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TRUCKS: Owners’ Championship Battle Boils
Written by: SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com   
11/03/2009
Charlotte, NC
 
Crew chief Rick Ren (Left) speaks with Ron Hornaday Jr. (Right) prior to the start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Mountain Dew 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. (Photo: Getty Images) ยป More Photos

Despite finishing 17th in the Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s at Talladega Superspeedway, Ron Hornaday Jr. and the No. 33 Chevrolet crew continues to sit on a comfortable, 202-point lead over Matt Crafton in the No. 88 Chevrolet, with three races remaining in the 2009 season.

But Hornaday, along with team owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick, are casting anxious looks over their collective shoulders.

Kyle Busch and his No. 51 Toyota team’s sixth victory of the season cut Kevin Harvick Inc.’s lead in the coveted series owners’ championship to just 100 points.

Busch has been red-hot since ending Hornaday’s five-race victory streak at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 19. In fact, Busch hasn’t lost in two months, going four-for-four in races entered with the Billy Ballew Motorsports team.

“(Matt) Crafton isn’t our worry,” said Hornaday, who is on the verge of locking up a record fourth championship. “We are worried about the No. 51 (Busch). He is fighting for the owners’ points, and he’s the guy we’re racing, too.”

For Hornaday and the Harvicks, this week’s WinStar World Casino 350 couldn’t
come at a better time. Hornaday is the defending winner of the race. He also won the 1.5-mile track’s spring race in 2008.

Busch finished second to Hornaday in both of last year’s TMS races.

“Texas has really become a great place for us the last two years,” said Hornaday. “I used to struggle at Texas, but (crew chief) Rick Ren and the No. 33 guys have really gotten a good setup for the truck.”

Hornaday finished 19th at Texas in June after leading 52 laps.

“I’m excited to go back and try to get the finish we left there in the spring,” he said.

The Ballew team, it should be noted, is peaking. It celebrated its first one-two finish at Talladega with No. 15 Toyota driver Aric Almirola as the runner-up.

“Is it (a championship) possible? Yes, but it might not be probable,” said Ballew, a 14-season series team owner. “We’ll give it our best effort and see where it shakes out.”
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