5 NASCAR Truck Series drivers face playoff pressure with two regular-season races remaining

As the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series nears its regular-season curtain call, playoff hopes are hanging by a thread for several drivers. With two races left, at Watkins Glen and Richmond, the field is tightening, and only three playoff spots remain unclaimed.

Layne Riggs' emphatic win at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park last Friday night shifted the momentum in dramatic fashion. The Front Row Motorsports driver muscled his No. 34 Ford in celebration after claiming his second win of the season, cutting into Corey Heim's dominant regular-season lead in the process.

But while Riggs and Heim have clinched their playoff places, others were left reeling. Seven drivers - Heim, Riggs, Chandler Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Daniel Hemric, Stewart Friesen, and Rajah Caruth - have locked in postseason spots with victories.

Three spots remain. Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Kaden Honeycutt currently occupy the final playoff positions on points, but the margin for error is vanishing. Here are five NASCAR Truck Series drivers facing the most playoff pressure entering Watkins Glen.

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Five NASCAR Truck Series facing playoff pressure:

#5 Kaden Honeycutt (+61)

Kaden Honeycutt's nine top-10 finishes in 16 races for Niece Motorsports show a season built on consistency. But the 22-year-old has now finished outside the top 10 in three of the last four races, raising concerns at a crucial stage.

Kaden Honeycutt before qualifying for the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona. Source: Imagn

More worrying is the next venue: Watkins Glen. Honeycutt has never raced there before, and with little margin for error, the unfamiliarity may prove costly. If someone outside the top 10 steals a win, Honeycutt could find himself pushed into a must-win situation by Richmond.

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#4 Ty Majeski (+73)

Ty Majeski before the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway. Source: Getty

Ty Majeski's spot inside the top 10 is built more on early-season consistency than recent form. Sitting tenth in the playoff standings, the ThorSport Racing driver has only four top-fives in 16 starts.

His average starting position is a solid 9.6, but he’s finishing races 12.6 on average, indicative of races slipping away. Still, the defending NASCAR Truck champion has one card up his sleeve: Richmond. He won there last year and could play spoiler again if it comes to a do-or-die scenario.

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#3 Jake Garcia (-61)

Jake Garcia during qualifying for the Fresh from Florida 250. Source: Imagn

Jake Garcia sits just outside the cutline in 11th place, 61 points below Honeycutt. The No. 13 ThorSport Racing Ford has shown flashes, and his 8.1 average starting position is second-best in the league. But the results haven't followed.

Just one top-10 finish in his last seven races has derailed his charge. Unless multiple drivers ahead falter, Garcia needs to score big and fast.

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#2 Ben Rhodes (-77)

Ben Rhodes before the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville. Source: Getty

It's been a season of frustration for the two-time Truck Series champion. After leading just two laps since Daytona and enduring 15 races of erratic form, Ben Rhodes' playoff hopes are quickly evaporating. Four top-fives offer a silver lining, but outside the top 20, more often than not, the No. 99 ThorSport driver looks a shadow of his championship self.

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#1 Giovanni Ruggiero (-99)

Giovanni Ruggiero began his rookie season in NASCAR with a runner-up finish at Daytona and quickly marked himself as one of the breakouts this season. But the No. 17 TRICON Garage driver hasn't quite shown that magic since.

NASCAR Truck Series driver Giovanni Ruggiero at Daytona International Speedway. Source: Imagn

Ruggiero is 13th in the playoff standings with just 409 points. Still, he remains confident, and his team believes a breakthrough is coming. But with nearly 100 points to make up and only two races left, he needs a win to qualify.

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Edited by Tushar Bahl