What a difference two years make.
Last season as well as in 2009, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader wrapped up the championship with a race remaining on the schedule.
That’s not likely to happen in 2011. With 15 points covering the top four title contenders it’s virtually assured the championship won’t be settled until the final lap of the last race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 18.
Austin Dillon, who would become the series’ youngest champion at age 21, carries an 11-point lead over James Buescher into the season’s 24th of 25 races on Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. Dillon extended his advantage with a third-place finish last weekend in Martinsville where Buescher was 10th.
“We were kind of worried going into today,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the next two races.”
Dillon has been hot and cold at Texas – and on the series’ 1.5-mile intermediate tracks where the championship ultimately will be decided.
• In three trips to Ft. Worth, he has a Keystone Light Pole and a third-place finish.
• He finished 25th in last fall’s WinStar World Casino 350k and 26th in June’s Texas race.
• Two of his four series victories have come on intermediate tracks at Las Vegas and in September at Chicago. Dillon has an average finish of 12.6 on 1.5-mile layouts.
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