If you think the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is just a "junior varsity" league for guys waiting on a Cup Series seat, honestly, you haven't been paying attention. It is chaos. It is aggressive. And in 2026, the roster of Craftsman Truck Series drivers is looking more like a heavy-hitter reunion than a developmental camp.
Take Corey Heim. The guy just came off a 2025 season where he basically broke the series. Twelve wins. That’s not a typo. He led over 1,600 laps and won the championship in a fashion that felt like he was playing a video game on "easy" mode while everyone else was struggling with the controls. You’d think he would have jumped to Cup immediately, right? Nope. He’s back in the No. 11 Toyota for Tricon Garage.
Heim staying put is a statement. It tells you that the Truck Series has its own gravity now.
The Return of the Heavyweights
The biggest shocker hitting the garage this January involves a name that usually belongs in a Hall of Fame induction ceremony: Tony Stewart.
"Smoke" is coming back.
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He isn't just showing up to shake hands, either. Stewart is climbing into a Ram truck—yeah, Ram is back in NASCAR—for the season opener at Daytona. It’s part of this wild "Free Agent" program Kaulig Racing and Ram cooked up. They’re rotating legendary drivers and rising stars through the No. 25 truck.
Why the veterans are clogging the pipeline
You’ve also got Christian Eckes making a U-turn. After a solid 2025 in the Xfinity Series, he’s returning to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing to drive the No. 91 Chevy.
Most people assume "moving down" is a bad sign. In this case? It’s about unfinished business. Eckes was a monster in 2024 with 22 top-tens, but the championship trophy slipped through his fingers. He’s back because he wants the hardware, and honestly, the paycheck and competition level in a top-tier truck are often better than a mid-pack Xfinity ride.
Then there is Justin Haley. He's returning to full-time truck racing for the first time since 2018. It creates this weird, fascinating dynamic where teenagers who aren't old enough to rent a car are trying to out-brake three-time Cup champions and seasoned veterans into Turn 1.
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Breaking Down the 2026 Grid
The manufacturer landscape is shifting beneath everyone's feet. With Ram re-entering the fray and fielding five trucks with Kaulig Racing, the Chevrolet-Toyota-Ford dominance is getting poked.
- Tricon Garage (Toyota): They are the "Golden State Warriors" of the series right now. Corey Heim leads the charge, but Kaden Honeycutt in the No. 11 and Tanner Gray are legitimate threats every week.
- McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (Chevrolet): With Christian Eckes back and Tyler Ankrum staying in the No. 18, this team has the highest "average finish" potential in the garage.
- Kaulig Racing (Ram): The wild card. Between Tony Stewart’s Daytona appearance and full-timers like Daniel Dye and Brenden Queen, nobody knows exactly how these new Rams will handle the air.
- Front Row Motorsports (Ford): Layne Riggs is the name to watch here. He won multiple races in late 2025 and has that "refuse to lose" energy that reminds people of his dad, Scott Riggs.
The Rookie Wall and the "Silly Season" Fallout
Every year, a bunch of kids come in thinking they’ll be the next Kyle Larson.
Then they get to Martinsville.
The 2026 Rookie of the Year race is shaping up to be a brawl between Brenden Queen (affectionately known as "Butterbean" by the fans) and whoever ends up in the remaining Spire and Niece seats.
Rajah Caruth, who was the breakout star of the last two years, has finally moved up to a split Xfinity schedule. His departure leaves a massive void in the "fan favorite" category. It’ll be interesting to see if someone like Gio Ruggiero, driving for Tricon, can capture that same momentum.
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The Money Problem Nobody Talks About
Let's get real for a second. Being one of the Craftsman Truck Series drivers isn't all private jets and multi-million dollar contracts.
While a top-tier driver might make a comfortable six-figure salary through a mix of base pay and purse percentages, many drivers in the back half of the grid are "pay drivers." They aren't getting paid to drive; they’re bringing a check from a sponsor just to have the seat.
Compare that to the guys driving the haulers. The average NASCAR hauler driver is pulling in about $78,000 a year. In some cases, the guy driving the truck to the track has more job security than the guy driving the truck on the track. It's a high-stakes, high-stress ecosystem where one bad month of "DNF" (Did Not Finish) results can end a career.
What to Watch for This Season
If you're betting on the championship, you're a brave soul. The "winner-take-all" finale at Phoenix usually turns into a crapshoot, but the regular season tells the real story.
Keep an eye on the short tracks. That’s where the Truck Series shines. Without the high-downforce aero packages of the Cup cars, these trucks are "bricks in the wind." They slide. They bump. They don't forgive mistakes.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Drivers:
- Watch the Qualifying: In the Truck Series, track position is everything. If Heim or Majeski starts on the pole, the race for the win is often over before it starts.
- Follow the Crew Chiefs: Watch Dave Elenz. He moved from the Cup Series (Legacy Motor Club) to lead Christian Eckes' team. That level of engineering talent in a truck garage is a massive advantage.
- Look Beyond the Win: The "Mid-Pack" battle is where the future stars are. Drivers like Dawson Sutton are in equipment that might not be race-winning yet, but their ability to keep a clean fender tells you more than a lucky win at Talladega ever could.
The 2026 season isn't just another year of racing. It’s a collision of eras. You have the legends like Stewart and Friesen defending their turf against a generation of "sim-racing" kids who have never known a world without data telemetry. It's going to be loud, it's going to be messy, and honestly, it’s probably the best racing you'll find on four wheels this year.