he wrecked out early and finished 37th. At Homestead based on the stats I see Zane getting 10+ total Stage Points and then a Top 10 finish if he doesn’t wreck.
Zane Smith got the job done as far as not digging himself a hole at Talladega and sits 18 points above the cutline. It would be a shame if he does not make the Championship 4 as he clearly has had the best season in the trucks this year. Zane ranks 1st or 2nd in every 2022 rank above except for Poles and is tied for 2nd most Top 10’s in a season thru 21 races since 2016. Even in the playoffs Zane has been solid with 2 Top 3’s and 4 Top 10’s. Intermediate tracks this year have also been good for him as he has 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s in 7 races. As if this wasn’t good enough he also has the most Stage Points on intermediate tracks with 75, but he does have 2 finishes outside the Top 20 which brings his average finish down to 12.57. Zane has only raced once at Homestead and it didn’t go well as he wrecked out early and finished 37th. At Homestead based on the stats I see Zane getting 10+ total Stage Points and then a Top 10 finish if he doesn’t wreck.
4 Seed – Ben Rhodes
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ¹Rank Thru 21 Races |
| Wins | 1 | T5th | T32nd |
| Poles | 0 | T9th | T61st |
| Top2 | 5 | T2nd | T9th |
| Top3 | 5 | T3rd | T22nd |
| Top5 | 7 | T6th | T31st |
| Top10 | 11 | T6th | T49th |
| Stage Wins | 8 | 1st | T5th* |
| Stage T10s | 24 | 7th | T46th* |
| Stage Pts | 174 | 4th | 24th* |
| Playoff Pts² | 13 | 4th | T18th* |
¹Since Playoffs started in 2016
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year
- 0 Wins, 0 Pole, 2 Top 2, 2 Top 3, 2 Top 5, 2 Top 10, 0 Stage Wins, 5 Stage Top 10’s, 31 Stage Points, 0 Playoff Points earned in a race
- Notable Streaks this year
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2022 Intermediate Stats
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 18.29, Best 10th, Worst 31st, Led 1.88% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 59 Stage Pts
- Homestead Statistics
- 2020 Homestead Race
- Finished 18th, Started 5th, Led 0 laps, Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 6th in Stage 2
- Notable Homestead Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 5 Races
- 15.8 Avg. Finish (Ranks 25th)
- Best Finish: 10th, Worst: 20th
- Led 6.76% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 20.0% (% ranks 22nd)
- 2 Top 15’s, 40.0% (% ranks 24th)
- 0 times finish outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 12.5% (% ranks 5th)
- 5 Stage Top 10’s, 62.5% (% ranks 8th)
- 4.13 Avg. Stage Points (Ranks 4th)
Outlook
Ben Rhodes nearly clinched his spot into the Championship 4 at Talladega, but even though he didn’t win he did put himself above the cutline albeit by 3 points. This was Rhodes 5th Top 2 finish which is impressive but it was only his 7th Top 5 which is not so impressive. In the playoffs Rhodes has either been good or bad as he has 2 Top 2’s but only 2 Top 10’s also. If he is to make it to the Championship 4 he will also have to improve upon his 2022 intermediate stats. Rhodes has only 2 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s and an average finish of 18.29 this year in 7 intermediates starts. However, it is not all bad as he also has 3 Stage Wins in 14 stages. Rhodes finished 18th the last time the trucks ran here and has never finished better than 10th in 5 starts. That will have to change if Rhodes wants a chance to defend his championship, but I don’t feel it will. I see Rhodes getting no better than 9th, but with Stage Points he could still make the Championship 4.
Ben Rhodes nearly clinched his spot into the Championship 4 at Talladega, but even though he didn’t win he did put himself above the cutline albeit by 3 points. This was Rhodes 5th Top 2 finish which is impressive but it was only his 7th Top 5 which is not so impressive. In the playoffs Rhodes has either been good or bad as he has 2 Top 2’s but only 2 Top 10’s also. If he is to make it to the Championship 4 he will also have to improve upon his 2022 intermediate stats. Rhodes has only 2 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s and an average finish of 18.29 this year in 7 intermediates starts. However, it is not all bad as he also has 3 Stage Wins in 14 stages. Rhodes finished 18th the last time the trucks ran here and has never finished better than 10th in 5 starts. That will have to change if Rhodes wants a chance to defend his championship, but I don’t feel it will. I see Rhodes getting no better than 9th, but with Stage Points he could still make the Championship 4.
