David Reutimann, No. 17 Toyota : "It feels pretty solid other than the nose."

Mike Wallace, No. 15 Chevrolet : "It has grip, but it is shoving up the racetrack."

Shane Huffman, No. 40 Chevrolet : "I think the wiring harness is coming loose."

The gates have opened for the final NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race of 2006, the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It marks the eleventh race for the Truck Series at HMS, but only the third race on the current layout. There is a lot on the line this week, with the points championship to be decided, and virtually every position from second through 13th up for grabs as well. 

Here is a look at the entries for the Ford 200 and how they could fare in the final race of 2006:

Robert Richardson, No. 1 WinYourMortgage.com Chevrolet : Richardson has improved steadily throughout the season. The team still struggles in qualifying, and with more entries than available positions, Richardson will have to focus on a quick lap in qualifying. If he makes the field, and he should, Richardson would like to close the season with a lead lap finish and a truck in one piece.

Chase Miller, No. 4 Dodge Motorsports Dodge : Miller received Jack Sprague’s stolen stuffed monkey via UPS at the track this week, and he’s hoping it brings the same luck for him as it did Sprague, who went to victory lane at Martinsville with his stuffed companion. Miller is coming off a hard crash at Phoenix, and after a string of bad luck would welcome a top-ten.

Mike Skinner, No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota : Skinner is blindingly fast on the 1.5-milers, and his aggression suits the new Homestead layout to a “T”.  Look for Skinner to be a threat in qualifying, as he always is, and look for a top-five run to send Skinner and the BDR crew into the off season on a high note.

Mark Martin, No. 6 Scotts Ford : Martin is a threat to win each and every time he climbs behind the wheel of this truck. It’s Martin’s swansong with Roush Racing this weekend; will he go out with a blaze of glory or with a whimper?

Casey Kingsland, No. 7 Hooter’s Energy Drink Chevrolet : The first order of business is making the race for this upstart team.

Ted Musgrave, No. 9 Team ASE/Germain Motors Toyota : Musgrave has a win every year he’s raced full-time in the Truck Series, dating back to 2001. He has yet to collect a checkered flag in 2006, and would very much like to score a win. He’s also trying to maintain his streak of consecutive top-three points finishes. He will need some help in the form of bad luck for David Reutimann to make that happen, but look for him to try his hardest to uphold his end of the deal.

Terry Cook, No. 10 Ford Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford : Cook is strong on the 1.5-mile speedways, scoring a win at Kansas and recently finishing second at Atlanta. Cook is feeling out the job market heading into 2007, and a strong finish to the 2006 season could help cement him in a competitive ride next year. Cook will be in the hunt for a top ten and possibly a top five finish.

David Starr, No. 11 ToyotaForklift.net Toyota : Starr’s Red Horse Racing team has been strong on the short tracks, when Starr himself is usually a strong challenger on the intermediate ovals. Starr would like to wrap up a top-five points finish, but needs to perform better than he has the last two superspeedway events to lock it down.

Michael Waltrip, No. 12 Jani-King Toyota : Waltrip hasn’t made a Truck Series start since 2004 at Indianapolis, and while he has to make the field based on his qualifying speed, he should be a lock to make the race. Once in, he should be able to race his way to the top-15.

Kerry Earnhardt, No. 13 ThorSport Racing Chevrolet : Earnhardt has had a miserable year. The last superspeedway race at Texas was his season in a microcosm: tire problems in practice put him in the wall, and a repeat tire issue in the race forced a second crash. Earnhardt has yet to find a top ten finish in 2006, and with the way his season is going it’s going to be a long shot to pick it up here. A top-15 would be almost like a victory.

Rick Crawford, No. 14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford : Crawford collected his first career NCTS win at Homestead in 1998. Crawford has had rotten luck the past two weeks, and after threatening for a top-five points finish, Crawford now needs to reverse the momentum. This track bit him last year in qualifying, and Crawford usually steps it up when a track owes him one.

Mike Wallace, No. 15 Miccosukee Resort Chevrolet : Wallace picked up a win here in 1999, and was a third of a lap away from a win at Talladega before last-lap contact put him in the fence. He’s back with Billy Ballew Motorsports, and the Richie Wauters-led team always comes with a truck that can fight for a win.

Mike Bliss, No. 16 Xpress/Strutmasters.com Chevrolet : Tire problems struck Bliss for the second week in a row last week at Phoenix. A win at Atlanta surprised many, but Bliss has been strong ever since. If they keep the tires on underneath him, he could again challenge for a win.

David Reutimann, No. 17 Team Tundra Toyota : Reutimann has been a fixture since 2004, but the Ford 200 marks his final race as a full-time NCTS driver. He’d like to close the season with a win, and if the chips fall the right way he could potentially finish second in the championship. He’s a strong mile and a half driver, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he pulls it off.

Bobby Hamilton, Jr., No. 18 Fastenal Dodge : Hamilton, Jr. has had a trying year, personally and professionally. The truck has been fast the past few weeks but has not made it to the end without trouble. If the little gremlins stay away, Hamilton can close the year with a top-ten.

