There was only one strategy to employ for those chasing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader Ron Hornaday Jr.: chip away.
Going into last Saturday’s race at Gateway, Hornaday held a 225-point lead, his largest of the season.
Now, after an accident-marred 17th-place finish, that cushion has been trimmed to 197.
Statistically speaking, the field may have a tough time continuing the “chip away” task this weekend at New Hampshire. Hornaday is strong there, owning the top statistics in the series.
Hornaday has won the last two New Hampshire races, and has finished in the top 10 in the last four.
Over that span, Hornaday has racked up series-best numbers in Driver Rating (132.3), Average Running Position (3.4), Fastest Laps Run (99), Laps in the Top 15 percentage (99.6), Laps Led (379) and fewest Times Passed (69).
The problem is, the two drivers immediately behind Hornaday – Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet), second in points and the highest-ranking driver without a victory this season, and Mike Skinner – do not rank in the top five in Driver Rating at New Hampshire.
Skinner, third in the points, is the closest. At New Hampshire over the last four seasons, Skinner has a Driver Rating of 101.2 (sixth-best), an Average Running Position of 8.7 (sixth) and 69 Fastest Laps Run (second).
Crafton, who has finished in the top 10 at New Hampshire just once in the last four races there, has a Driver Rating of 94.6 (eighth), an Average Running Position of 11.2 (ninth) and 17 Fastest Laps Run (ninth). Auto Racing Daily
CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR 0 Tim Bainey Jr. Chevrolet Aaron's Dream Machine 2 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Kevin Harvick, Inc. 4 J.R. Fitzpatrick* Chevrolet Kevin Harvick, Inc. 5 Mike Skinner Toyota Exide Batteries 6 Colin Braun Ford Con-way Freight 7 Chad McCumbee Chevrolet SS Green Light Racing 8 Dennis Setzer Chevrolet Malcolmson Construction 8 Brandon Knupp Chevrolet SS Green Light Racing 9 Max Papis Toyota GEICO 10 James Buescher* Ford International Maxx Force Diesel 11 T.J. Bell Toyota Red Horse Racing 13 Johnny Sauter* Chevrolet Fun Sand / Rodney Atkins / Curb Records 14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Truck Corral / International 15 Aric Almirola Toyota Billy Ballew Motorsports 16 Brian Scott Toyota Toyota Tundra 23 Jason White Dodge GunBroker.com 24 David Starr Toyota Zachry / Harris Trucking 25 Terry Cook Toyota Cajun Industries / Harris Trucking 30 Todd Bodine Toyota Lumber Liquidators 33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Copart 41 TBA Dodge Mike Berg Trucking 47 Wayne Edwards Chevrolet FT-11 Multi-Purpose Degreaser 51 Kyle Busch Toyota Miccosukee Resort & Gaming 60 Stacy Compton Toyota SafeAuto Insurance Company 81 Tayler Malsam* Toyota One Eighty 88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet Sylvania / Menards 102 Andy Ponstein Chevrolet Corrie Stott 117 Timothy Peters Toyota Strutmasters.com / Red Horse Racing 121 Nick Tucker Dodge GunBroker.com 148 Richard Harriman Chevrolet Rockingham Speedway 157 Norm Benning Chevrolet Norm Benning Racing 171 Rob Fuller Chevrolet Draco Springs
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