With the 2008 season decorated by career firsts, photo finishes and the closest championship battle in series history, the drivers and teams of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series once again did not disappoint. While 2009 will usher in a new look as Camping World becomes the new title sponsor, expect the same excitement and incredible competition that past seasons have produced.
Benson Will Go For Another Truck Championship in 2009
Johnny Benson and Ron Hornaday, Jr. were on top of their games in 2008, taking the championship battle down to the wire at Homestead-Miami Speedway and proving that the veteran drivers were the ones to beat. Benson was victorious, knocking the defending champion off his pedestal to capture his first series title.
Seven points separated the two after the checkered flag fell on the season. Benson, the 1995 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion and 1996 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year, will defend his title this year with a new team. He made an off-season move to Red Horse Racing and joins fellow series veteran David Starr as a teammate.
Formed in 2005, Red Horse Racing has yet to capture a series title. But Benson’s addition could present the series its first repeat champion and bring his new team its first NASCAR title.
With 215 career series starts, Starr, who last won in 2006 at Martinsville Speedway, grabbed four top-five and eight top-10 finishes last year but placed outside the top 10 in driver points for the first time sine 2003. It’s been 71 races since he made the trip to Victory Lane, and he’s determined to end that streak in 2009.
As for three-time champion Hornaday, he’ll be back along with his Kevin Harvick Inc. team as fierce as ever. The driver who captured six wins in 2008 is still after an unprecedented fourth series title.
Hornaday Will Do All He Can To Win Truck Title No. 4 In 2009
Chances are good that Hornaday will be a contender. Crew chief Rick Ren will be atop the pit box and will work diligently to make the team as dominant as they were in 2008. Even though he didn’t bring home the big trophy, Hornaday managed to lead most statistical categories for the season, including Driver Rating (114.5), Average Running Position (7.228) and Fastest Laps Run (18.8% of green flag laps).
Germain Racing driver Todd Bodine surged to third in points, 104 behind Benson in the closing weeks of 2008. Bodine, the 2006 series champion, and his team no doubt would like to start the season at Daytona International Speedway as they did last year, in Victory Lane. Bodine, with a bold last-lap pass, went on for consecutive wins at Talladega Superspeedway and also took the checkered flag for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He should have plenty of momentum heading into the 2009 season.
Todd Bodine Will Be Thinking Hard About Championship No. 2 In 2009
The Ford camp has the talent of Rick Crawford representing them for another season with Circle Bar Racing. The team will reach a milestone early in the year with its 300th start, expected for the February 21st race at Auto Club Speedway. Crawford won’t be far behind; he’s scheduled to reach the same milestone the following week at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Crawford might have ended 2009 winless, but be on the lookout for the veteran driver to end up in Victory Lane a couple times this season. Finishing the year seventh in points, Crawford accumulated seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. Eager to turn those solid finishes into wins this season, the 2003 Daytona winner could be a favorite the first race of 2009.
Winless is something 1995 series champion Mike Skinner thought he might be as the 2008 season wound down – until he rolled the dice to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Skinner saw a season of ups and downs, but with five top-five and 18 top-10 finishes, he pulled off a solid sixth place finish in the standings. The series all-time pole winner added four to his season stats last year, bringing his career total to 47. It’s almost certain to guarantee Skinner will be in contention as the season unfolds, looking to add another championship to his resume.
Another Californian, Matt Crafton, enters the season with plenty of motivation. Crafton was one of several drivers to mark a career first in 2008. After 178 starts in the series, he captured his first win, making the trip to Victory Lane at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May.
By posting one win, nine top-five and 12 top-10 finishes, he closed out 2008 fifth in the points, matching his previous best championship finish in 2004. Entering his ninth season, Crafton aims to secure his 200th start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series by race number three. A consistent player throughout last season, Crafton will be another driver to watch this year as he is sure to be in contention for wins and a possible championship run.
Another veteran to watch is Terry Cook and the HT Motorsports team. Like fellow veteran Crawford, Cook will mark his 300th series start at Michigan International Speedway on June 13th. The Sylvania, Ohio native enters his 12th season in the series with six career wins and eight Keystone Light Pole Awards.
Looking at last year’s young talent, Colin Braun is back, looking to exchange his Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award for that of series champion. Braun, shut out of the top 10 by series veterans, ended his year in 13th position overall.
In a new twist for the new season, the Texas native will be the only driver in the series for Roush Fenway Racing. Holding on to a record 49 wins, Roush and company are still after that golden 50th victory in the series. Erik Darnell, who makes the move this year to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, garnered Roush and Ford’s only win last year, at Michigan.
While Braun brought home a sixth rookie title for the organization, both Roush and Ford would certainly prefer to have more wins and a championship in 2009. Ford’s only series champion was Greg Biffle in 2000.
Braun is not alone in the youth category. While he couldn’t quite catch Braun, Brian Scott was in fast pursuit of the rookie honor, finishing 19 points behind in second place. A mid-season move to Toyota seemed to turn his season around. Scott, who posted his season-best finish of second at Homestead-Miami Speedway, hopes to continue with similar performances in his second full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. With the momentum he gained toward the end of 2008, the 21-year-old also looks to add a first win to his stats this year.
Washington state native Taylor Malsam was the first driver to throw his helmet in the ring for the 2009 Raybestos Rookie of the Year honor. Malsam could have a leg up on his competition for the award as he completed in two events last year with a best finished of 21st at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
T.J. Bell competes in his first full season in the series with the support of TRG Motorsports. Bell, who has 47 career starts in the series, made 17 last season with his No. 7 TRG team posting seven top 10 finishes. His best came at Martinsville Speedway in October where he finished in sixth place.
