Current points leader Johnny Benson hopes to repeat his 2007 win at Bristol Motor Speedway (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Johnny Benson trying to make NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history doing something that Greg Biffle, Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Mike Skinner all tried but couldn't do themselves.

Jimmie Johnson trying to make his first NCTS start. Canadian Patrick Carpentier, too.

Hornaday trying to retaking the NCTS points lead.

Rowdy back behind the wheel.

And 36 ornery trucks and even ornerier drivers, all with their respective feet to the floor for 200 high-banked and hell-raising laps. Welcome to Bristol Motor Speedway, site of Wednesday night's O'Reilly 200, race No. 16 of 25 on the 2008 NCTS schedule. And what a race it should be around the fiendishly fast 0.533-mile oval.

Points leader Benson, who won this race last season, comes into the race as the odd-on favorite by virtue of his three straight victories in his No. 23 Toyota Exide Batteries Tundra, and the fact that's he's finished first, fourth and fourth here in the last three races.

But Biffle, Bodine, Hornaday and Skinner couldn't win four straight NCTS races when they had the chance. Can Benson? He just might. "This is fun," said Benson, who has the best Bristol finishing average of any driver in the field at 5.500. "Momentum is such an important thing in this sport. We have been on a roll and know we have to keep it up for the last 10 races."

Also eager to break into victory lane is his Bill Davis Racing teammate, Mike Skinner, pilot of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra-sponsored entry. "It's extremely tough, but it's definitely one of my favorite race tracks," said Skinner, who led 190 of 200 laps to win here in 2005 and has led a total of 478 laps here in the last five years. "I wish we raced there four or five times a year, to be honest with you."

Of course, the Toyotas of Skinner and Benson will have their work cut out for them with the Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet Silverados driven by Hornaday and Jack Sprague. Hornaday, driver of the Camping World No. 33 Chevy, won from the pole here in 1997 and '98, while Sprague took the victory in '99.

"We'll be on a new tire this year, one that we have never used in the NASCAR Truck Series," said Hornaday. "Rick Ren (crew chief), the No. 33 Camping World crew and everybody at KHI give me great trucks and they are really fun to drive. We are taking a really good truck to Bristol, a truck that we have won with earlier this year, and I know that we will be one the teams to beat when we unload."

Sprague was a little more circumspect about his chances on the Bristol concrete. "With the way our season has gone thus far, anything could happen at any track, not just Bristol," said Sprague, who drives the No. 2 American Commercial Lines Chevrolet. "I have never been one to be too concerned about the point standings until the race is over. Right now the No. 2 ACL team is just going to each track to try and win the race. Once we get that accomplished then we can look at the points and where we would ultimately like to be." Still in nine Truck starts at Bristol, Sprague has finished eighth or better an impressive seven times.

Two of the more intriguing drivers to watch will be Cup regulars Johnson and "Rowdy" Busch. Johnson will drive the No. 81 Kobalt Tools Chevy owned by National Football League star Randy Moss, while Busch will be back behind the wheel of the familiar No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts Toyota owned by Billy Ballew.

"I'm excited," said Johnson. "I got my start racing off-road trucks, so it's going to be cool to be back in a truck. I've never driven one before. I've always wondered how they drive and what they're about. I've spent so much time with (Ron) Hornaday and he's been such a big part of my career, to be able to go out and race against him is going to be blast. When I look at the guys that run in the Truck Series - a lot of guys I've looked up to and respected throughout my career - I'm looking forward to getting out and having some fun with them."

Busch, too, is searching for some fun. "I'm looking forward to getting back in the truck this weekend," said Busch, who has won a staggering 16 races this season in NASCAR's top three divisions. "Running in the Truck Series is just a lot of fun for me. It's competitive and tough. And, if I can get a win at Bristol I know I've beaten some of the best racers out there."

Two more guys to look out for: Although he didn't lead a lap in either race, Lumber Liquidators No. 30 driver Todd Bodine was runner-up at Bristol in 2006 and '05, while Brendan Gaughan was second here last year and fourth in 2003. He could challenge this time in his International MaxxForce Diesel Ford F-150.

The bottom line on Wednesday: It's Bristol. Look for a 200-lap brawl, as Benson goes for a record and the other 35 drivers try to knock him of the pedestal. It should be one of the best races of the year.

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.