Skinner, Hornaday both deserving but one will win (cont'd)

The amazing thing about both drivers, and this is what makes them champions, is they have gone 24 races without a DNF. That's right, every week they were running at the end of the race. Something only two other drivers can claim this season: Dennis Setzer and Rick Crawford.

One look at the season stats show why Skinner and Hornaday are the two left in this championship fight. Both names lead almost every statistical category: Wins (Skinner - 5, Hornaday -- 4); Top-fives (Skinner -- 17, Hornaday -- 13); Top-10s (Hornaday -- 21, Skinner -- 20); Laps led (Skinner -- 1,099, Hornaday -- 827); Lead lap finishes (Skinner -- 23, Hornaday -- 22); Average running position (Skinner -- 5.6, Hornaday - 7.0).

This has been their season, but there is still one race to go, 134 laps to decide a point differential of 29. And when it comes to Homestead success -- Hornaday has the advantage.

In seven races at the track, Hornaday has one win in 2002, three top-fives and six top-10s with a worst finish of 14th, coming in last year's race. More importantly though, Hornaday has completed all 1,075 laps run.

"I like Homestead, it is a good track," Hornaday said. "I won there back in 2002 and I have had some good finishes there in the past. We are bringing the same truck we ran in Texas. The guys went home and put some new horns on it and everything. It is a pretty good piece.

"I have a team that never says die and they work hard to figure out my favorite trucks and they have been bringing them back."

Ironically, Skinner is also bringing the truck he used at Texas to Homestead. Skinner finished third at TMS and will need some of that Lone Star State karma to follow him to South Beach.

In five races, Skinner has just one top-five at Homestead, a fourth coming way back in 1997 when the track was flat. Since the track added banking, he's finished sixth, 12th and 35th, crashing out of last year's race just 14 laps in.

"Well this is it," Skinner said. "Jeff [Hensley, crew chief] and my guys have done a heck of a job this year, and hopefully we can get it done this weekend for BDR and Toyota.

"Homestead is a great track, and even though we have not had that much luck on it in the past, we are going to give it all we've got to make it come out in our favor this weekend."

It all comes down to this -- one race to decide the 2007 championship between two guys who have battled each other since the Truck Series' inception back in 1995. This is the fourth-closest points race in series history with one race left, and both drivers are trying to stay calm, knowing how much is on the line.

"It is another race for us at Homestead," Hornaday said. "All we can do is keep doing what we are doing and racing hard."

"We've run awfully well this year -- we've won five races," Skinner added. "If they would have told me I'd win five races this year and run eighth in the points, I would have said 'OK, I'll take that.' Anything after that is a bonus."