Making The Field: A Guide for NGROTS Qualifying at Daytona

The NextEra Energy Resources 250 will open the 2020 season for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series on Friday Night. 40 drivers will attempt to qualify for 32 spots in Friday Night’s Race, meaning eight drivers will fail to qualify for quite possibly the biggest race of the 2020 NASCAR Truck Series Season.

THE PROCEDURE: (February 14th @ 3:10PM [EST]). All 40 Trucks will take ONE timed lap. The top 27 speeds will lock into the field, with positions 28 through 32 awarded through a provisional system (four highest in Owner Points not already locked in, one past champion provisional – if needed, otherwise the fifth highest team in Owner Points will lock in).

MATEMATICALLY LOCKED IN:

Technically, there are only five drivers who are locked into Friday Night’s Next-Era Energy Resources 250 heading into qualifying. With only four owner points provisionals and one past champion provisional being given out at the end of qualifying, only the top four in 2019 Owners Standings and the most recent Champion (Matt Crafton) are OFFICIALLY locked into the field.

No. 18 ~ Christian Eckes ~ Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 45 ~ Ty Majeski [R] ~ Niece Motorsports
No. 26 ~ Tyler Ankrum ~ GMS Racing
No. 52 ~ Stewart Friesen ~ Halmar Friesen Racing
No. 88 ~ Matt Crafton ~ ThorSport Racing

REALISTICALLY LOCKED IN:

Realistcially, based on the recent trends of Truck Series Qualifying, as well as simply looking over the Entry List, we can certainly draw the conclusion that if you are in the top 15 in the 2019 Owners Standings, then you should be taking the Green Flag for Friday Night’s Season Opener at Daytona.

No. 16 ~ Austin Hill ~ Hattori Racing Enterprises
No. 13 ~ Johnny Sauter ~ ThorSport Racing
No. 98 ~ Grant Enfinger ~ ThorSport Racing
No. 15 ~ Tanner Gray [R] ~ DGR-Crosley Racing
No. 99 ~ Ben Rhodes ~ ThorSport Racing
No. 2 ~ Sheldon Creed ~ GMS Racing
No. 4 ~ Raphael Lessard [R] ~ Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 51 ~ Riley Herbst ~ Kyle Busch Motorsports
No. 22 ~ Austin Wayne Self ~ AM Racing
No. 02 ~ Tate Fogleman [R] ~ Young’s Motorsports
No. 20 ~ Spencer Boyd ~ Young’s Motorsports

[R] indicates a rookie driver.

FEELING A LITTLE UNEASY:

The next group of teams sit 17th – 23rd in the Owner Standings. While it isn’t often that a team in this region of the standings fails to qualify for the race, It is extremely hard to pinpoint where the bubble will fall. With a fairly large and strong 40 trucks trying to make it into the field, these seven teams are in an uncomfortable position, one that could leave them out of the Season Opening race at Daytona.

No. 00 ~ Angela Ruch ~ Reaume Brothers Racing
No. 3 ~ Jordan Anderson ~ Jordan Anderson Racing
No. 44 ~ Natalie Decker ~ Niece Motorsports
No. 38 ~ Todd Gilliland ~ Front Row Motorsports
No. 33 ~ Jason White ~ Reaume Brothers Racing
No. 30 ~ Brennan Poole ~ On Point Motorsports
No. 21 ~ Zane Smith [R] ~ GMS Racing

[R] indicates a rookie driver.

THE DANGER ZONE:

The teams that sit below 24th in the Owners Standings from 2019 are considered to be in the Danger Zone. While some of the teams on the higher part of this list could realistically be able to fall back on their 2019 Owners Points, the fact of the matter is that the only sure fire way for these teams to be safe is to make sure that they are in the top 27 in speeds come Friday Afternoon’s Qualifying Session.

Last Year, Jennifer Jo Cobb and the No. 10 Team sat 25th in the Owners Standings from the previous year, but when all was said and done in Qualifying, Cobb was not in line for a Provisional, making her one of the seven teams that failed to qualify for the 2019 Edition of the Season Opener.