Marcos Ambrose, No. 20 Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards Ford : One of the pleasant surprises in 2006, Ambrose comes to Homestead for the first time. But he’s not been intimidated by any track he’s seen for the first time, and pulled off third place finishes at Kansas and Nashville. Ambrose can qualify, race, and finish among the top ten here.

Bobby East, No. 21 Edy’s Dibs/State Fair Corn Dogs Ford : East has had a typical rookie season, fighting Lady Luck and trying to earn respect on the speedway. He’s proven to be a strong qualifier, and raced up front before trouble cropped up in front of him at Texas. A trouble free run could easily result in a top ten.

Bill Lester, No. 22 Waste Management Toyota : It’s been a hard year for Lester in the Truck Series. Lester scored a top-five hear last year, and matching that could help cement his 2007 plans.

Johnny Benson, No. 23 Exide Batteries Toyota : Benson will again try to win the pole and follow up with a win in the race like he did at Phoenix. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, look for Benson to run to the front.

Damon Lusk, No. 25 Woodard Racing Dodge : Rumors have surrounded this team since Boston Reid departed several races back. Lusk has performed admirably since taking the reins, and if things go his way he could rack up another top-20 finish.

Todd Bodine, No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota : Bodine has a 112-point cushion, meaning he needs to finish at least 28th or better to pick up his first series title. Do not expect him to set his sights on 28th, he and the Germain team will bring the same intensity they have that got them to this point, and he said last week closing out the championship with a win is a priority.

Ron Hornaday, No. 33 AES HR Solutions Chevrolet : Hornaday picked up a 1.5-mile win at Kentucky, and comes to Homestead fired up after controversy cost him a shot at a top five last week at Phoenix.

Shane Huffman, No. 40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet : Barry Dodson has led this independent team admirably all season long. Huffman has proven to be a wheelman, racing side-by-side for the lead in last week’s Busch race at Phoenix for several laps. Maybe he’s not a contender to win this week in the Truck, but look for a solid race out of Huffman.

Joe Nemechek, No. 46 Ginn Clubs and Resorts Chevrolet : Nemechek is attempting triple duty for the first time in his career. He’s made the most of his Truck efforts this year, running well near the front of the field before bad luck relegated him to disappointing finishes.

Michel Jourdain, No. 50 PurposeMoney.com Ford : Jourdain is still adjusting to stock car racing after years in the open wheel world. If he pulls off a top-20 it will be considered a good day, but with the Roush team behind him, it is possible he could run closer to the top ten.

Chad Chaffin, No. 59 Harris Trucking Toyota : This combination has showed incredible potential since joining the Toyota effort at Loudon. The payoff may not be tangible until next year when they finally get caught all the way back up, but the 59 truck could surprise people in the race.

Jack Sprague, No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota : Sprague has never been as loose as he is now. With two wins in the books, Sprague could easily walk away with his third win of the season here. He was one of the few that kept Todd Bodine in sight last year, and Sprague has shown that when he’s on this year, he’s awful tough to beat.

Brad Keselowski, No. 63 Dave Porter Truck Sales Ford : Keselowski is back for the first time in a Truck since Bristol. Qualifying could be an issue, but Brad gets up on the wheel when it’s time to go. Longevity will be the key to their day. If they make it to the end, a finish near the top-20 could be possible.

Aric Almirola, No. 75 Spears Mfg. Chevrolet : Almriola and the Spears team have not had the results they’ve hoped for, and Almirola will go on to other opportunities in 2007. But don’t look for him to roll over; he’s had some good runs in 2006 and closing the year with a top-10 is a possibility.

Brendan Gaughan, No. 77 South Point Resort Dodge : Gaughan has shown flashes of his 2003 form that saw him come within 40 laps of a Truck Series championship. Gaughan would like to finish what he started that day, and the Orleans Racing team has come close to showing it can consistently perform at the top-five level again.

Willie Allen, No. 87 Menards Chevrolet : Allen is making his first series start of 2006 after making a couple of appearances in the Busch Series. A strong run here this week could lead to a full-time ride with the ThorSport team in 2007.

Matt Crafton, No. 88 Menards Chevrolet : Crafton has run well on the reconfigured Homestead layout. Crafton finished fifth last week and comes in with some momentum. Again, time lost on pit road is critical. Good stops will lead to a good finish.

Erin Crocker, No. 98 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge : Crocker came a couple corners away from a top-15 finish at Phoenix and brings a lot of positive momentum to Homestead.

Erik Darnell, No. 99 Woolrich Ford: Darnell had a great run at Atlanta, and has the same truck here. Closing his rookie season with a top-five would be a solid end to the season, but Darnell has been close enough to the checkered flag that he wants a win. He might have a shot if the cards fall the right way.

John Mickel, No. 07 TorqueSpeed Chevrolet : Mickel has been learning the ropes leading up to a full-season run in 2007. He racked up a top 20 at Atlanta and if he stays out of trouble here, he could do it again.

Chad McCumbee, No. 08 TheGPSStore.com/Garmin Chevrolet : McCumbee has been a very pleasant surprise in 2006. He arrived on the scene with only a season of ARCA and a helmet in his hands, and has put himself on the radar with numerous strong runs this year. He could very well close out the year with a top-ten finish.