Despite winning the title comfortably in the season finale, Todd Bodine had but a 79-point lead with four races to go. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

Truck Series is just fine the way it is, drivers say

With shorter schedule and close races, Chase format not needed

Add the Chase format to the Craftsman Truck Series? Thanks, but the drivers believe there's plenty of excitement in the championship, just the way it is.

And why not? It's kind of hard to argue with success. A 25-race schedule and the size of the fields are conducive to a close championship battle that more often than not comes down to the final race of the season.

Brendan Gaughan brought plenty of excitement to the 2003 Truck Series finale. Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Truck Series Final standings -- 2002 Pos. Driver Behind 1. M. Bliss -- 2. R. Crawford -46 3. T. Musgrave -51 4. J. Leffler -203 5. D. Starr -215 • Complete standings, click here 2003 Pos. Driver Behind 1. T. Kvapil -- 2. D. Setzer -9 3. T. Musgrave -18 4. B. Gaughan -40 5. J. Wood -178 • Complete standings, click here 2004 Pos. Driver Behind 1. B. Hamilton -- 2. D. Setzer -46 3. T. Musgrave -70 4. C. Edwards -131 5. M. Crafton -245 • Complete standings, click here 2005 Pos. Driver Behind 1. T. Musgrave -- 2. D. Setzer -55 3. T. Bodine -73 4. R. Hornaday -166 5. M. Skinner -262 • Complete standings, click here 2006 Pos. Driver Behind 1. T. Bodine -- 2. J. Benson -127 3. D. Reutimann -136 4. D. Starr -311 5. J. Sprague -338 • Complete standings, click here

"You look at it and what we have works," David Starr said. "The last two, three years, it's come down to the last race."

Ted Musgrave would tend to agree. He's been on both sides of the championship fence, just missing one in 2003, just hanging on to win it in 2005.

"Nobody gets a runaway championship and it's been that way, year after year," he said. "Our race season -- 25 races -- doesn't allow a lot of time to have a points chase, much like they have in the Nextel Cup Series, where they have 36 races to play with.

"We're exciting as it is. If they tweak it, it'll ruin the excitement we have had down in Homestead."

Allow the drivers to present Exhibits A through E:

2002: Mike Bliss leads Rick Crawford by 32 points and Musgrave by 71. Musgrave dominates at Homestead, finishing second to Ron Hornaday, but Bliss hangs on for fifth and a 46-point margin of victory over Crawford.

2003: Perhaps the best of the bunch, as four drivers are separated by 39 points heading into the season finale. Points leader Brendan Gaughan is involved in a crash with Marty Houston, driving one of Jim Smith's four trucks. Gaughan winds up 29th -- and utters the unforgettable quote: "Jimmy Smith can kiss my a--."

Travis Kvapil ends up sixth, one position ahead of Dennis Setzer -- and nine points ahead in the final tally, as Smith's No. 1 driver, Musgrave, ends up third, 18 points behind, after getting a black flag for an illegal pass of Setzer on the restart.

2004: Setzer's second again, this time by 46 points to Bobby Hamilton. Hamilton finishes 16th but Setzer can't capitalize, winding up 10th.

2005: Almost a carbon copy of 2004 for Setzer, who trails Musgrave by 58 points heading to Homestead. Musgrave finishes a lap down in 19th but so does Setzer -- in 18th.

"I don't care if he came in and went to the bathroom, I was going to stay with him,'' Musgrave said of his competition.

2006: Johnny Benson trails Todd Bodine by 112 points with one race to go -- but having won at Phoenix. However, Benson got tangled with Chase Miller, then cut a tire to end his championship hopes. Bodine cruised to a 21st-place finish, 127 points ahead of Benson.

"I saw Johnny had his problems and I knew we were going to be all right to just ride around to the finish," Bodine said.

Regardless of teams, Ted Musgrave and Dennis Setzer have had their share of battles in recent years. Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Not one driver interviewed was in favor of a "playoff" format. All considered consistency to be the key factor in determining a series champion.

However, Terry Cook wouldn't mind if the race winner and top qualifier got a little more recognition for their efforts.

"I think in today's game, we need to reward more for wins," Cook said. "It may be only 10 more points than what exists now. Maybe we should have a qualifying point system. Sometimes I feel like I'm a good qualifier and sometimes I don't.

"But reward people for their achievements inside the sport. We do reward for most laps led, reward for a lap led. But more for wins, possibly a structure system for qualifying."

Cook said the ultimate goal is to carry the drama to the last turn of the last race -- and that's something that the current points system seems to do very nicely.

"Personally, I don't see [the Chase] as being necessary in the Truck Series," he said.