Determination Lifts Dye Into Truck Series Playoff Field

Daniel Dye (John K. Harrelson/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

RICHMOND, Va. – Daniel Dye made a piece of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history during the tour’s regular season finale on Saturday night.

Dye took home a stellar top 10, finishing eighth in Saturday night’s Clean Harbor 250 at Richmond Raceway and clinching his first career playoff berth in the process.

The 20-year-old beat out TRICON Garage’s Tanner Gray for one of the final two spots on points, after Taylor Gray locked up his berth earlier in the race.

It made Dye the first driver in Truck Series history to race their way into the playoff field from below the cut line during the last race of the regular season.

Dye said pre-race that the pressure headed into Richmond felt like the opposite of Christmas. Now, those views have flipped.

“It feels a lot better than Christmas now,” Dye said jokingly after the race. “Just a lot of hard work these guys have put in.

“It’s really good to validate myself and the work I’ve been putting in to change up what I’ve been doing,” he added. “It's so cool to have our Champion Container Chevrolet in the playoffs. This team never quits; it’s been pure grit at times.”

The 2024 season for the DeLand, Fla., native has been a sophomore year of resurgence. Dye has had statistical jumps across numerous metrics. In his first year with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, he’s recorded five top 10s, a top five at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, and his first career pole at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.

He’s also put up an average finishing position of 15th, five spots higher than his average one year ago.

In his rookie year, Dye only had a single top 10 and was 18th in the points standings with GMS Racing. Now in year two, he’s 10th in points, and enters the Round of 10 two points back of the elimination line to open the playoffs.

“I’m whooped; this wasn’t easy, [because Richmond] isn’t an easy racetrack,” Dye said of the 250 laps at the three-quarter-mile oval. “Just proud of everybody; everyone has been working so hard trying to keep me under control and not too freaked out.”

Of note, Dye’s run was his best career finish at Richmond, also netting nine stage points and rebounding from a 21st-place finish last season.

In four out of five short-track races, Dye hasn’t finished worse than 13th this season.

“Proud to be here, this is a racetrack I didn’t like last year,” said Dye, “and I don’t like Milwaukee either but we’re headed to Milwaukee. Let's go do it.”

The Craftsman Truck Series begins its seven-race playoff stretch at the Milwaukee (Wis.) Mile on Sunday, Aug. 25. Broadcast coverage of the LiUNA 175 begins at 4 p.m. ET on FS1, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.