New Truck Series Season, New Beginnings

It’s about that time to go Truckin’ again.

2024 will see the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series take the green flag on its 30th season of competition, following a less than ideal – some would say, disastrous – end to its 2023 season.

While only three drivers were promoted out of the Truck Series for 2024 – those drivers being NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Hailie Deegan and NASCAR Cup Series drivers (teammates!) Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith – there was still plenty of shuffling throughout the offseason that left some drivers hanging without full-time rides and new faces in new places.

Ben Rhodes is the defending champion, surviving the chaos of the 2023 finale at Phoenix Raceway to take home his second title in three seasons. He returns to ThorSport Racing along with Matt Crafton and Ty Majeski, both of whom made the playoffs in 2023. Conner Jones also returns in his part-time slate with the No. 66 team. Jake Garcia is the newest addition to the team, replacing Deegan in the No. 13. He departed his full-time ride at McAnally-Hilgemann Racing after 2023.

MHR expanded drastically in the offseason following its great season with flagship driver Christian Eckes. Eckes returns to the No. 19, while Tyler Ankrum effectively replaces Garcia in the No. 35, driving the re-numbered No. 18. The team also added Daniel Dye, who joins from the now-defunct GMS Racing. The No. 43 is an expansion team for MHR, who hasn’t run more than two full-time trucks in its history.

Dye’s teammate at GMS, Grant Enfinger, rejoins CR7 Motorsports for 2024, replacing Colby Howard. MHR and CR7 will have an alliance for the season, which makes sense as the teams shared the same shop as recently as 2023. MHR will also have a fourth truck that will be split between Jack Wood and Smith. The No. 91 is currently a part-time truck, but it is running 18 of the 23 races on the schedule, so it could easily become a full-time truck if funding is found.