The Camping World Truck Series has reached the mid way mark of the 2016 season. This year has been an action packed series that has displayed a field of drivers that have competed vigorously against one another. First of all, rookies have shown amazing promise and vast improvement from 2015. Furthermore, veterans have raised the bar to decide who will become a factor in the Camping World Truck Series Chase.
These are the drivers that sit in the sixth through tenth positions in the point standings. Here is some information on how they have progressed during the first half of the season to earn their spots. Only full-time Camping World Truck competitors are eligible for points in the series. NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series drivers and the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers that compete part-time in this series will not be listed since they are ineligible for points on the season.
JR Motorsports’s rookie Cole Custer, sits just outside the top ten points bubble in 11th. The eighteen year old has his #00 Haas Automation Chevrolet moving in the right direction. Custer has two top five performances in 2016, which have come in the four events. He also has reeled in three other top ten’s on the season. Custer finished runner-up in last weeks Speediatrics 250 in Iowa, falling just shy of achieving his third win in as many seasons.
The ever improving driver has done well in his qualifying efforts in the Camping World Truck Series. He is placing his hot-rod towards the front before the race begins with a 10.2 average starting position. The benefits that can be gained by qualifying well are endless. Better pit spots during yellow flag situations and running up-front to avoid pack wrecks that can end his teams afternoon are a few. If Custer can avoid adding to his two did not finishes, I fully expect him to not only climb in the points but capture his third Camping World Truck Series victory of his career.
Sitting in 13th is fellow rookie driver Christopher Bell. The new addition to Kyle Busch Motorsports has shined in the 2016 Camping World Truck Series. He has raced his #4 Toyota to an impressive two top five finishes and added another four top ten’s. Most noteworthy, he finished third in at Dover and had a great chance to win that race with possibly the fastest car on the track.
The greenhorn struggled two weeks ago in the Rattlesnake 250 at Texas Motor speedway. He finished in 32nd and dropped out of the top ten. Before that set-back, Bell was on a roll. The speedy driver had gathered two top five’s and another top ten in the three race before Texas. It shouldn’t be hard for Bell to regain consistent momentum to start the second half of the season.
If he can stay out of on track skirmishes, he has great teammates and a strong engine building department to push forward. Bell is another driver that will rise into the top ten in the second session of the Camping World Truck Series.
Rookie Ben Rhodes has battled his way to the 13th position in the point standings. The young, talented driver with Thor Racing Motorsports has performing like a series veteran. Rhodes claimed a top five finish in last weeks race at Iowa, finishing fourth. He also has guided his #41 Alpha Energy Sports sponsored Toyota to three other top ten’s in 2016.
Rhodes has found success in the qualifying rounds before the main event. He has a 10.0 average throughout the campaign and claimed his first ever pole position at Martinsville Speedway in early April. The up and comer recently went through a three race stretch where he struggled to perform which pushed the feisty racer out of the top ten.
Ryan Truex hold down the 14th spot. The younger brother of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series veteran Martin Truex, is on his way to the top ten. He has only raced his #81 Aquastar Toyota in six of the eight events so far in 2016 but has captured one top five and three other top ten’s. Also, he has only competed part time in the Camping World Truck Series but will have enough races to qualify for the Chase. The more this talented young driver gets on track experience, the more he seems to shine.
Rounding out the top 15 spots is Tyler Young. The Interlock Tech Solutions/RandCo. sponsored racer has used consistency to remain in the race for the Chase. Young only has one top ten on the 2016 series circuit but has finished every race he has competed in.
His 20.7 starting position average leaves alot to be desired but his 14.7 finishing average shows he knows how to avoid trouble and move towards the front. With some better qualifying efforts that will produce better track position, Young could make a charge towards the top ten.
2016 Camping World Truck Series Point standings:
1. Matt Crafton 16 219 0 0 8 1 2 4 7 1 1 0
2. William Byron # 16 208 -11 -11 8 0 3 4 5 1 3 1
3. Timothy Peters 3 198 -21 -10 8 0 0 2 5 0 2 -1
4. Daniel Hemric 2 186 -33 -12 8 0 0 2 6 0 4 0
5. Tyler Reddick 4 182 -37 -4 8 0 0 3 4 0 6 1
6. John H Nemechek 5 175 -44 -7 8 1 1 2 3 0 5 -1
7. Johnny Sauter 7 174 -45 -1 8 1 1 4 5 1 7 0
8. Ben Kennedy 0 168 -51 -6 8 0 0 1 3 1 9 1
9. Spencer Gallagher 0 165 -54 -3 8 0 0 0 5 0 8 -1
10. Cameron Hayley 4 158 -61 -7 8 0 0 2 3 1 11 1
11. Cole Custer # 1 154 -65 -4 8 0 0 2 3 2 14 3
12. Christopher Bell # 2 149 -70 -5 8 0 0 2 4 2 13 1
13. Ben Rhodes # 2 149 -70 0 8 1 0 1 3 0 15 2
14. Ryan Truex 1 129 -90 -20 6 0 0 1 3 0 10 -4
15. Tyler Young 0 127 -92 -2 7 0 0 0 1 0 12 -3
16. Rico Abreu # 1 124 -95 -3 8 0 0 0 2 1 17 1
17. Parker Kligerman 0 118 -101 -6 8 0 0 1 3 3 16 -1
18. Austin Wayne Self # 0 107 -112 -11 8 0 0 0 0 1 20 2
19. John Wes Townley 2 105 -114 -2 8 1 0 0 1 2 19 0
20. Brandon Brown 0 101 -118 -4 7 0 0 1 1 1 18 -2
21. Travis Kvapil 1 80 -139 -21 7 0 0 1 1 0 21 0
22. Matt Tifft 0 68 -151 -12 3 0 0 1 1 0 22 0
23. Austin Hill 0 55 -164 -13 3 0 0 0 0 0 23 0
24. Timmy Hill 1 55 -164 0 5 0 0 0 0 1 24 0
25. Jordan Anderson 0 55 -164 0 6 0 0 0 0 2 26 1
26. Caleb Holman 0 48 -171 -7 3 0 0 0 1 1 27 1
27. German Quiroga 0 44 -175 -4 2 0 0 0 1 0 30 3
28. Grant Enfinger 1 42 -177 -2 2 1 0 1 1 0 25 -3
29. Tommy Joe Martins 1 39 -180 -3 7 0 0 0 0 3 28 -1
30. Kaz Grala 0 29 -190 -10 3 0 0 0 1 1 31 1
31. Cody Coughlin 0 29 -190 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 29 -2
32. Nick Drake 0 27 -192 -2 2 0 0 0 0 0 36 4
33. Jennifer Jo Cobb 0 26 -193 -1 5 0 0 0 0 1 35 2
34. Mike Bliss 0 24 -195 -2 3 0 0 0 0 2 32 -2
35. Bobby Pierce 0 23 -196 -1 3 0 0 0 0 1 33 -2
36. Michel Disdier 0 22 -197 -1 1 0 0 0 0 0 34 -2
37. Shane Lee 0 16 -203 -6 1 0 0 0 0 0 37 0
38. Jesse Little 0 14 -205 -2 1 0 0 0 0 0 38 0
39. Jake Griffin 0 12 -207 -2 1 0 0 0 0 0 113 74
40. Chris Fontaine 0 11 -208 -1 1 0 0 0 0 1 39 -1
