The Field is Set - The 8 Drivers in the NCWTS Chase

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Friday Night we decided the 8 drivers who will compete for this years NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship. These drivers are members of the inaugural NASCAR Chase For The Camping World Truck Series Championship. We have a wide representation of different forms of drivers in different parts of their careers. Timothy Peters, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter all are the NCWTS Veterans who made the chase while Christopher Bell and William Byron enter the chase in their first full time season. This Chase will certainly be hard to narrow down from 8 to 6 and then to 4 with so much competition. We enter New Hampshire, Las Vegas, Talladega in Round One, Martnsville, Texas, and Phoenix in Round Two, and ending the season at Homestead with four drivers. Here are the eight drivers who will compete in the Chase. In order by the points.

William Byron

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Gaining his first career victory at Kansas earlier this year, then four more victories after that, Byron is the hottest Rookie to enter the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in a long time. William Byron won at Kansas, then at Texas, then Iowa, then Kentucky, and then most recently Pocono. A wide variety of tracks which is just what needs to happen in the Chase to make the final round. Winning the Championship with Kyle Busch Motorsports would be the perfect farewell gift as Byron heads to JR Motorsports in 2017 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Byron is heading to a few tracks for the first time like New Hampshire, Las Vegas, Talladega, and Homestead and that hasn't stopped Byron this season. He heads to Texas and Phoenix for the second time as Byron made his NCWTS Debut at Phoenix last season. I feel personally like William is a lock for the final four. 

Matt Crafton

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The what seems like the dark horse of the Chase has to be this guy. Winning at Dover and Charlotte to gain his ticket into the chase. The two time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion will enter the Chase and look to finish in the Top-3 in points for the fifth straight season. Matt Crafton has been in the series now for 17 years and it looks like the veteran will remain in the series for a while now. Crafton has victories at 3 of the 6 tracks in the Chase including wins at Martinsville and Homestead last season. He could be the favorite but also has to be the dark horse in the Chase. 

John Hunter Nemechek

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The son of Joe Nemechek won at Atlanta in February to clinch his spot in the Chase but his second win came with some controversy and is the #1 reason why not many people are picking John Hunter Nemechek and that one guys name is Cole Custer. In Canada, John Hunter Nemechek wrecked Cole Custer on the final turn and well Custer wasn't to happy about it. Now we all remember how the Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth incident ended and with Cole Custer moving into the Xfinity Series next season, Custer has nothing to lose and could possibly take out John Hunter Nemechek at New Hampshire, Las Vegas, Martnsville, Texas, Phoenix, or Homestead. I would really hope it wouldn't come at Talladega, though the possibility is there. 

Christopher Bell

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The literal version of From Dirt to Daytona sits in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in Christopher Bell. From Barrel rolling at Daytona to winning at Gateway, Christopher Bell has done it all this year and has had the consistency to become one of the favorites in the Chase. Christopher Bell now has two victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and begins to look like he'll remain in the #4 next season unless he moves. Christopher Bell enters a few tracks once again like Las Vegas, Talladega, Texas, and Homestead and he will look to win atleast twice to land in the Final Four.

Johnny Sauter

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Slow and steady wins the race right? Well Johnny Sauter hasn't won a race since the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona in February. Johnny Sauter has came close a few weeks this season and almost stole William Byron's first career victory at Kansas but after contact with Ben Rhodes. Now Sauter has to be the favorite with the most experience other than Matt Crafton and being a veteran in the sport has it's advantages like knowing where he's good at and that just happens to be most of the chase for Johnny Sauter and that is why a lot of people are marking Sauter as the Champion on their grids. 

Ben Kennedy

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Gaining his first career victory at Bristol in August, Ben Kennedy is the final driver to make the chase with a victory. He's the last one because he's the most recent first time winner (first of the season.). Ben Kennedy has raced for two teams this season and managed to pull off a victory at Bristol with GMS Racing. Ben started the season with Red Horse Racing but after Martinsville, Ben's future was in jeopardy. GMS Racing picked up Ben at Kansas where he finished 9th. From Kansas, just one Top-5 and in the discussion of missing the Chase. Then Bristol came and Kennedy defeated Brett Moffitt to become the newest winner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. With his consistency recently, Kennedy should be a shoe in for Round Two but I don't know about Kennedy being in the Final Four at Homestead.

Daniel Hemric

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Consistency is what gained Daniel Hemric a shot at this years Championship in the Inaugural NASCAR Chase For The Camping World Truck Series Championship and with Hemric moving to Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season, Hemric has nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain. Hemric has been a fixture in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving for NTS Motorsports a majority of his career. Moving to Brad Keselowski Racing for this season, Hemric gained his best career finish of 2nd last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. His previous best finish was third which he did six times. Consistency could be what lands Hemric in the Final Four at Homestead.

Timothy Peters

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12 years in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the chase may benefit Timothy Peters out of all the drivers because of one thing that has been the same through the years. He begins to mean business after Talladega and that is just what makes me predict Timothy Peters will be the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion. Peters has won at Talladega now two years in a row and will look for his third straight in the end of October. Timothy Peters finished second to James Buescher for the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship. Timothy Peters has finished 5th the last two seasons but with this new Chase it's like the season begins again especially for Timothy Peters. In 2014, Peters won Talladega, finished 2nd at Martinsville, 3rd at Texas, 19th at Phoenix, and 3rd at Homestead. Last season Peters again won at Talladega, finished 6th at both Martinsville and Texas, Won at Phoenix, and finished 5th at Homestead. Those stats should make Peters the favorite if you aren't a person who holds the regular season against a driver.