Ten races down, 15 to go in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
season. The series is known for its championship battle going down to the wire,
sometimes to the last lap in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
This season appears no different than the those before. The points lead has
changed for the fifth time following Milwaukee. Ron Hornaday Jr. takes over for
the second time with a 36-point lead over Matt Crafton.
Two former series champions looking to improve their luck and chances at another
title sit third and fourth. Third-place Todd Bodine (No. 30 Copart Toyota) is 88
points out of first. The points difference is nothing to worry over, but Mike
Skinner (No. 5 Exide Toyota), sitting a mere point behind Bodine, is someone
worth keeping an eye on.
Both Bodine and Skinner have wins so far this season. But consistency could be
key. Crafton is winless since grabbing his first career win at Lowe's in May
last year.
From fifth place back, the points and stakes are tighter. David Starr (No. 24
Zachry Toyota) moves up a spot to fifth following a ninth-place finish over the
weekend. Rookie Tayler Malsam (No. 81 One Eighty Toyota) continues to impress
and moves up two places to sixth. He is 14 points behind Starr. Only 10 lie
between Malsam and Brian Scott (No. 16 Albertson's Toyota), who is seventh.
Scott can't rest easy as the second-year driver only has a two-point cushion on
veteran Terry Cook (No. 25 Cajun Industries/Harris Trucking Co. Toyota). Back in
ninth, Rick Crawford barely hangs on to his spot. Crawford entered the top 10
following the race at Texas. He has just six points over Dennis Setzer, who is
10th.