It’s been an unusual Round of 6 for the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series.
Both race wins went the way of non-playoff drivers, which means that the four spots for the finale haven’t been claimed yet.
For drivers outside the top 4, Phoenix offers one final shot at the 2019 title.
Meanwhile, the top 4 in points need one more trouble-free race in order to advance.
Where: ISM Raceway in Phoenix, AZ
When: Friday, November 8th at 8:30 PM EST
How: FS1 (TV) | Motor Racing Network (Web radio)
As the defending race winner, Brett Moffitt is once again the favorite.
The reigning Truck Series champion scored a stage 1 win and went back to the front during the final restart with a bold move.
Moffitt has been the man to beat once again this year since the halfway mark.
The GMS Racing driver won the first two races of the playoffs.
He looked to be on the way to another win at Martinsville, but got caught in a pileup and was forced to retire.
As a result, Moffitt did not manage to secure his spot in the Championship Four, but he is still in a very comfortable position.
The points leader sits 45 points above the cutoff and will be mathematically locked in during the first stage.
Moffitt also leads all Truck Series regulars this season in wins, with four.
Ross Chastain has plenty of experience at Phoenix.
The Niece Motorsports driver has three Cup Series starts at the track and another seven in the Xfinity Series.
He has made two career starts at ISM in the Truck Series, scoring a second-place finish from pole position in the most recent one, back in 2013.
The Melon Man has yet to win a race in the playoffs but has shown that the pace is definitely there.
Chastain scored stage wins at Bristol, Mosport, and Las Vegas, and is coming off a second-place finish at Martinsville.
The 2019 Truck Series sensation is third in the standings, sitting comfortably above the cutoff by 20 points.
Chastain has three wins this season.
Harrison Burton had his best showing of 2018 at ISM.
The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver started third and led a career-high 46 laps.
Burton finished third after getting boxed up during the final restart and losing the chance to fight for the win.
The rookie will have some additional motivation following teammate’s Todd Gilliland win at Martinsville.
It’s been a tough year for KBM, but the team could finally find its way after this result.
Johnny Sauter has a very good career record at Phoenix.
The 2016 champion won this race in 2017 and finished second the year before.
Sauter has only missed out on the top 10 twice in ten starts, with five top 5 results.
However, it’s been a very difficult year for powerhouse ThorSport.
The team has only won once, with Sauter at Dover, and only Matt Crafton still has a small chance at advancing to Homestead.
Sauter himself is also having a down year, as his season went off the rails following the Dover win.
He only has one top 5 and four top 10 finishes in 14 races since then but has finally shown some signs of improvement.
Sauter finished third at Martinsville and led the most laps at Talladega.
He is currently seventh in the standings with four top 5 and eight top 10 finishes.
Stewart Friesen’s record at the short track makes him another interesting pick.
The Canadian driver finished sixth or better in all short track races this season, including three top 5 results.
Friesen has three career starts at ISM, with a fifth-place finish in last year’s race being his best result.
Having finished all but one race this postseason inside the top 10, the HFR driver will likely punch his ticket to Homestead.
Friesen is currently second in the standings, ten points behind leader Brett Moffitt and 35 above the fifth place cutoff.
He has one win, 11 top 5 and 15 top 10 finishes in 2019.
Todd Gilliland finally broke through for his first career win.
He then spent most of the week under the spotlight after sending a heated message to his team’s owner during the cooldown lap.
While many have questioned Gilliland’s future within the organization, it’s a fact that the sophomore driver has improved in recent races.
He had scored three top 5 and six top 10 finishes in nine starts heading into Martinsville.
Gilliland now has three consecutive top 5 results, finishing fifth at Las Vegas, second at Talladega and first at Martinsville.
His record at ISM is unremarkable at best, with a seventh and a 17th place in two starts.
But Gilliland has even more motives to prove himself now and could put together another strong performance.
The odds for Lucas Oil 150 will be updated as soon as they are released by sportsbooks. For other NASCAR events and odds, visit DraftKings Sportsbook, bet365 NJ, or Caesars NJ.
Good luck!
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