5 Seed – Christian Eckes
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ¹Rank Thru 21 Races |
| Wins | 0 | T16th | T83rd |
| Poles | 0 | T9th | T61st |
| Top2 | 2 | T6th | T43rd |
| Top3 | 3 | 10th | T51st |
| Top5 | 8 | T4th | T22nd |
| Top10 | 14 | T2nd | T22nd |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T9th | T50th* |
| Stage T10s | 27 | T4th | T36th* |
| Stage Pts | 149 | 7th | T37th* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | 13th | T67th* |
¹Since Playoffs started in 2016
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year
- 0 Wins, 0 Pole, 0 Top 2, 0 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10, 0 Stage Wins, 8 Stage Top 10’s, 36 Stage Points, 0 Playoff Points earned in a race
- Notable Streaks this year
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022 Intermediate Stats
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 10.29, Best 2nd, Worst 28th, Led 5.28% of laps run, 0 Wins, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 56 Stage Pts
- Homestead Statistics
- 2020 Homestead Race
- Finished 8th, Started 4th, Led 17 laps (12.69%), finished 7th in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2
- Notable Homestead Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 2 Races
- 5.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 8th
- Led 16.04% of laps he’s run (Ranks 4th)
- 1 Top 3, 50.0% (% ranks 3rd)
- 2 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 times finish outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks 1st)
- 3 Stage Top 10’s, 75.0% (% ranks 4th)
- 4.25 Avg. Stage Points (Ranks 3rd)
Outlook
Christian Eckes got a lot of points at Talladega which really helped him as he is only 3 points out a spot in the Championship 4. You wouldn’t think this is the case when looking at Eckes’ 2022 ranks above as he doesn’t rank above 4th in any category except Top 10’s. Looking at his playoff statistics you see the same thing, not much besides Top 10’s, however the 4 Top 10’s he has in the playoffs have been in the last 4 races. When you see his stats for intermediate tracks you’ll see he has ran well as he has 3 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s in 7 races and an average finish of 10.29. Eckes’ Homestead stats are very impressive and should worry anyone trying to pass him in points, he has finished 3rd and 8th in his 2 starts here. Based on all this I see Eckes getting another Top 10 here along with stage points and being just in or just out of the Championship 4.
Christian Eckes got a lot of points at Talladega which really helped him as he is only 3 points out a spot in the Championship 4. You wouldn’t think this is the case when looking at Eckes’ 2022 ranks above as he doesn’t rank above 4th in any category except Top 10’s. Looking at his playoff statistics you see the same thing, not much besides Top 10’s, however the 4 Top 10’s he has in the playoffs have been in the last 4 races. When you see his stats for intermediate tracks you’ll see he has ran well as he has 3 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s in 7 races and an average finish of 10.29. Eckes’ Homestead stats are very impressive and should worry anyone trying to pass him in points, he has finished 3rd and 8th in his 2 starts here. Based on all this I see Eckes getting another Top 10 here along with stage points and being just in or just out of the Championship 4.
6 Seed – Stewart Friesen
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ¹Rank Thru 21 Races |
| Wins | 1 | T5th | T32nd |
| Poles | 0 | T9th | T61st |
| Top2 | 1 | T12th | T67th |
| Top3 | 2 | T11th | T65th |
| Top5 | 7 | T6th | T31st |
| Top10 | 11 | T6th | T49th |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T9th | T50th* |
| Stage T10s | 26 | 6th | T40th* |
| Stage Pts | 154 | 6th | T34th* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | T9th | T37th* |
¹Since Playoffs started in 2016
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year
- 0 Wins, 0 Pole, 0 Top 2, 0 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10, 0 Stage Wins, 7 Stage Top 10’s, 48 Stage Points, 0 Playoff Points earned in a race
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2022 Intermediate Stats
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 9.14, Best 1st, Worst 20th, Led 6.05% of laps run, 1 Win, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 35 Stage Pts
- Homestead Statistics
- 2020 Homestead Race
- Finished 14th, Started 19th, Led 0 laps, finished 9th in Stage 1
- Notable Homestead Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 5 Races
- 13.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 18th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 29th
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 20.0% (% ranks 12th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 40.0% (% ranks 18th)
- 4 Top 15’s, 80.0% (% ranks 13th)
- 1 time finish outside Top 20, 20.0% (% ranks 22nd)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks 1st)
- 5 Stage Top 10’s, 62.5% (% ranks 8th)
Outlook
After a tough race at Talladega for Stewart Friesen he finds himself, like Eckes above, only 3 points out of a spot in the Championship 4. Friesen’s 2022 ranks above say he probably shouldn’t be here as he ranks no better than 5th in any stat. His playoffs say even more that he shouldn’t be in this position as he only has 2 Top 10’s in the 5 playoff races thus far. So how has he gotten here? Easy, his 48 playoff Stage Points rank 4th best this season. It is ironic that his stage points at intermediate tracks this year are pretty bad as he only has 35. He does however have a Win, 3 Top 5’s and 4 Top 10’s in 7 intermediate starts this year. For Friesen at Homestead he finished 14th in 2020 which is near his average of 13th. He only has 1 Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s in 5 starts here so this weekend may not be a welcome site for Friesen. Taking all this in I see Friesen with a few stage points and a Top 10 finish but no better than 6th.
