NASCAR Truck Series at Miami 2015: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview
The lengthy NASCAR Truck Series season will come to a close Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and the odds are very much in favor of a brand-new champion being crowned.
Erik Jones enters the Ford EcoBoost 200 as the leader in the standings with Tyler Reddick 19 points behind. Two-time defending champion Matt Crafton is in third, but a wreck last week means he will likely need a miracle to make it a three-peat.
Even though Jones is very much in the driver's seat, one misstep can open the door for Reddick to steal the championship. With that in mind, nothing has been decided ahead of the final race of the season.
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Here is everything you need to know about Friday's Ford EcoBoost 200, including a rundown of the top drivers to keep an eye on at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Where: Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida
When: Friday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. ET
Watch: Fox Sports 1
Ford EcoBoost 200 Schedule
| Friday, Nov. 20 | 9 a.m. | Final Practice | Fox Sports 1 |
| Friday, Nov. 20 | 4:10 p.m. | Qualifying | Fox Sports 1 |
| Friday, Nov. 20 | 8 p.m. | Ford EcoBoost 200 | Fox Sports 1 |
NASCAR Truck Series Standings
| 1 | Erik Jones | 4 | Leader | 3 |
| 2 | Tyler Reddick | 19 | -19 | 2 |
| 3 | Matt Crafton | 88 | -32 | 5 |
| 4 | Johnny Sauter | 98 | -89 | 0 |
| 5 | Timothy Peters | 17 | -96 | 2 |
| 6 | Cameron Hayley | 13 | -130 | 0 |
| 7 | Daniel Hemric | 14 | -164 | 0 |
| 8 | John Wes Townley | 05 | -166 | 1 |
| 9 | Ben Kennedy | 11 | -211 | 0 |
| 10 | Spencer Gallagher | 23 | -217 | 0 |
Drivers to Watch
Erik Jones
It seems that the number 19 is wild for Jones, as the 19-year-old rising star holds a 19-point lead over Reddick ahead of Friday's event.
While the lead isn't insurmountable by any means, an average day by Jones' standards should be more than enough to clinch the first major championship of his young NASCAR career. If he plays it too safe, though, he could risk allowing his advantage to slip away.
When asked about the Homestead-Miami race prior to last week's event at Phoenix International Raceway, Jones acknowledged that the element of the unknown could play a factor, according to KyleBuschMotorsports.com:
"I think Homestead is more of a wild card for me just because I've never been there and don't really have any experience at that place, but the situation is going to differ so much depending on where the points are and how everything shakes out. If we were to go into Homestead with a 20-point lead, it would be a pretty easy day—just don't wreck.
"
Although it is true that Jones has never run a truck race at this particular track, he is a special talent who somehow seems to figure out things as he goes along while excelling in the process.
Jones does have a solid cushion to his credit, and that should make Friday's race much easier on him mentally since the pressure won't be overbearing.
He has been calm and collected in big moments so far this season, so there is no reason to believe that he will collapse in the Ford EcoBoost 200.
Tyler Reddick
While Jones is undoubtedly the most promising young driver in NASCAR, Reddick may not be far behind in that regard, as the 19-year-old has enjoyed a spectacular season in his own right.
Reddick has two victories to his credit and has been near the top of the standings all year long. Although he has largely been behind Crafton, he was able to move into second place last week by virtue of the 39-year-old causing a crash.
The odds are certainly stacked against Reddick in terms of leapfrogging Jones, but Matt Yocum of Fox Sports pointed out that anything can happen in NASCAR:
Even though Jones is unlikely to make a big mistake, another driver could accidentally take him out, or a mechanical issue could potentially put him in a difficult spot.
Reddick only has one career Truck Series start at Homestead, but he made it count to the tune of a sixth-place finish.
He should be able to turn in another solid result Friday, but his fate will ultimately be at the mercy of what Jones manages to pull off.
Matt Crafton
Crafton had been putting some pressure on Jones and his point lead in recent weeks, but that all changed last week at Phoenix when Crafton got loose and caused an accident that also involved Jones and Johnny Sauter.
While Jones was able to salvage a decent finish, Crafton wasn't so lucky, as he is now 32 points behind Jones and has almost no chance of closing that gap.
After sweeping up some other drivers in a crash last week, Crafton was apologetic for his role, according to FoxSports.com:
"I made a mistake," Crafton said. "I hate it for everybody involved."
While Crafton did hurt Jones to some degree, it likely won't be enough to cost him a championship unless something goes awry at Homestead. The 39-year-old veteran hurt himself more than anyone, which can't be an easy pill to swallow for someone who is so used to enjoying success in the Truck Series.
Even though Crafton won't be racing for a championship Friday, he still has a chance to end the season on a high note and accomplish something he has never done before: win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Crafton has six top-10 finishes and two top-five results in 14 career Truck Series starts at Homestead, so he has some idea of what it takes to succeed there.
The 2015 NASCAR Truck Series season won't have an ideal ending from Crafton's perspective, but going into the offseason on a winning note would be a nice consolation.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
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