After an off season under clouds of crew cutbacks and rule changes, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opened under bright, sunny skies at Daytona International Speedway Wednesday.
In all, 38 trucks signed into the DIS garage area and participated in a pair of practices leading up to Friday's Energy Resources 250 on the 2.5-mile oval. As with every season, there's been a bunch of driver and team changes. This year, there seems like there are more than ever.
Here are the players in the Truck Series garage area this week at Daytona (listed by truck number) and a brief note on their 2009 situations.
1 Johnny Benson, Jr.
The defending champion of the Truck Series takes his show on the road to Red Horse Racing and team owner Tom Deloach this season. Benson's Bill Davis Racing crew chief Trip Bruce is also along for the as is new sponsor K&N Filters. Toyota remains the ride of choice for Benson this season.
4 Ricky Carmichael
Moto Cross legend brings sponsor Monster Energy Drink to the Truck Series and Kevin Harvick, Inc. Carmichael will have a steep learning curve, but wil l benefit from guidance from spotter Andy Houston, teammate Ron Hornaday, Jr. and boss Kevin Harvick.
5 Mike Skinner
The division's first-ever champion in 1995, Skinner escaped the Bill Davis Racing meltdown and along with new sponsor Exide, landed in the No. 5 Toyota Tundra fielded by David Dollar and Randy Moss Motorsports.
Skinner's presence alone makes this team a top-five contender in the points.
6 Colin Braun
Last year's top division rookie is back in the potent Con-Way Freight Ford out of the Roush Fenway Shops. Braun will run the full 25-race schedule and needs to win in a truck that historically done just that.
06 Johnny Chapman
Basically, a tag along effort to fill the field at Daytona by Chapman, one of the nicest guys in the garage area.
7 J.R. Fitzpatrick
Canadian teenager made three Truck Series starts last season and returns to the division this year with sponsor Mammoet and a seat in the TRG Motorsports Chevy. Intention is to run the full schedule and compete for the division rookie of the year award.
07 Chad McCumbee
McCumbee thought he was going to be in the seat of a Petty Enterprises Sprint Cup car this season, but Petty's late off-season merger with Gillette/Evernham Racing put McCumbee back in the Truck Series in Bobby Dotter's No 07 ASI Limited Chevy.
08 Butch Miller
Former series winner Miller will wheel a second Bobby Dotter/Greenligh t Racing Chevy entry in several events this year as a field filler.
10 James Buescher
A winner in his first ARCA start at age 16 and the ARCA winner already this year at Daytona, Buescher will steer the No. 10 International Maxx Force Ford out of the Circle Bar Racing shops in the Truck Series this season. Buescher could win this season and is a strong contender for the rookie of the year title.
11 T.J. Bell
This second Red Horse Racing Toyota and sponsor Home For The Holidays are good for the first two races at Daytona and California. After that, it's all about funding.
12 Mario Gosselin
Longtime NASCAR, ARCA and short-tracker will be a hit and miss entry with his own Chevy Silverado throughout the 2009 Truck Series season.
13 Johnny Sauter
After stints in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series the past two years, Sauter makes his way into the Mike Curb listed as owner of second truck out of the ThorSport shops.
14 Rick Crawford
The 2003 Daytona Truck Series winner, Rick Crawford returns in the now orange No. 14 Circle Bar Racing/International Truck and Engine Ford F-150. As always, Crawford will be a contender for a spot in the top-five at season's end.
15 Shane Sieg
A second Billy Ballew entry, Sieg returns as long as the money lasts at No. 15 Phoenix Construction Toyota. Late model ace needs to impress early to network additional funding.
16 Brian Scott
The addition of veteran crew chief Jeff Hensley late last season propelled Scott to six top-10 finishes in the final eight races and a career-best second in final event of 2008 Truck Series season at Homestead. Scott could be breakout star of the series with Albertsons backing on the Xpress Motorsports No/ 16 Toyotas.
17 Timothy Peters
Former Bobby Hamilton protégé with 43 career division starts tries to make a full season run in the Strutmasters.com Toyota. Chad Kendrick is the top wrench for this Steve Stallings entry.
21 Dennis Setzer
Setzer - one of the division's biggest winners and ambassadors - may be on the outside looking in if something doesn't happen soon financially. At Daytona, the Newton, NC ace will wheel a third, last minute GunBroker.com Dodge entry.
22 Wayne Edwards
Longtime Truck Series supporter Wayne Edwards (56 career division starts) will go for broke at Daytona in the second Gunbroker.com Dodge. Making the race and finishing in the top 15 a big victory for Edwards and this group at Daytona.
23 Jason White
White showed flashes of speed and steady racing in during the 2008 Truck Series season and could challenge for a top-10 in the points if he continues to improve in the Gunbroker.com Dodge.