No. 34 ~ Josh Reaume ~ Reaume Brothers Racing
No. 10 ~ Jennifer Jo Cobb ~ Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing
No. 56 ~ Gus Dean ~ Hill Motorsports
No. 6 ~ Norm Benning ~ Norm Benning Racing
No. 04 ~ Cory Roper ~ Roper Racing Team
No. 97 ~ Jesse Little ~ Diversified Motorsports Enterprises, Inc.
No. 9 ~ Codie Rohrbuagh ~ CR7 Motorsports
No. 49 ~ Ray Ciccarelli ~ CMI Motorsports
No. 8 ~ John Hunter Nemechek ~ NEMCO Motorsports

MUST BE IN THE TOP-27 IN SPEEDS:

The teams from Korbin Forrister’s No. 7 on down are sitting in a rather uncomfortable position come Friday Afternoon’s Qualifying Session. These eight teams must be in the top-27 in speed at the end of the session, or else they will fail to qualify for the 2020 Next-Era Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

It should also be noted that Brett Moffitt can fall back on a Past Champions Provisional if his speed is outside of the Top-27 in Qualifying. Although, Moffitt would be unable to use it, if Matt Crafton needed the Past Champions Provisional to Qualify into the Race.

No. 7 ~ Korbin Forrister ~ All-Out Motorsports
No. 40 ~ Ross Chastain ~ Niece Motorsports
No. 68 ~ Clay Greenfield ~ Clay Greenfield Racing
No. 19 ~ Derek Kraus [R] ~ McAnally-Hilgemann Racing
No. 28 ~ Bryan Dauzat ~ FDNY Racing
No. 87 ~ Joe Nemechek ~ NEMCO Motorsports
No. 96 ~ Todd Peck ~ Peck Motorsports
No. 23 ~ Brett Moffitt – GMS Racing (Past Champion Provisional Availible)

[R] indicates a rookie driver.

RAIN PLAN:

Although, it pains me to even have to think about this, there is rain in the forecast for Friday Afternoon when the Truck Series Qualifying Session is set to begin. If rain does happen to wash out the first qualifying session of the season, we will set the starting lineup in this order:

Top 25 in 2019 Owners Standings
The two (2) trucks with the overall fastest lap times in both Practice Sessions.
Any Team Owners that went to Victory Lane in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series in 2019.
Any Drivers that went to Victory Lane in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series in 2019.
Any Previous NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Champions.
The remainder of the thirty-two truck field will be set by 2019 Owners Standings.

STARTING LINEUP IF IT RAINS:

1. No. 18 – Christian Eckes
2. No. 45 – Ty Majeski
3. No. 26 – Tyler Ankrum
4. No. 52 – Stewart Friesen
5. No. 16 – Austin Hill
6. No. 13 – Johnny Sauter
7. No. 98 – Grant Enfinger
8. No. 15 – Tanner Gray
9. No. 88 – Matt Crafton
10. No. 99 – Ben Rhodes
11. No. 2 – Sheldon Creed
12. No. 4 – Raphael Lessard
13. No. 51 – Riley Herbst
14. No. 22 – Austin Wayne Self
15. No. 02 – Tate Fogleman
16. No. 20 – Spencer Boyd
17. No. 00 – Angela Ruch
18. No. 3 – Jordan Anderson
19. No. 44 – Natalie Decker
20. No. 38 – Todd Gilliland
21. No. 33 – Jason White
22. No. 30 – Brennan Poole
23. No. 21 – Zane Smith
24. No. 34 – Josh Reaume
25. No. 10 – Jennifer Jo Cobb
26. No. 8 – John Hunter Nemechek (Practice Speed)
27. No. 87 – Joe Nemechek (Practice Speed)
28. No. 40 – Ross Chastain (Winner at: Kansas, Gateway & Pocono)
29. No. 23 – Brett Moffitt (Winner at: Iowa, Chicago, Bristol, Canadian Tire Motorsports Park)
30. No. 56 – Gus Dean (28th in 2019 Owners Standings)
31. No. 6 – Norm Benning (29th in 2019 Owners Standings)
32. No. 04 – Cory Roper (30th in 2019 Owners Standings
33. No. 97 – Jesse Little (31st in 2019 Owners Standings)
34. No. 9 – Codie Rohrbaugh (32nd in 2019 Owners Standings)
35. No. 49 – Ray Ciccarelli (33rd in 2019 Owners Standings)
36. No. 7 – Korbin Forrister (35th in 2019 Owners Standings)
37. No. 68 – Clay Greenfield (40th in 2019 Owners Standings)
38. No. 19 – Derek Kraus (43rd in 2019 Owners Standings)
39. No. 28 – Bryan Dauzat (48th in 2019 Owners Standings)
40. No. 96 – Todd Peck (New Team)

DNQs: Little, Rohrbuagh, Ciccarelli, Forrister, Greenfield, Kraus, Dauzat, Peck