Truck battle as close as it's ever been this late in year
One point separates leader Benson from Hornaday

September 23, 2008
12:27 PM EDT
-

With six races remaining, it looks as though once again the Craftsman Truck Series championship is not even close to being locked up.

Johnny Benson, who finished 27th at Las Vegas with a DNF (cut tire leading to a crash into the wall) doesn't have any cushion in which to find comfort. He holds only a single-point lead over Ron Hornaday, the closest between first and second after 19 races in series history.
Craftsman Truck Series
Official Standings

Pos. Driver Behind
1. Johnny Benson --
2. Ron Hornaday -1
3. Matt Crafton -164
4. Erik Darnell -224
5. Mike Skinner -227
• Standings | Race | Series
Season Statistics

Driver W T-5 T-10 Pole
Benson 4 12 14 3
Hornaday 5 11 14 3
Crafton 1 9 10 0
Darnell 1 9 10 1
Skinner 1 4 15 3
• Complete Series Statistics

Benson went into the race a 74-point lead over Ron Hornaday Jr. While the two swapped the points lead a number of times throughout the night, Hornaday's fifth-place finish left him second.

Speaking of making history, should Hornaday's momentum continue, the three-time champion has an opportunity to become the series' first back-to-back champion.

With the Benson-Hornaday battle heating up, a watchful eye should be kept on the three drivers right behind them.

After a solid third-place finish at Las Vegas, Matt Crafton hangs on to the third spot only 164 out of first.

Erik Darnell gave Mike Skinner a run for his money in his second photo finish of the season. Skinner might have won but Darnell's runner-up finish moved him past the 1995 series champion in points. Now sitting fourth, the Roush Fenway Racing driver is 224 points behind Benson.

Looking at 2007, the remaining tracks do not appear to bode well for Darnell. Judging the recent performance of driver and team, though, with six top-five finishes -- including three runner-up spots -- and one top-10 all since his win at Michigan in June, the No. 99 will remain a contender.

Three points behind Darnell and only 227 points behind teammate Benson, Skinner possibly has a shot to add another series title to his resume. His win came just in time and has given his team the confidence they need for the remainder of the season.

"I've been hungry," Skinner said. "I got a lot of fire in this belly and I'm not done by any means."

__________________
Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports... the rest are just games........ Earnest Hemmingway