(VPS Motorimages Photo)

After a one-week break, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series gets back in action this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, site of Saturday night's Toyota Tundra 200, race No. 15 of 25 on the 2008 schedule.

Johnny Benson, driver of the No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra, comes into the event on a roll, having won the last two races of the season. But Benson's points lead is anything but secure, as defending NCTS Champion Ron Hornaday Jr. is just 15 points behind and Matt Crafton only 31 points back in third. And with a wide-open title race, none of the leaders can afford any kind of slip-up under the lights on Saturday night.

Of three drivers atop the points, Benson has had the most success on the 1.33-mile, D-shaped concrete Nashville oval, winning here in 2006 and posting three top-10 finished in four NCTS starts. Interestingly, Benson is the only previous Nashville winner entered in Saturday night's race. None of the other six drivers who've captured this race will be in the field this time around.

"The track is pretty neat, although it's tough place to pass," said Benson. "It's a finesse-type of race track, where you have to really concentrate to hold it down at the bottom of the track. It also requires a lot of discipline to make sure you don't go into the corner too hard. It is also a special place for Toyota, being they are the title sponsor, so that give all their drivers more incentive to win."

Hornaday, who pilots the No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet Silverado, was second here last year, his best finish in three tries in a truck at Nashville. He and his Kevin Harvick Inc. teammate, Jack Sprague, will each be trying to complete the "Tennessee Triple" on Saturday night, having previously both scored victories at Bristol and Memphis.

Sprague, driver of the No. 2 American Commercial Lines Chevy, has a Nationwide Series win here and a best NCTS finish of second in 2006.
"I have not had the best of luck at Nashville in the past, but I was really pleased with the information we learned from the Chicago test, plus we had a rocket ship of a truck in Kentucky and we are bringing that same truck to Nashville," said Sprague. "Had we not broken a motor in Kentucky, we would have been hard to beat."

Crafton comes into Nashville on an impressive streak, having driven his No. 88 Menards Chevrolet to a finish of fourth or better in each of the last four NCTS races, with a best of second at the Milwaukee Mile. But he hasn't had much success in Music City, with a best finish of seventh in seven starts.

Rick Crawford lost some critical ground in the NCTS points race when he finished 14th and 12th in the last two events in his No. 14 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford F-150. Crawford has had an up-and-down time at Nashville, where in his first three NCTS races he had two third- and one second-place finish. But since then, his best finish was sixth and he had two runs of 24th or worse.

By now, the fact that Mike Skinner is winless on the season has been well documented. Saturday night, he could well break through in his No. 5 Toyota Tundra. Skinner has led 250 laps over the last three Nashville Truck races, finishing third last year and fourth in 2005. This could be his night to win the coveted Gibson guitar trophy.

"Nashville is a track that really fits my driving style," said Skinner. "You really roll the center of the corner fast in order to have a shot to win the race.  We tested last week in Chicago and worked on different combinations that would help us really get through the center of the corners.  I am excited to get to the track and see if it helps us.  This team is still in the hunt for the championship.  We have to be on our A-game for the last 11 races of the season to have a chance to race for the championship come Homestead."

Another driver looking to win for the first time at Nashville is 2006 series champion Todd Bodine, who has posted some stout numbers here, posting previous finishes of fifth, eighth and third in his Lumber Liquidators Toyota.

The most intriguing pick for this weekend, though, might well be Ted Musgrave, driver of the Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota. On the surface, Musgrave has suffered a difficult season, having last scored a top-10 finish way back in the fifth race of the season at Kansas Speedway. And even though he hasn't won yet at Nashville, Musgrave has a truly incredible record here, with an average finish of 3.43. In his seven Nashville NCTS starts, Musgrave has finished second three times and third twice, his two other finishes being fourth and eighth. He cannot be discounted.

Red Horse Racing Toyota driver David Starr has one second and two fourth-place finishes here, while Wyler.com Toyota's Terry Cook and Northern Tool + Equipment Ford driver Erik Darnell both will be looking to improve on their respective best performances here.

All eyes will be on Benson as he goes for his third straight this weekend, but expect a wide-open race on Saturday night, as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series seasons begins to head down the stretch.

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com.  He is the author of "Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED," and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association.  Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing.