Talladega turmoil: 3 NASCAR drivers who lost it all in the 2025 Truck Series playoffs

With the NASCAR Truck Series Round of 8 already underway, a chance to get inside the final four was snubbed away by a new winner in the series. Though Gio Ruggiero's maiden win at Talladega came after a string of near misses, other drivers seemingly lost an opportunity to gain points over their rivals.

The Talladega round wrapping up means that only the race weekend in Martinsville remains to make it inside the final four; the pressure has increased multiple-fold. So, let's take a look at the three drivers that had a terrible day out in Talladega:

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3 NASCAR drivers who lost it all in the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series playoffs

#3 Bret Holmes

Though Bret Holmes is not in the running for the NASCAR Truck Series championship, his outing at Talladega was also not one that he would like to look onto in the future. The 28-year-old was a regular in the Truck Series for years, but with Bret Holmes Racing ceasing its operations last year, his time in the series seemingly came to an end.

However, despite such events affecting his racing career, he returned to the Truck Series field at the recent race in Talladega. There, Holmes partnered up with Tricon Garage for his maiden outing of the year.

He qualified inside the top-10, but a clash with Layne Riggs and other factors led the Munford-born driver to take a dismal 28th-place result at the end of the race.

#2 Daniel Hemric

Moving over to the playoff beasts, Daniel Hemric is the first one in the line. The 34-year-old didn't have a great start to his weekend after a sub-optimal qualifying session.

But, in NASCAR, qualifying up or down the order doesn't have the same kind of effect as in some other series. The No. 19 driver was also on the charge as he ran on the fringes of the top-10 for a fair chunk of the race.

However, disaster struck as he clashed with Toni Briedinger, which damaged the rear-left side of his truck with the carcass of the tire failing in the subsequent moments. This ultimately led to a premature end to his day, as he now sits 32 points below the cutline.

#1 Grant Enfinger

On the other hand, the worst affected by an early race incident was Grant Enfinger. He arrived on the race weekend with the hopes of mounting a stern bid to make it into the championship four.

He even started in the top half of the field, but fortune was not on his side in Talladega. The CR7 Motorsports driver had to withdraw from the race after being tagged on the rear end of his car, which left the No. 9 Truck impaled and out of contention.

This has resulted in him sitting a massive 40 points below the cutline and the only possible way to get into the final four through a victory at Martinsville.