The Truck Series playoff situation is becoming more and more exciting in the Tricky Triangle

LONG POND, Pa. – When it comes to playoff pictures, it doesn’t get much closer than the current state of affairs in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series following the CRC Brakleen 175 at Pocono Raceway on Friday (July 12).

It was already a close battle for the last playoff spot before the Tricky Triangle, with Tanner Gray holding a 14-point lead over Daniel Dye and 17 points over Stewart Friesen at the playoff cut line.

Dye had a plan to make up the deficit: earning stage points. Dye earned a total of 15 points with a fourth-place finish in stage one and a third-place finish in stage two, while Gray earned just three stage points. This points haul helped Dye overtake Gray across the cut line after 30 laps.

However, Dye’s race took a wrong turn during his second pit stop of the day on lap 46, causing him to fall out of the top 20 in the race order. Gray, meanwhile, stayed on the track and pushed Dye out of the final playoff spot.

“Yeah, I stalled on pit road the second time,” Dye said. “We probably could have fixed that in practice if I had mentioned it. I just didn’t mention it, so that’s on me.”

A final twist came from an all-too-familiar source: Mother Nature. On Lap 62, raindrops in Turns 2 and 3 forced NASCAR to bring the field into pit road and bring out the red flag. When the race was stopped, Gray was in 13th place, followed by Dye in 18th.

For a moment it looked as if the race was over here, as the field completed two more laps under caution before further drizzle forced the cars back into the pits.

But then the rain stopped just in time for a three-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Over those three laps, Dye jumped to 13th while Gray dropped to 19th. That comeback was just enough for Dye to move into the last spot above the cut line, a single point ahead of Gray.

“I didn’t really need to let the rain continue, so it’s good that we were able to get the last few laps in,” Dye said afterward. “It was great working with (No.) 41 (Bayley Currey) and we were able to gain some spots. I ended up crossing the line ahead of him, so that was perfect.”

While Dye was happy about the final spurt, Gray was equally dejected when he lost six positions after the red flag.

“I’m just really frustrated with how the last three laps went,” Gray said after the race. “My restart was OK, but then I felt like I was just exhausted in the tunnel (Turn 2), which is probably to be expected. It’s just tough when you get back there.”

“All self-inflicted stuff that got me back there. So I just have to do a better job and work better for all the guys that work really hard in the shop all week long to build fast trucks. I just don’t do a very good job, so I just have to do better.”

With just two races left before the Truck Series playoff field is set, both of them will be at short tracks: July 19 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and Aug. 10 at Richmond Raceway, Dye and Gray shared their views on the final two tracks of the regular season.

“Yes, I love IRP, but Richmond was a struggle for me last year,” Dye said.

“I don’t think I’m particularly good at either (race track), but I know everyone at TRICON (garage) is going to work really hard to bring fast trucks,” Gray said. “Ultimately, it comes down to me making too many mistakes and putting us in bad positions.”

Not to be overlooked is Friesen, who is hot on the heels of Dye and Gray, leaving Pocono just four points behind the cut line after finishing in seventh place. With five consecutive top-11 finishes, Friesen has worked his way into the playoff conversation.

“We are constantly building with (Halmar Friesen Racing),” said Friesen Front line after the race. “We’re not there yet. We still have a lot to do to probably get into the top five, but we’ve overcome the next hurdle.”

The only certainty in the battle for the last playoff spot in the Truck Series is that the last two races of the regular season will be exciting.