2021 Truck Series Driver and Team Changes
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Betting Preview
by Jay Horne of NASCARWagers.com, NASCAR Handicapping Service
In just a few short weeks, NASCAR will fire the engines for the 1st time in 2021 at Daytona International Speedway. As we begin preparations for another year with numerous betting opportunities on the asphalt, I wanted to take the time to discuss the most notable driver and team changes that bettors and fans should be aware of going into the new season. For efficiency purposes, I will only discuss the full-time changes for each of NASCAR’s touring series and provide brief insight towards what these changes translate to from an expectations standpoint. In our opening series, we breakdown the biggest changes and notes for the Camping World Truck Series going into 2021.
#1 Hailie Deegan: One of NASCAR’s more popular rising stars features Hailie Deegan who will make her debut in the #1 Monster Energy Ford for David Gilliland Racing. Deegan earned 3 career wins in NASCAR’s K&N Series from 2018-2019 and competed full-time in ARCA in 2020 which resulted in 4 top 5 finishes in 20 starts. Deegan made just one start in the Truck Series at Kansas in 2020 which resulted in a 16th place finish at Kansas. Obviously, Deegan is NASCAR’s most promising female talent but she is still just 19 years old which means expectations should be moderate going into her rookie season in the Truck Series. If Deegan can duplicate the success of former teammate Derek Kraus who moved to the Truck Series in 2020 and improved throughout the season with multiple top 10 finishes, I think that would be a success for her 2021 campaign!
#4 John Hunter Nemechek: Possibly the biggest change to take note for bettors is that John Hunter Nemechek relinquished his Cup Series ride and will return to the Truck Series full-time at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Nemechek has notoriously overachieved, in both Xfinity and Cup, with under-funded teams in recent years. Nemechek’s move to KBM may be surprising to some but gives the young driver a great opportunity in premier equipment. Nemechek recorded 6 wins in the Truck Series from 2015-2018 driving for his father at NEMCO Motorsports. With over 100 starts under his belt, JHN has the experience and talent to be this year’s breakout story in the Truck Series.
#18 Chandler Smith: Smith started 12 races for Kyle Busch Motorsports last year in the #51 truck. Smith will get the opportunity to move into a full-time role in the #18 truck at KBM. In 2020, Smith recorded 5 top 5 finishes in 12 starts which was slightly disappointing considering he recorded 3 top 5 finishes in just 4 starts in 2019. Still, Smith’s talent seems to shine brightest on the shorter layouts and that is where bettors should take notice with early trips to Bristol and Richmond in the first 6 races of the year.
#23 Chase Purdy: Another driver making the transition from part-time to full-time includes Chase Purdy who joins the #23 team at GMS Racing. Purdy recorded 7 starts in 2020 with a top finish of 10th at Kansas. GMS Racing made tremendous strides in 2020 from a performance standpoint and that should shed optimism for the young driver. However, Purdy’s performance to-date has not been anything to warrant immediate betting focus out of the gates.
#40 Ryan Truex: Ryan Truex has been somewhat of a journeyman in NASCAR to this point in his career. The younger brother of Martin Truex has experience in each of NASCAR’s top divisions but has failed to produce much success. Truex’s best season, from a performance standpoint, came in Truck Series competition in 2017 with Hattori Racing in the #16 truck. Truex helped lay the groundwork for the #16 team which won the championship in 2018 with Brett Moffitt. At NIECE Motorsports, Truex should have decent equipment but I am not convinced that will translate it to overwhelming success based on part-time results from 2020 with the same team.
#45 Brett Moffitt: At the end of 2020, Brett Moffitt announced that he would run a full-time Xfinity Series schedule for Our Motorsports in the #02 car. Shortly after the season concluded, Moffitt also announced that he would also compete full-time in the Camping World Truck Series in the #45 for NIECE Motorsports. Reportedly, Moffitt will accrue points to continue to compete for the Truck Series title. In previous years, it has been nearly impossible for a driver to compete in both Xfinity and Trucks full-time but new favorable scheduling for all of NASCAR’s series has made that opportunity possible. Unfortunately, I do not believe the team change will benefit Moffitt’s run for another title. Moffitt has had the luxury of driving for some of the best teams in the series in recent years (Hattori/GMS) and will take a considerable step back in terms of equipment. After capturing 10 wins from 2018-2019, Moffitt captured just one victory in 2020 and that will likely be his ceiling in 2021 unless we see significant improvement from NIECE Motorsports.
Thorsport Racing: One of the bigger storylines to keep on your radar includes Thorsport Racing’s recent announcement that the team has parted ways with Ford performance after a 3 year partnership. The team announced the news last Monday and has not released their 2021 driver and manufacturer changes. It is highly probable the team goes back to Toyota which they previously ran in Truck Series competition. Thorsport Racing produces some of the Truck Series’ most popular names including Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter, Grant Enfinger, and Ben Rhodes. Therefore, it will be very intriguing to see how the team performs once the finalized changes are announced.
