Top 5 Best NASCAR Truck Series Drivers

Top 5 Best NASCAR Truck Series Drivers

List Compiled by Brian Cotnoir

          In my (not so) humble opinion, one of the Best things NASCAR ever did was approve the creation of the Craftsman (Now Camping World) Truck Series.   Since it’s inception in 1995, the Truck Series has go on to launch the career of many talented NASCAR Cup Level Drivers including, Brad Keselowski, Kurt & Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Dillon.  The series has also served as  career rejuvenator for many former Cup Drivers such Ted Musgrave and Johnny Benson, and Bobby Hamilton.       Now the Truck Series has only been around for 23 years (as of my typing of this article), but it still has given us and in my opinion produces the Best and Most Exciting Racing in all of NASCAR, and today I am here to honor the Best Truck Drivers in Series so far. 

Now a disclaimer first: 

·         I will NOT be considering drivers who have run the truck series and who have gone on to have success in the Xfinity or Cup Level Series.

·         Also No Cup Level Drivers who only ran in the trucks Part-Time basis after they were already in a Cup Level. 

·         So Basically if you have more than 4 Career Wins and/or a Championship in the Xfinity or Cup Level, you will not be considered for this list

·         So don’t be surprised when I omit drivers like  Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Johnny Benson, and Todd Bodine, Greg Biffle, and Carl Edwards as they have all gone on to be some of the Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All-Time.

#5- Matt Crafton

This last spot, was really difficult to decide on because I was torn between Matt Crafton, Mike Bliss, Bobby Hamilton, and Ted Musgrave.  All Champion Truck Series Drivers, but in the end, I’m giving the advantage to Crafton for the shear fact that he’s (currently) the only driver in Truck series History to win Back-to-Back Championships, and he has spent the

majority of his career in the Truck Series. Talk about a late bloomer in NASCAR.  Crafton didn’t get his first win until his 9^th Full-Time Truck Season and didn’t win his first championship until his 13^th season.  He is a journeyman of the sport, and the only career highlight for him outside the Truck series is a lone Daytona 500 start in 2015, replacing the injured Kyle Busch, where he’d go on to finish 18^th.

#4- Johnny Sauter

Another Modern Driver, who found success in the Truck Series when he failed in the Xfinity and Cup Series, in recent years, Johnny Sauter has been establishing himself as one of the most dominant drivers in the series.   He drove part-time for Hall of Fame Owner, Richard Childress in the Cup and Xfinity Series in the early 2000’s, and managed to score a few Xfinity wins, but his biggest success has come in the Truck series.  Since joining the Xfinity Series full-time in 2009, he has been a Top 5 Contender for the Championship almost every year.  He won his first championship in 2016, he’s had success driving for multiple teams and his 21 Truck Series Victories (as of the posting of this article) already ran him 5^th All-Time in Truck Series Wins.   In the truck Series, Johnny Sauter is a force to be reckoned with.

#3- Mike Skinner

Winner of the First NASCAR Truck Series Race Ever and the First Championship, Mike Skinner found his greatest success in NASCAR driving for Hall of Fame owner Richard Childress.   Skinner’s first truck matched NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s iconic Black #3, and in the early days of the truck series he—like Earnhardt—was someone to always keep your eyes on.  Skinner would go on to run Full-Time in the Cup Level driving for Childress, but never managed to find the same success.  His only wins in the Cup Level came in Non-Points Races in Japan, and his only other a career highlight was 1 Xfinity Win at Atlanta.  A lack of wins and a string of missed races brought on by injuries cost Skinner his cup ride with Childress, he eventually returned to the Trucks to drive for another famous owner, Bill Davis, and he returned to his winning ways, but still never managed to capture that second Truck Series Title.

#2- Jack Sprague

Jack Sprague has won as many races as Mike Skinner (28), but the one thing that set’s Sprague apart from Skinner is that he’s a 3-Time Truck Series Champion.   Sprague drove for owner Rick Hendrick is easily the best truck driver Hendrick ever had, and probably ever will have.   Like Mike Skinner, Sprague only has one Xfinity Race win, and never had the same success at the Cup Level that he did in the truck series.

#1- Ron Hornaday Jr.

No One should be surprised by this call.  He’s a 4-time champion and as of this posting is still the All-Time Leader in Wins (with 51—just 1 ahead of Kyle Busch).  When you think NASCAR trucks, you automatically think, Ron Hornaday Jr.  He won races and championships driving from Dale Earnhardt. Sr. and Kevin & Delana Harvick.  He is NASCAR Hall of Famer, the 1^st Truck Series Driver inducted in and that’s pretty damn impressive if you ask me.  Hornaday only ran one Full-Time Season at the NASCAR Cup Level in 2001, driving for AJ Foyt, but had no success.  He’s also a 4 time Xfinity Series winner (winning 2 Races for Dale Earnhardt and another 2 for Richard Childress).  He along with Sprague and Skinner made the Truck Series the success that it is today.