After a tough race at Talladega for Stewart Friesen he finds himself, like Eckes above, only 3 points out of a spot in the Championship 4. Friesen’s 2022 ranks above say he probably shouldn’t be here as he ranks no better than 5th in any stat. His playoffs say even more that he shouldn’t be in this position as he only has 2 Top 10’s in the 5 playoff races thus far. So how has he gotten here? Easy, his 48 playoff Stage Points rank 4th best this season. It is ironic that his stage points at intermediate tracks this year are pretty bad as he only has 35. He does however have a Win, 3 Top 5’s and 4 Top 10’s in 7 intermediate starts this year. For Friesen at Homestead he finished 14th in 2020 which is near his average of 13th. He only has 1 Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s in 5 starts here so this weekend may not be a welcome site for Friesen. Taking all this in I see Friesen with a few stage points and a Top 10 finish but no better than 6th.
7 Seed – John Hunter Nemechek
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ¹Rank Thru 21 Races |
| Wins | 2 | T3rd | T20th |
| Poles | 7 | 1st | 1st |
| Top2 | 5 | T2nd | T9th |
| Top3 | 8 | 2nd | 9th |
| Top5 | 9 | T2nd | T15th |
| Top10 | 14 | T2nd | T22nd |
| Stage Wins | 7 | T2nd | T8th* |
| Stage T10s | 31 | 1st | T13th* |
| Stage Pts | 228 | 1st | 7th* |
| Playoff Pts² | 17 | 3rd | 11th* |
¹Since Playoffs started in 2016
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year
- 1 Win, 3 Pole, 2 Top 2, 2 Top 3, 2 Top 5, 3 Top 10, 4 Stage Wins, 8 Stage Top 10’s, 70 Stage Points, 9 Playoff Points earned in a race
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Poles
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Intermediate Stats
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 7.29, Best 1st, Worst 25th, Led 19.84% of laps run, 2 Wins, 5 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 74 Stage Pts
- Homestead Statistics
- 2020 Homestead Race
- Did not race
- Notable Homestead Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 4 Races
- 8.75 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 15th
- Led 4.49% of laps he’s run (% ranks 10th)
- 1 Top 5, 25.0% (% ranks 11th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks 15th)
- 4 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 times finish outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks 1st)
- 2 Stage Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks 11th)
Outlook
John Hunter Nemechek ran well at Talladega like he needed to but ultimately finished 24th. The good news for him is that he got 19 Stage Points which has him only 5 points below the cutline for the Championship 4. It would be a shame if he did not make it to Phoenix with a shot at the championship as he has been great this year ranking no lower than 3rd in any 2022 rank above. Even Nemechek’s playoffs stats aren’t bad with 1 Win, 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Stage Wins and 70 Stage Points in 5 races. The best news for Nemechek is that NASCAR is headed to an intermediate track and he has 2 Wins and 5 Poles this year on these type tracks. He also has 3 Top 3’s and 6 Top 10’s in 7 races. The last time the trucks raced at Homestead Nemechek didn’t race, but in 4 starts here his worst finish is 15th and his average finish here is 8.75. This weekend I see Nemechek running well, getting Stage Points, a Top 10 and probably a Top 5 with a shot at the win.
