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Johnny Benson is the only driver in the top five to win at Nashville.By the Numbers: Nashville
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The Craftsman Truck Series is entering the homestretch of the '07 season this week with Saturday's running of the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway (6 p.m. ET, SPEED). This is race 15 of 25 on the season so if a championship is something a team desires, now is the time to start making a move.
And Nashville couldn't come at a better time. Current points leader Mike Skinner, who holds a 77 point lead on second-place Ron Hornaday, hasn't won at the 1.333-mile track in three attempts. Skinner's best finish at Nashville was a fourth two years ago and while the former champion has led laps in two of the last three races at Nashville, he has yet to close the deal with a victory.
Unfortunately for the drivers chasing Skinner for the title, Nashville has been equally unkind.
This is Hornaday's worst track on the schedule with an average finish of 22.5 with finishes of 12th and 33rd in the last two races. Third-place Todd Bodine has never won at Nashville but does have two top-10 finishes in two attempts. Travis Kvapil, currently fourth in points has raced at Nashville four times with one top-five and a 30th as his worst finish.
The only driver who has seen success at Nashville is fifth-place Johnny Benson, who won here last year and has finished all three races he's run in the top 10. But at 450 points behind leader Skinner, it seems Benson's title hopes are all but gone.
Interesting Fact
3Drivers who can claim victory at all three Tennessee tracks currently on the Craftsman Truck Series schedule with a win at Nashville. Travis Kvapil and Ron Hornaday have victories at Memphis and Bristol; Jack Sprague also has victories at those tracks plus one at Music City Motorplex located in Nashville, which held NCTS races from 1996 to 2000.
Fun Fact
1Number of mom's working on an over-the wall pit crew at Nashville. Patricia Stout, mother of J.C. Stout, driver of the No. 91 Chevrolet, will don a fire suit and join the over-the-wall crew as the rear-tire changer, taking the place of regular crew member Joe Szwaczkowski who is ill.
All the Facts
1Roush Fenway Racing is the only team to claim victories at all three concrete tracks currently on the Truck Series schedule. Carl Edwards won at Nashville in 2003, Mark Martin and Kurt Busch have given the team wins at Dover and at Bristol, Edwards and Martin have both been victorious.
1Number of laps winner Johnny Benson led in last year's race at Nashville. He took the lead on the final lap when leaders Mike Skinner and Todd Bodine crashed into each other.
2Number of drivers who have won the championship the same year they won at Nashville Superspeedway: Mike Bliss in '02 and Bobby Hamilton in '04.
2Toyota has won the last two races at Nashville Superspeedway: David Reutimann in 2005 and Johnny Benson last season.
3Number of drivers who spent at least 90 percent of the last two races at Nashville in the top 15: Mike Skinner (98.0 percent), Johnny Benson (92.0 percent) and Jack Sprague (90.7 percent).
5Number of drivers entered in this week's race at Nashville with an average finish inside the top 10: Ted Musgrave (2.7), Johnny Benson (5.0), Todd Bodine (5.5), Brendan Gaughan (5.5) and Chad McCumbee (7.0).
5.16Average number of cautions in six races at Nashville for an average of 22 laps.
6Number of top fives for Ted Musgrave in six races at Nashville. He has an average finish of 2.7 with three second-place finishes but he has yet to visit Victory Lane.
7Number of drivers who have started every Truck Series race at Nashville: Ted Musgrave, Rick Crawford, Matt Crafton, Dennis Setzer, Terry Cook, Chad Chaffin and Bill Lester. Not one of these drivers has won at the track.
10.5Average finish of points leader Mike Skinner in the last two races at Nashville despite leading 149 laps in those two races, or 49.5 percent of the laps run.
22.5Average finish of Ron Hornaday in two races at Nashville, his worst average finish among the tracks on the current Truck Series schedule.
103Number of green flag passes made by Matt Crafton in the last two races at Nashville, tops among all drivers.
108.704Average speed of race winner Johnny Benson in last year's race, the slowest speed in six races at the track.
Also
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Nashville Superspeedway
NCTS Winners
| Year | Winner | Make | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Scott Riggs | Dodge | 132.466 |
| 2002 | Mike Bliss | Chevrolet | 129.442 |
| 2003 | Carl Edwards | Ford | 129.557 |
| 2004 | Bobby Hamliton | Dodge | 124.068 |
| 2005 | David Reutimann | Toyota | 109.246 |
| 2006 | Johnny Benson | Toyota | 108.704 |
Official Standings
Craftsman Truck Series
| Pos. | +/- | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | -- | Mike Skinner | 2346 | Leader |
| 2. | -- | Ron Hornaday | 2269 | -77 |
| 3. | -- | Todd Bodine | 2100 | -246 |
| 4. | -- | Travis Kvapil | 2095 | -251 |
| 5. | +1 | Johnny Benson | 1896 | -450 |
| 6. | -1 | Rick Crawford | 1891 | -455 |
| 7. | -- | Jack Sprague | 1767 | -579 |
| 8. | -- | Ted Musgrave | 1728 | -618 |
| 9. | -- | Matt Crafton | 1692 | -654 |
| 10. | +3 | Erik Darnell | 1613 | -733 |
• Complete Standings click here
Truck Series News
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- Milwaukee win propelled Hornaday to fourth title
- Balance what keeps No. 33 at championship form
- Harvick wins the race, celebrates owners' title
- Almirola hoping to shine at Homestead-Miami finale
- Hornaday clinches fourth title; Harvick claims the win
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