24 David Starr
Starr and new sponsor Zachary Holdings landed at Jim Harris' HT Motorsports during the off season. A veteran, winning driver and proven
winner in crew chief Jason Miller makes this team a threat to win and contend for a top-10 in points.
25 Terry Cook
Cook is the 'Iron Man' of the division and hasn't missed a Truck Series start since the start of the 1998 season. This was the 59 HT Motorsports primary team last year and returns at Daytona as the No. 25 Cajun Industries Toyota with crew chief Danny Rollins at the helm.
28 Andy Lally
A winner in the Daytona Rolex 24 sports car race earlier this season, Lally and his FDNY Chevy will find the sledding tough in the Truck Series event at Daytona. Beyond that, it's select events for this team in 2009.
30 Todd Bodine
The division's most consistent performer over the past four years with 15 wins and 50 top-five finishes in 100 events, Bodine and his Germain Racing Toyota find themselves without a primary sponsor this season. Bodine hopes another win at Daytona (he's the defending race champion), and/or top performances at California and Atlanta will attract financial backing. If not, the team could fall off the tour.
32 Chase Austin
Young late model ace Chase Austin tries to make the jump to the Truck Series in the Trail Motorsport Chevy. At Daytona, this team is being run out of Dave Malcomson's stable - the No. 8 truck last year.
33 Ron Hornaday, Jr.
The division's fiercest competitor, Hornaday Jr. will be lookin g to avenge a lost championship last year returning in the potent KHI Chevys with new sponsors Swedish Match and Longhorn. The team also returns top crew chief Rick Ren and veteran racer/spotter Rick Carelli - easily the most solid team in the division top to bottom.
40 Mike Bliss
Curtis Key Motorsports comes to Daytona with veteran Bliss in the seat of the team's unsponsored No. 40 Chevy. Bliss will wheel - and veteran crew chief Gary Showalter at the helm - as long as there is funding.
44 Lance Hooper
Hooper has spent recent seasons as a crew chief at Key Motorsports and at Daytona is listed as both that and the driver of the team's second unsponsored Chevy.
47 Brandon Knupp
Team owner/crew chief David McClure brings rookie Brandon Knupp and sponsor FT-11 Multi-Purpose Degreaser to the Truck Series. The team will run Chevys this season.
48 Bryan Silas
The ARCA campaigner made seven Truck Series starts over the past two seasons and is back in the seat of the D.R. Horton Chevy at Daytona. Andy Hillenburg has brought in Cal Boprey to crew chief the team which, like many others, is looking for additional funding.
51 Kyle Busch
Three Truck Series wins a year ago has brought Kyle Busch back for an encore in the Miccosukee Resort Toyota this season. Immaculately prepared by crew chief Richie Wauters and the Billy Ballew Motorsports team, this driver/truck/team combo is a threat to win every time it hits the track in 2009.
53 Justin Hobgood
It seems like a Hobgood has been coming to Daytona with some sort of race car for darn near 30 years. This year, it is Justin behind the wheel of the No. 53 Georgia Beef Board Chevy.
57 Norm Benning
Benning has been ARCA racing for decades and made a number of Truck Series appearances over the past couple of seasons. If heart was the determining factor of a race, this team would be top-five every week. At Daytona, it will be a victory just to make the race.
60 Stacy Compton
Just two years ago, Wyler Racing's Toyota went to victory lane at Daytona with driver Jack Sprague. Now, they are chasing funding with veteran driver Stacy Compton in the seat and long-time NASCAR crew chief Gary Cogswell on top of the pit box.
74 Larry Foyt
The coolest new paint job in the garage area, you can't miss Foyt's Blu Frog Energy Drink Dodge when it's on the track. Beyond Daytona, plans are still in the making for this Derikke Cope entry.
77 J.C. Stout
Stout would like to make the jump to full-time series competitor and hopes the switch to Toyota this season will impress enough in select events to make that happen.
81 Tayler Malsam
Malsam will contend for rookie of the year in the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports entry this season. The team has hired veteran NASCAR top kick Doug Wolcott to assist Malsam's learning curve, which is also to get a boost from having Mike Skinner as a teammate.
85 Brent Raymer
With Brent Raymer behind the wheel, Chrissie Raymer listed as the owner, and Josh Raymer assuming crew chief duties, this unsponsored Ford is definitely a family affair. How long they can last without sponsorship remains to be seen.
88 Matt Crafton
After years of trying, Crafton finally won at Charlotte last year. This season, the veteran driver and his No. 88 ThorSport Menards Chevy will contend for wins and another top-10 finish in the points.
89 Mike Harmon
Mike Harmon is the driver du jour in the Lafferty Performance Chevy at Daytona. This team will make a handful of 2009 division appearances.
