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10 drivers to watch in the 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

The 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season will kick-off on Friday night at Daytona International Speedway.

Johnny Sauter, GMS Racing, Allegiant Airlines Chevrolet Silverado and Matt Crafton, ThorSport Racing, Fisher Nuts/ Menards Ford F-150

Johnny Sauter, GMS Racing, Allegiant Airlines Chevrolet Silverado and Matt Crafton, ThorSport Racing, Fisher Nuts/ Menards Ford F-150

Barry Cantrell / NKP / Motorsport Images

Johnny Sauter, GMS Racing, Allegiant Airlines Chevrolet Silverado
Matt Crafton, ThorSport Racing, Fisher Nuts/ Menards Ford F-150
Noah Gragson, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Safelite Autoglass Toyota Tundra and Kyle Busch
Ben Rhodes, ThorSport Racing Ford F-150
Justin Haley, GMS Racing, Fraternal Order Of Eagles Chevrolet Silverado
Myatt Snider, ThorSport Racing, Liberty Tax Ford F-150
Stewart Friesen, Chevrolet
David Gilliland, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Pedigree Toyota Tundra son Todd Gilliland
Dalton Sargeant, GMS Racing, Performance Plus Motor Oil Chevrolet Silverado
Grant Enfinger, ThorSport Racing Toyota

Once again, the series will see a combination of young upstarts and veterans, including former series champions.

Here’s a look at 10 drivers to watch as the 2018 season gets underway (in no particular order):

Johnny Sauter

Sauter, 39, has finished first or second in the series standings the past two seasons, including giving GMS Racing its first series title in 2016. Seven of Sauter’s 17 career wins have come since he joined GMS in 2016 and should be in contention again.

Noah Gragson

Gragson, 19, picked up his first series win last fall at Martinsville and returns for another full-time season with Kyle Busch Motorsports. He finished 10th in the series standings last year, just missing out on the playoffs.

Matt Crafton

A two-time series champion, Crafton, 41, returns to ThorSport Racing, which is making a transition from Toyota to the Ford camp. He hasn’t finished worse than fourth in the series standings in the past five seasons.

Ben Rhodes

Rhodes, 20, enters his third full-time season with ThorSport Racing and earned his first series victory last fall at Las Vegas. He qualified for the series playoffs and ended up a career-best fifth in the series standings.

Justin Haley

Haley, 18, returns to GMS Racing after a solid rookie season. He missed the first two races of the season because he had not yet turned 18. His best finish was third at Kentucky and he won the pole at the fall Texas race.

Myatt Snider

After running a partial schedule with Kyle Busch Motorsports last season, Snider, 23, joins ThorSport Racing to run the full season. His career-best finish was third last season at Talladega in eight starts.

Stewart Friesen

Friesen, 34, ran 19 races in the series last season with Halmar Friesen Racing. He started from the pole at Eldora and finished a career-best second in the race. The team has a technical alliance with GMS Racing this year.

Todd Gilliland

Gilliland doesn’t turn 18 until May 15 so he will miss the first six races of the season but he will compete for rookie of the year honors at Kyle Busch Motorsports. His best finish in six starts was third last year at New Hampshire.

Dalton Sargeant

Sargeant, 19, begins his first full season in the series with GMS Racing. In six series starts, his best finish is ninth at New Hampshire last year. He’s a former four-time winner in the ARCA series.

Grant Enfinger

Enfinger, 33, returns for his second full-time season in the series with Thorsport Racing. He picked up his first series win in 2016 with GMS Racing. He also has 16 career ARCA wins, including one last season.

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