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We are now 5 races into the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. Now that the NASCAR Truckers have competed on every different track type, it’s a perfect time to talk about the breakout stars of the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Here is our list of the 5 biggest!
***Listen to Dale Tanhardt and Joshua Lipowski discuss these individuals in the most recent episode below. (Discussion Starts ~ 51:20)
| Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s | Laps Led | Avg. Finish | Points Position |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 35 | 11.6 | 7th |
Nick Sanchez has made headlines for multiple reasons in 2024. He won his first career race at Daytona after near-misses in 2023. He was once again caught up in a scuffle with a veteran when he and Stewart Friesen tangled
While the results haven’t been great the last few weeks, Sanchez has shown flashes of what his ceiling can be. It’s obvious that he can be a star if he can find some consistency. Thankfully, his win at Daytona, which locked up a Playoff spot, gives him plenty of runway to hone his craft.
| Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s | Laps Led | Avg. Finish | Points Position |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 39 | 7.0 | 5th |
Rajah Caruth was left without a ride after GMS Racing shut down following the 2023 season However, a solid finish to 2023 convinced Spire Motorsports to take a chance on him with sponsorship from HendrickCars.com. Caruth has proved to be well worth the investment.
He won his first career race at Las Vegas, and he has continued to put together solid finishes. This included overcoming a penalty to finish in the top 10 at Bristol. Not only has Caruth done the spectacular, but he’s also been a consistent performer.
| Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s | Laps Led | Avg. Finish | Points Position |
| 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 7.2 | 4th |
Taylor Gray has quietly put together a solid first full-time season with TRICON Garage to this point. While teammate Corey Heim is consistently battling for wins, Gray is usually right behind Heim. Most recently, Gray overcame a track limits penalty at COTA for a 2nd place finish.
He’s already equaled his top-5 output from one year ago with 3 on the season. Should Heim work his way up the ladder after this season, Gray might be the next top driver at TRICON Garage.
| Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s | Laps Led | Avg. Finish | Points Position |
| 1 | 1 | 4 | 173 | 11.4 | 6th |
Christian Eckes had his long-awaited breakout season in 2023 with 4 victories. He’s continued that trend in 2024 with 4 top-10 finishes in the first 5 races and a win at Bristol. That Bristol win was sweet redemption after leading the most laps before losing the lead late in the fall of 2023.
Eckes has established himself as one of the top drivers in the series at this point, and his future in the sport is an interesting one. Will he work his way further up the pipeline, or will he become a Truck Series lifer?
| Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s | Laps Led | Avg. Finish | Points Position |
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 49 | 3.0 | 1st |
Corey Heim was seemingly unstoppable in 2023, and 2024 has seen more of the same. While he only has one win, coming at COTA, he hasn’t finished worse than 6th all season long. He just consistently clicks off great results, even if he doesn’t win.
As far as raw speed and talent goes, there is not one better in the Truck Series right now than Corey Heim. He is a future Cup Series star, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets that coveted opportunity higher up the food chain. The question is, will it be with Toyota, or somewhere else?
These are the brightest stars of the Truck Series to start 2024. Will these stars continue to shine, or will other drivers step up to the plate?
