After a thrilling regular season finale two weeks ago, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series begins its 2024 Playoff run this Sunday in the LiUNA! 175 at the historic Milwaukee Mile Speedway (4 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
It’s the first time the seven-race run featuring the top-10 ranked drivers on the season begins the high-stakes elimination format on the famed Wisconsin one-miler. And Wisconsin’s own, ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski would love nothing more than to start his Playoffs by answering his win at the track last year. He just won the regular season finale at Richmond, Va. two weeks ago and certainly brings the momentum up North.
The opening round of the Playoffs features races at the mile-long Milwaukee track, the half-mile Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway. The two lowest ranked drivers among the 10 will be eliminated following the Kansas race.
Eight drivers will compete in the next three-race elimination round – at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway – and the top-four competitors emerging from that round will race for the big trophy during the sport’s Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
Qualifying for this year’s Playoffs are the season’s five-race winner TRICON Garage driver Corey Heim, who starts the championship run with a 10-point advantage on the regular season champion, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes, a three-time winner. Majeski, who is coming off back-to-back wins joins race winners Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez and Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth next in the standings.
CR7 Motorsports’ veteran Grant Enfinger, Eckes’ McAnally-Hilgemann Racing teammate Tyler Ankrum, TRICON Garage’s Taylor Gray, defending series champ, ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes and McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s 20-year-old Daniel Dye, round out the Playoff field based on points earned.
Practice for the Playoff opener is set for 4 p.m. ET on Saturday followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Source: Holly Cain | NASCAR Wire Service