T.J. Bell Could Be Sitting In Victory Lane In 2009
These veterans and young drivers alike will no doubt keep the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season interesting, which officially starts off February 13th at Daytona International Speedway. Once again the schedule will consist of 25 races at 22 tracks stretching across the U.S., including two new stops – Chicagoland Speedway on August 28th and Iowa Speedway on September 5th.
2008 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Top Ten Point Standings
| Driver | Points | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
| 1. Johnny Benson | 3,725 | 25 | 5 | 14 | 18 |
| 2. Ron Hornaday Jr. | 3,718 | 25 | 6 | 14 | 18 |
| 3. Todd Bodine | 3,621 | 25 | 3 | 15 | 17 |
| 4. Erik Darnell | 3,412 | 25 | 1 | 9 | 12 |
| 5. Matt Crafton | 3,392 | 25 | 1 | 9 | 12 |
| 6. Mike Skinner | 3,363 | 25 | 1 | 5 | 18 |
| 7. Rick Crawford | 3,315 | 25 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| 8. Dennis Setzer | 3,197 | 25 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 9. Jack Sprague | 3,125 | 25 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| 10. Terry Cook | 3,072 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Champions (1999 – 2008)
| Year | Driver | Points Total |
| 2008 | Johnny Benson | 3,725 |
| 2007 | Ron Hornaday Jr | 3,982 |
| 2006 | Todd Bodine | 3,666 |
| 2005 | Ted Musgrave | 3,535 |
| 2004 | Bobby Hamilton | 3,624 |
| 2003 | Travis Kvapil | 3,837 |
| 2002 | Mike Bliss | 3,359 |
| 2001 | Jack Sprague | 3,670 |
| 2000 | Greg Biffle | 3,826 |
| 1999 | Jack Sprague | 3,747 |
2008 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver
Johnny Benson
2008 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Award
Ron Hornaday, Jr.
2008 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year
Colin Braun
2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Schedule
| Date | Event | Track | Time (EST) | TV | Previous Winner |
| 2/13 | Daytona 250 | Daytona International Speedway | 7:30 PM |  | Todd Bodine |
| 2/21 | San Bernardino County 200 | Auto Club Speedway | 3:00 PM |  | Kyle Busch |
| 3/3 | American Commercial Lines 200 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | 1:30 PM | | Kyle Busch |
| 3/28 | Kroger 250 | Martinsville Speedway | 2:00 PM | | Dennis Setzer |
| 4/25 | O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 | Kansas Speedway | 5:30 PM | | Ron Hornaday Jr |
| 5/15 | N.C. Education Lottery 200 | Lowe’s Motor Speedway | 8:15 PM | | Matt Crafton |
| 5/29 | AAA Insurance 200 | Dover International Speedway | 5:15 PM | | Scott Speed |
| 6/5 | Winstar World Casino 400k | Texas Motor Speedway | 9:15 PM | | Ron Hornaday Jr |
| 6/13 | Michigan 200 | Michigan International Speedway | 2:15 PM | | Erik Darnell |
| 6/19 | Camping World RV Sales 200 | The Milwaukee Mile | 9:15 PM | | Johnny Benson |
| 6/27 | NCWTS 200 | Memphis Motorsports Park | 6:15 PM | | Ron Hornaday Jr |
| 7/18 | Built Ford Tough 225 | Kentucky Speedway | 7:15 PM | | Johnny Benson |
| 7/24 | NCWTS 200 | O’Reilly Raceway Park | 8:15 PM | | Johnny Benson |
| 8/1 | Toyota Tundra 200 | Nashville Superspeedway | 8:15 PM | | Johnny Benson |
| 8/19 | O’Reilly 200 | Bristol Motor Speedway | 8:15 PM | | Kyle Busch |
| 8/28 | Chicagoland Speedway 250 | Chicagoland Speedway | 9:15 PM | | |
| 9/5 | Iowa 200 | Iowa Speedway | 10:00 PM | | |
| 9/12 | Camping World 200 | Gateway International Speedway | 2:45 PM | | Ron Hornaday Jr |
| 9/19 | New Hampshire 200 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | 3:15 PM | | Ron Hornaday Jr |
| 9/26 | Qwik Liner Las Vegas 350 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | 9:45 PM | | Mike Skinner |
| 10/24 | Kroger 200 | Martinsville Speedway | 1:15 PM | | Johnny Benson |
| 10/31 | Mountain Dew 250 | Talladega Superspeedway | 4:20 PM | | Todd Bodine |
| 11/6 | Lone Star 350K | Texas Motor Speedway | 9:15 PM | | Ron Hornaday Jr |
| 11/13 | Lucas Oil 150 | Phoenix International Speedway | 8:15 PM | | Kevin Harvick |
| 11/20 | Ford 200 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | 8:15 PM | | Todd Bodine |
2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Daytona Schedule
Practice
Wednesday, February 11,2009
Noon EST
Practice
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
5:00 PM EST
Practice
Thursday, February 12, 2009
11:00 AM EST
Qualifying
Thursday, February 12, 2009
6:00 PM EST (7:00 PM EST Tape-Delay)
Race
Friday, February 13, 2009
8:00 PM EST
My Prediction For The 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion
Once again, 2009 will be an intense battle in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It will go down to the wire between three past champions this season – Johnny Benson, Ron Hornaday, Jr, and Todd Bodine.
Look for Rick Crawford to be in the mix with four races to go in the 2009 campaign.
The driver that will be standing in first at Homestead-Miami Speedway come November 20th will be…….
That’s right. Germain Racing’s Todd Bodine is my pick to be the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion!
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