Trucks can race, too
I'm heading down to Las Vegas tomorrow night to bring home the story of the Smith's Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
While I'm always excited to see something new that goes insanely fast on four wheels, it also bothers me - only a little bit - that the stands won't exactly be packed, like they are for the Nextel Cup weekend every year.
Here are some potential reasons as to why the Truck Series doesn't get the attention it deserves.
First, recognizable names don't exactly stick around long. Greg Biffle won a Truck Series title in 2000 and a Busch Series crown two years later. He came within 35 points of winning the 2005 Nextel Cup title.
Ironically, Biffle beat out none other than Kurt Busch, by 230 points, to win his lone Truck Series crown.
Drivers like Travis Kvapil, Scott Riggs, Kevin Harvick and Ted Musgrave all have run in the Truck and Cup Series, too.
Second, the racing doesn't happen in conjunction with the Cup and Busch races at all the tracks. In its 25-race schedule for 2006, the Truck Series shares the weekend billing at only seven sites. However, after Las Vegas, the trucks are part of the weekend for the final six races - Talladega (its debut on the newly-paved surface), Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead.
For Las Vegas on Saturday, 11 drivers have NASCAR Nextel Cup experience, including Jeremy Mayfield, who was added late last week to drive in the No. 15 Ford owned by Billy Ballew.
With the new 20-degree banking on the track, expect the speeds to go way, way up. Some estimates are that qualifying times will be a full second lower than they were a year ago.
Trucks aren't nearly as fast as Nextel Cup cars, but they have four wheels. There's still a whole lot of bumping and banging going on. And they still go fast.
That's why I'll be there. Hope you can be there, too.
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