John Hunter Nemechek ran well at Talladega like he needed to but ultimately finished 24th. The good news for him is that he got 19 Stage Points which has him only 5 points below the cutline for the Championship 4. It would be a shame if he did not make it to Phoenix with a shot at the championship as he has been great this year ranking no lower than 3rd in any 2022 rank above. Even Nemechek’s playoffs stats aren’t bad with 1 Win, 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Stage Wins and 70 Stage Points in 5 races. The best news for Nemechek is that NASCAR is headed to an intermediate track and he has 2 Wins and 5 Poles this year on these type tracks. He also has 3 Top 3’s and 6 Top 10’s in 7 races. The last time the trucks raced at Homestead Nemechek didn’t race, but in 4 starts here his worst finish is 15th and his average finish here is 8.75. This weekend I see Nemechek running well, getting Stage Points, a Top 10 and probably a Top 5 with a shot at the win.
8 Seed – Grant Enfinger
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ¹Rank Thru 21 Races |
| Wins | 1 | T5th | T32nd |
| Poles | 0 | T9th | T61st |
| Top2 | 2 | T6th | T43rd |
| Top3 | 4 | T6th | T32nd |
| Top5 | 7 | T6th | T31st |
| Top10 | 11 | T6th | T49th |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T13th | T79th* |
| Stage T10s | 21 | T10th | T57th* |
| Stage Pts | 112 | T9th | T53rd* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | T10th | T42nd* |
¹Since Playoffs started in 2016
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year
- 1 Wins, 0 Pole, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 4 Top 5, 4 Top 10, 0 Stage Wins, 6 Stage Top 10’s, 41 Stage Points, 5 Playoff Points earned in a race
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Intermediate Stats
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 11.29, Best 2nd, Worst 32nd, Led 0.21% of laps run, 0 Wins, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 16 Stage Pts
- Homestead Statistics
- 2020 Homestead Race
- Finished 17th, Started 3rd, Led 0 laps, Finished 4th in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2
- Notable Homestead Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 5 Races
- 11.4 Avg. Finish (Ranks 15th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 23rd
- Led 4.93% of laps he’s run (Ranks 9th)
- 1 Top 5, 20.0% (% ranks 12th)
- 3 Top 10’s, 60.0% (% ranks 12th)
- 1 time finish outside Top 20, 20.0% (% ranks 22nd)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 12.5% (% ranks 5th)
- 7 Stage Top 10’s, 87.5% (% ranks 1st)
- 5.25 Avg. Stage Points (Ranks 2nd)
Outlook
Talladega saw Grant Enfinger’s 4 race Top 5 streak come to an end after he finished 29th. This has put him in a big hole and essentially a must win situation to make the Championship 4. When looking at Enfinger’s 2022 stats it is easy to see where he has come up short, he ranks no better than 9th in any stage stat. This hurt him in the regular season standings which hurt his playoff points and despite his 4 Top 5’s in the playoffs he is still 29 point below the cutline. Intermediates for Enfinger this year have been go big or go home as he has 3 Top 3’s in 7 races, but also only has 4 Top 10’s. Essentially he finishes Top 3 or outside the Top 10. In 2020 here at Homestead Enfinger finished 17th and overall in 5 races here he has only 1 Top 5, but he does have 7 Stage Top 10’s in 8 stages. Overall Enfinger needs a win and I feel he’ll come up short as I don’t see him getting a Top 3 and thus not a Top 10 either based on his 2022 intermediate stats.
Talladega saw Grant Enfinger’s 4 race Top 5 streak come to an end after he finished 29th. This has put him in a big hole and essentially a must win situation to make the Championship 4. When looking at Enfinger’s 2022 stats it is easy to see where he has come up short, he ranks no better than 9th in any stage stat. This hurt him in the regular season standings which hurt his playoff points and despite his 4 Top 5’s in the playoffs he is still 29 point below the cutline. Intermediates for Enfinger this year have been go big or go home as he has 3 Top 3’s in 7 races, but also only has 4 Top 10’s. Essentially he finishes Top 3 or outside the Top 10. In 2020 here at Homestead Enfinger finished 17th and overall in 5 races here he has only 1 Top 5, but he does have 7 Stage Top 10’s in 8 stages. Overall Enfinger needs a win and I feel he’ll come up short as I don’t see him getting a Top 3 and thus not a Top 10 either based on his 2022 intermediate stats.
