The Truck Series continues to put on a good show on the short track of Martinsville Speedway. Credit: Autostock

As Truck Series grows, so do the tracks on sked

It was Thomas Wolfe who wrote, "You can't go home again."

That's especially true in the Craftsman Truck Series, where what started as a predominately short-track racing series has evolved into something much different in little more than a decade -- and despite fond memories of stirring duels on tiny bullrings, there's no turning back.

Inside the Numbers Tracks visited every year since beginning of NCTS in 1995 Track Miles Races Martinsville Speedway .526 16 Milwaukee Mile 1.000 12 O'Reilly Raceway Park .686 12 Phoenix Int'l Raceway 1.000 16 • Martinsville: Two dates a year 2003-06 • O'Reilly: Formerly Indianapolis Raceway Park • Phoenix: Two dates a year 1995-98

Consider the inaugural season of 1995. Of the 20 races that year, Phoenix and Milwaukee -- at 1 mile in length -- were the biggest ovals. The only tracks longer were the road courses of Topeka and Sonoma.

Fast forward to 2006. Not only do the Trucks run the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega, but they compete on only five tracks of less than a mile.

"The series has grown up, I guess we could say," David Starr said.

Terry Cook has experienced the paradigm shift first-hand.

"My first race was on the Milwaukee Mile," Cook said. "That was the biggest track I had ever been on in my racing career.

"The old Louisville track, Flemington, I-70 Speedway, Evergreen, Portland -- those were the tracks that built the identity of the Craftsman Truck Series. It was all about tough trucks and tough drivers who weren't afraid to beat and bang."

However, like a plant that needs to be transplanted into a bigger pot, the Craftsman Truck Series quickly outgrew its roots. In this case, the money and attention the series was receiving forced it to expand.

The series added Homestead, Texas and California in 1997, Las Vegas in 1998, Daytona in 2000 and Talladega in 2006. In every case, the racing was just as good, while the purses and crowds grew exponentially.

For instance, the top two finishers in this year's Daytona season-opener -- Mark Martin and Todd Bodine -- earned a combined $147,950. That was more than the entire purse in all but one of the first season's events.

"It needed bigger markets and it needed bigger crowds," Rick Crawford said. "It's grown because of the popularity of the drivers, the factory support involved in it, the sponsors that support the series and the television that brings it to our fans.

"None of that is possible without the fans. We put the product on the racetrack and the fans come and watch."

Ted Musgrave credits better research and development for some of the changes to the series.

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"They've improved the trucks so well -- the handling, the aerodynamics -- over the first time out," Musgrave said. "That's what allows us to put on such a great show and go to the racetracks like Charlotte and Talladega and all down the line.

"It's where the series needs to be. We put on the most exciting race at Speedweeks, what everybody tells us. It was a big step forward, but yet it was really well thought out."

As the series expanded, smaller tracks couldn't handle the logistical end.

"I would like to see two, maybe three, more short tracks put back on the schedule but it's hard to find them in this day and time that will accommodate a large national touring series," Cook said. "When we go to Mansfield, for example, they sell that place out and bring in temporary seating, and maximum capacity with standing room only is between 24,000 and 26,000.

"That looks awesome from a competitor's standpoint, when you see people all the way around that place, but the reality of it is, it's not conducive to bringing our transporters in."

Musgrave added that sponsors want the amenities available at better tracks.

Daytona joined the Truck circuit in 2000. Credit: Autostock

"The series has outgrown short tracks, the sponsors have outgrown short tracks," Musgrave said. "You don't want to take your corporate people, who are giving you multi-million dollars to run a race team, and take them to a little racetrack where they walk around with mud on their shoes and can't see the race."

Still, Cook misses the bullrings and would love to see some added to the schedule.

"I do like racing Mansfield and I think we need to continue to go there, but bringing some old tracks back, it's probably not going to happen," he said. "We need to look at the new Iowa track, we need to go back to Richmond. Those are the tracks we need back on the schedule."

But Crawford points out that the racing at Daytona and Talladega is in some ways superior to short-track racing. It's door handle-to-door handle at twice the speed -- and twice the crowd.

"The close racing is there," Crawford said. "We're rubbing every lap. We're getting down with it, the crowd's standing on their feet.

"They sell the whole seat but they only need the edge."