Anything goes for truck title hunt

James Buescher, driver of the #31 Exide Batteries Chevrolet speaks with members of the media during the NASCAR Championship Contenders Press Conference for the Camping World Truck Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 15, 2012 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for NASCAR)
James Buescher, driver of the #31 Exide Batteries Chevrolet speaks with members of the media during the NASCAR Championship Contenders Press Conference for the Camping World Truck Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 15, 2012 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for NASCAR)

As much of a constant as parity has been in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season, it’s only fitting that a wide-open field of five drivers have mathematical chances at clinching the title. The only certainty heading to the weekend is that it will be a new face on the championship stage.

A first-time series champion will be crowned in Friday night’s Ford EcoBoost 200 (8 p.m. ET, SPEED) at Homestead-Miami Speedway. James Buescher holds a tenuous 11-point lead in the standings, meaning he can clinch the series title with a seventh-place finish, but two of his four rivals are in close proximity.

Timothy Peters ranks second, 11 points back, with top rookie Ty Dillon in third, 12 points off the lead. Joey Coulter (29 points behind) and Parker Kligerman (37 points back) also have mathematical shots at the title, but their title hopes are less realistic.

For Buescher, a championship would be the culmination of a stellar breakthrough season. At Homestead, his Turner Motorsports team will deploy the same tenacious chassis — nicknamed “Honey Badger” — that has carried Buescher to all of his series-best four wins this season, all of which have come on 1.5-mile tracks.

“What can you say, this team knows what it needs to do,” Buescher said. “We’ve been running great all year long and I don’t expect anything less than great for the last race of the year. We’re going to go down to Miami to run our own race and hopefully we’ll be celebrating a championship when the race is done. This team never gives up.”

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.