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It's down to two as Ron Hornaday and Mike Skinner are the only two drivers who can win the 2007 title.By the Numbers: Phoenix
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As one of just four tracks on the schedule that has been with the Truck Series since its inception in 1995, Phoenix has seen its share of history. The 1-mile track joins Bristol, Martinsville and ORP as the only venues to host an NCTS event 13 years later.
Phoenix hosted the first official Truck Series race in 1995, with Mike Skinner leading 30 of the 80 laps run and winning the inaugural Copper World Classic at PIR. That year, Skinner also won the season-ending race at PIR, his eighth win on the season, clinching his and the Truck Series' first championship.
Finishing third in points that season -- Ron Hornaday.
Fast-forward 13 years and the series returns to Phoenix for Friday's running of the Casino Arizona 150 (7:30 p.m. ET, SPEED) and once again, Skinner could clinch the championship.
The odds aren't likely. Skinner would have to win the race after leading the most laps and Hornaday would need to finish 36th without leading a single lap, but one thing is for sure -- all eyes will once again be on Skinner and Hornaday under the fall Arizona sun.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Interesting Fact
66With his win last week at Texas, Ted Musgrave snapped his 66-race winless streak, the second-longest in the series. Matt Crafton currently holds the longest streak without a win at 170. Brendan Gaughan has gone the longest between victories with his last coming at Texas in 2003, 74 races ago.
Fun Fact
1While most of us were enjoying the extra hour of sleep this past weekend thanks to Daylight Saving Time, the folks in Phoenix, site of this week's race, didn't. Arizona is the only state in the continental 48 to not recognize Daylight Saving Time despite the fact it was made a federal law in 1986.
All the Facts
2With two races remaining, only two drivers have a shot at winning the championship: Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday.
2.9Average running position of Todd Bodine in the last two races at Phoenix, tops among drivers competing in both events.
3Three drivers have won at Phoenix in their championship season: Mike Skinner (1995), Jack Sprague (1997) and Ron Hornaday (1998).
4.31Average starting position of the winners in 16 Truck Series races at Phoenix. The winner has started in the top five in 12 of those races.
5Number of multiple winners at Phoenix in the Truck Series, the most for any track on the 2007 schedule: Mike Skinner, Jack Sprague, Ron Hornaday, Kevin Harvick and Joe Ruttman.
6.375Average number of cautions in 16 Truck Series races at Phoenix for an average of 28.25 laps. In last year's race there were 11 cautions, a Truck Series record at Phoenix.
7The past seven Truck Series races have produced seven different winners.
9Number of drivers entered in this week's race with an average finish at Phoenix inside the top 10: Jack Sprague (4.6), Mike Skinner (5.3), Ron Hornaday (6.0), Johnny Benson (6.3), Ted Musgrave (7.9), Matt Crafton (9.0), Travis Kvapil (9.2), Erik Darnell (10.0) and Kyle Busch (10.0).
9Number of finishes inside the top three for Jack Sprague in 14 Phoenix races. He has three wins, five second-place finishes and one third-place finish.
10With his pole win at Texas, Mike Skinner tied his record of poles in a season with 10.
51Number of laps Johnny Benson was the fastest truck on the track in the last two races at Phoenix, tops among all drivers.
131Number of laps Ted Musgrave has led at Phoenix, the most among drivers without a win at the track. Musgrave has four top-fives in eight races including two second-place finishes.
132.660Pole speed of Johnny Benson in last year's race, the fastest in the Truck Series at Phoenix.
300Todd Bodine spent 300 laps, or 100 percent, of the last two races at Phoenix in the top 15, the only driver to do so.
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Phoenix Int'l Raceway
NCTS Winners
| Year | Winner | Make | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Mike Skinner | Chevrolet | 87.565 |
| Mike Skinner | Chevrolet | 91.102 | |
| 1996 | Jack Sprague | Chevrolet | 84.780 |
| Jack Sprague | Chevrolet | 95.289 | |
| 1997 | Jack Sprague | Chevrolet | 103.053 |
| Joe Ruttman | Ford | 103.942 | |
| 1998 | Ron Hornaday | Chevrolet | 101.714 |
| Mike Bliss | Ford | 103.669 | |
| 1999 | Ron Hornaday | Chevrolet | 95.137 |
| 2000 | Joe Ruttman | Dodge | 99.797 |
| 2001 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 92.726 |
| 2002 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 108.014 |
| 2003 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 107.527 |
| 2004 | David Starr | Chevrolet | 90.756 |
| 2005 | Todd Bodine | Toyota | 96.515 |
| 2006 | Johnny Benson | Toyota | 86.221 |
Craftsman Truck Series
Official Standings
| Pos. | +/- | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | +1 | Mike Skinner | 3718 | Leader |
| 2. | -1 | Ron Hornaday | 3661 | -57 |
| 3. | -- | Travis Kvapil | 3317 | -401 |
| 4. | +1 | Todd Bodine | 3254 | -464 |
| 5. | +1 | Rick Crawford | 3231 | -487 |
| 6. | -2 | Johnny Benson | 3221 | -497 |
| 7. | -- | Ted Musgrave | 2944 | -774 |
| 8. | -- | Matt Crafton | 2812 | -906 |
| 9. | +1 | Jack Sprague | 2752 | -966 |
| 10. | +1 | Erik Darnell | 2726 | -992 |
• Complete Standings click here
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