With the beginning of another new racing season near, I have asked my broadcasting colleagues for their predictions for the 2008 NCTS Championship. I was a little surprised by what I received.
No matter which driver you think will prevail, it will be hard to beat the finish of the 2007 season. While it was heartbreak for the #5 team at Homestead, both Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday had unbelievable years. However, 2008 will see a very different line-up across the board in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Looking at a team list for this new year made me think of quite a few questions as the Daytona race looms near.
1.With Erik Darnell as the veteran at Roush Fenway, will this team regain its success of the past? Joey Clanton has his best chance to win ever and rookie Colin Braun has been very impressive in road racing.
It has been a long time since Jack’s truck teams began the season with only 1 victory in the history books.
2. Brendan Gaughan joins Circle Bar racing bringing much of his former crew with him. The last time he won, Nixon was in the White House. Can he get back to victory lane? Can Rick Crawford overcome bad luck and get the average finishes his team is capable of? Will this be a two-truck team under one roof?
3. Stacy Compton and Dennis Setzer will be teammates at the new Bobby Hamilton racing. The team has new owners and a new home in Virginia. The loss of Bobby Sr. at the beginning of 2007 was hard to overcome; it seems that 2008 just has to be better. Can the #18 or the #4 capture the checkers again?
4. This year may see the best ever Raybestos Rookie of the Year battle in series history. Multiple drivers are hooked up with top-notch teams. Braun at Roush, Phillip McGilton at Bill Davis, Andy Lally with TRG, Justin Marks with Germain, Marc Mitchell at Ballew racing and Brian Scott at Express Motorsports. O.K so you may have not heard of many of these wheel-men, but you will by the end of the year. The last rookie victory in this division was Carl Edwards in 19–, Which rookie will be the first to break through and get their first win in 2008?
5. Victories have been sparse for Ted Musgrave and the #59 team has never won. Will Ted’s knowledge be the difference for Jim Harris’ Toyota? Can Morgan Dollar get back on track with Sprint Cup Series regulars in their all-star Chevys? Will David Starr spark the fire at Red Horse racing? Can Chad McCumbee make a run at a top-10 finish in the points for the number eight truck? How many races will Kyle Busch win? Will Terry Cook help Wyler racing stabilize after a pre-season of controversy? And finally the question I ask every year, will Matt Crafton EVER make it to winners circle?
Alright, back to the important question: Who will be the Champion?
Three of my pals responded with Johnny Benson winning the NCTS Championship.
One said that Mike Skinner has another title coming and one thinks that Ron Hornaday will become the first back-to-back champ in series history.
I am going somewhat out on a limb and picking Hornaday’s new teammate Jack Sprague to be the first to win four titles. After all, Benson is certainly due, and it was a shame that either Skinner or Hornaday had to lose last season. However, it is not possible for Sprague and Hornaday to be co-champs and there is no way for Jack to be any worse than last year, so I flipped a coin and the #2 came up heads, #33 was tails.
Krista Voda: 1.Johnny Benson 2.Ron Hornaday 3.Jack Sprague 4.Todd Bodine 5.Mike Skinner
Rick Allen: 1.Johnny Benson 2.Ron Hornaday 3.Rick Crawford 4.Jack Sprague 5.Mike Skinner
Adam Alexander: 1.Johnny Benson 2.Ron Hornaday 3.Todd Bodine 4.Mike Skinner 5.Erik Darnell
Phil Parsons: 1.Ron Hornaday 2. Johnny Benson 3.Todd Bodine 4.Mike Skinner 5.Rick Crawford
Michael Waltrip: 1.Mike Skinner 2.Ron Hornaday 3.Johnny Benson 4.Todd Bodine 5.Rick Crawford
Ray Dunlap: 1.Jack Sprague 2.Ron Hornaday 3.Mike Skinner 4.Todd Bodine 5.David Starr
(Notice that Ron Hornaday makes it in first or second in all five pundits picks.)
Tell me what you think in the BLOG !
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