CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

• Busch and Hornaday Jr. look forward to Charlotte battle

  Concord, NC (Sports Network) - Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck. Date: Friday, May 21. Race: North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Site: Charlotte Motor Speedway. Track: 1.5-mile oval. Start time: 8:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 134. Miles: 201. 2009 winner: Ron Hornaday Jr. Television: SPEED. Radio: Motor Racing Network(MRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.

  This year's Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte could shape up to be another great battle between Kyle Busch and four-time and defending series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. Both drivers have combined for four victories in the last five races there.

  Busch won back-to-back races at Charlotte from 2005-06, while Hornaday claimed the victory there in 2007 and '09. They are the only drivers with multiple victories at 1.5-mile track. The series has been competing there since 2003.

  In last year race at Charlotte, Hornaday overcame a one-lap deficit and then held off a furious challenge from Busch in the closing laps for his first win of the 2009 season.

  Hornaday fell a lap behind early when he pitted just before a caution.

  "Kyle is a tough competitor, and he races hard every lap," Hornaday said. "We just have to work hard on our truck and make sure we have a good setup, so we can be in position at the end to race Kyle or whoever for the win." Busch finished second in last year's race, despite two penalties.

  NASCAR penalized him after he had too many crew members over the wall during an early-race pit stop. His second one came for aggressive driving that occurred when he bumped Colin Braun while attempting to pass Braun for the lead.

  "Battling Hornaday (again) will be good, but we know we'll have a lot of other competition there," Busch said.

  Matt Crafton is the only other driver entered at Charlotte that has won a truck race there.

  Crafton's first and only win in the series so far came in the 2008 Charlotte race.

  Last Friday, Aric Almirola became a first time truck winner when he rallied from one lap down and then had enough fuel remaining to get through a green- white-checkered finish to take the Dover 200.

  Busch led 172 of 204 laps at Dover, but lost his chance to win when he slowed on the track and pitted for engine trouble just before the final restart with two laps to go. He wound up finishing 16th.

  After winning Dover, Almirola claimed the points lead for the first time in his truck career. He holds a 27-point advantage over Todd Bodine, who finished fifth.

  05/18 19:25:50 ET