By the Numbers: Truck

There have only been eight Truck Series races at Michigan International Speedway, and Jack Roush has been the man to beat. The owner won the first two races held there when Greg Biffle went back-to-back in 1999 and 2000. After a five race hiatus, Roush returned to Victory Lane at the 2-mile oval in 2007 when Travis Kvapil won from the pole.

But if Roush wants to repeat in the Cool City Customs 200 on Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m. ET, SPEED), it could take an upset of epic proportions.

That's not to say the three Roush Fenway Racing drivers -- Erik Darnell, Bobby East and Colin Braun -- are horrible, they just don't have much Michigan experience, and the experience they do have isn't pretty.

Between the three, Darnell has two races, East one and Braun has yet to see the track. Combined they have no top-10s and while each finished on the lead lap, the average finish of 22.6 is something to be desired.

But that was the past. This is 2008 and if we've learned anything it's to expect the unexpected in the Truck Series. In nine races, there have been seven different winners including a stretch of three first time winners, ended last week when Ron Hornaday won at Texas.

Roush Fenway Racing, despite not seeing a win, has been up front in most of the races.

The last couple races, though, have seen its share of highs and lows for the Roush Fenway stable of drivers.

After starting the first seven races inside the top 10, Braun has started the last two from the 10th and 20th starting position. At Dover, he was able to improve and finish eighth, his third top-10 on the season; but Texas was another story and he came home 27th after hitting the wall on Lap 113.

Still, the rookie is excited for this week's race and his Michigan debut.

"Michigan looks like a great track. From the races I've watched, and everyone I've talked to about it, there is plenty of room for racing because it's such a wide track," Braun said. "It's also a track where handling is very important because it's so fast. If the leaders pull away from you it's hard to catch up without a caution. I had some trouble in Texas last week, so I'm looking to put that behind me and not let that happen again."

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Darnell had an equally troubling night last week at Texas as he finished 24th due to a flat tire. It was just another downer on a season littered with them for the No. 99 team.

After starting the season-opener at Daytona from the pole, high expectations were made for Darnell, who won his first race at Kansas last season. But he crashed 87 laps in to the Daytona race and has a couple top-fives peppered in between finishes in the teens and 20s.

The No. 99 Ford hasn't finished on the lead lap in the last two races, a fact not lost on its driver.

"Sure these last two weeks have been frustrating not only for me, but for this entire team," Darnell said. "I think we have had some bad luck these past couple of races, but we have to stay positive not only for Michigan, but for the rest of the season.

"These problems could have happened to anyone, but unfortunately they found us first. We certainly cannot forget about the recent events, but if the team wants to move forward we need to put them as far back in our minds as possible. This is an entire team effort and we are ready to get going in the right direction,"

Just the opposite can be said for East, who had a career-best finish of eighth at Texas, and he looks to keep that momentum going.

"I am really looking forward to racing at Michigan this weekend. I got my best career finish at Texas last weekend and we're taking the same truck back to Michigan this week," East said. "I've only raced at Michigan twice, once in a Nationwide car and once in a truck, but it's an awesome track. It's so wide and smooth that it makes for great racing."

If past history is any indication, starting position is crucial to a successful day at Michigan. In eight races, the winner has started in the top 10 seven times, with three coming from a top-five starting position. The one time a race was won from outside the top 10 -- Greg Biffle in 1999, when he started 11th.

If Roush Fenway Racing has anything going for it, it's that their three drivers all qualify really well.