Anything goes for truck title hunt

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.”