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Gregg Leary is a Researcher/Writer for 'Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain','The SPEED Report', book reviewer and columnist for SPEEDtv.com. (SPEED Photo) » More Photos
By John Close
Photographs by Nigel Kinrade
Two of my strongest memories of NASCAR racing involve the Craftsman Truck Series. The first was the best short track race I have ever witnessed…the 1998 Craftsman Truck race at Indianapolis Raceway Park where Jack Sprague prevailed over Ron Hornaday after an old fashioned "slammin' frammin' and bammin'" tailgatein' slugfest. The second was the horrific accident Geoffrey Bodine experienced at Daytona in 2000. These memories nearly parallel the tremendous growth of the Truck Series and showcase how far the series has come…from short tracks to superspeedways.
"NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series" tells the tale of how the series arrived…and how it thrived. John Close divides the book into ten easy to read chapters.
1. An Idea Springs to Life in the Desert
2. Taking the Green Flag
3. Beatin' and Bangin'
4. Hitting the Big Time
5. Daytona Destiny
6. An Identity Odyssey
7. Stability and Acceptance
8. You've Got It, Toyota
9. 10 Years Tough
10. Truckin' Into the Future
The origin of the Truck Series is truly unique. It did not germinate at a local short track. The concept came to fruition among four off-road truck racers…participants in desert racing in the US Southwest and Baja. Jim Smith, who had worked for Junior Johnson in the 1960's, said, "Having been around NASCAR a good part of my life, I knew there was no better way to showcase a truck than to put it on the racetrack at Daytona." Three of his buddies, Frank Vessels, Jim Venable and Dick Landfield, agreed. They built a prototype that they showcased to NASCAR in 1994. There were skeptics. Humpy Wheeler, promoter of Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte said if he wanted to see trucks race, he'd go stand by the interstate.
Fortunately, NASCAR didn't listen to the naysayers and scheduled exhibition races at Mesa Marin, Portland , Saugus and Tucson for later in 1994. (NASCAR had done similar "exhibition races" in the late 1940's before unleashing the "Strictly Stock" Series. It would become the highly successful Nextel Cup Series.)
The inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debuted before TNN's cameras on February 5, 1995 at Phoenix . Mike Skinner won by 9/100ths of a second over Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader. Later that season Butch Miller nipped Mike Skinner by 1/10,000th of a second at Colorado National Speedway. These photofinishes endeared the truck series to its fans. Those who watched on television were greeted to a paint tradin' slugfest. Those who attended in person saw trucks that looked like what they drove to the track, engage in fender crunching combat. The races were "fanny friendly"…more of a sprint than the butt numbing marathons that Cup races like the Brickyard 400 and Coca Cola 600 had become.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was a hit! Brian France said, "A lot of people think, all things aside, that the truck series is the best racing that NASCAR has." I agree.
Unfortunately the very success of the short track format led to the series outgrowing its roots and maturing on the superspeedways. Jack Sprague said, "Those early races had a Saturday-night feel on the short tracks-a lot of beatin' and bangin.' We'd knock the hell out of each other. The trucks didn't have and didn't need any aerodynamics. Didn't matter about the fenders, you didn't need them." All that would change when the trucks
The Craftsman Truck Series has the best of three worlds. It has been a proving ground where young talent has emerged to springboard into the Nextel Cup ranks. Names like Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards come to mind. It has also created its own stars with names like Ron Hornaday and Mike Skinner. Lately it has become what some pundits call the "Senior Tour" where ex- Nextel Cup drivers like Ted Musgrave, Bobby Hamilton and Todd Bodine extended their careers and won championships.
"NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series" has over 230 photographs and interesting bits of trivia that will keep the active reader engaged. For instance:
The first exhibition event at Mesa Marin on July 30, 1994 was a 20-lap shootout featuring FIVE trucks driven by Gary Collins, P.J. Jones, Craig Huartson, Dave Ashley and Rob MacCachren. It took 7 minutes as won by Jones.
Rick Hendrick ran the July 29, 1995 Kansas Heartland Park road race and finished 23rd.
The early years of the Craftsman Truck Series had 10 minute "Halftime Breaks" when trucks were brought to the pits for service.
"NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series" by John Close contains "Rough-and-tumble track action. Complete series history. All your favorite truck drivers." It rates 3 out of 5 lug nuts.
"NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series:
From Desert Dust to Superspeedways" By John Close is available now from the SPEED Book Store. Click the books icon to add it to your collection now or to browse other titles.
Gregg Leary is a Researcher/Writer for 'Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain','The SPEED Report', book reviewer and columnist for SPEEDtv.com. (SPEED Photo) » More Photos
Gregg Leary is a Researcher/Writer for "Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain" and
Book Reviewer for SpeedTV.com.
Leary was track announcer for Hooter's IHRA Drag Racing at National Events in the USA and Canada and entertained event crowds during "down time" by conducting "crowd participation" and product giveaways with the Hooter's Girls. He was Marketing and PR Director and track announcer at Lake Erie Speedway.
As Photo Editor, feature writer, columnist and swimsuit calendar chief photographer for "Sports Jam Magazine," Leary covered Auto Racing, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association. He has photographed dozens of celebrities from A-Z…including Mario Andretti, Jim Brown, AJ Foyt, Ken Griffey Jr., Michael Jordan, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Mark McGwire, Paul Newman, Walter Payton, Alex Zanardi and Presidents Gerald Ford, George Bush and Bill Clinton. Gregg's wife, Lynn and daughter, Caitlynn live in Jefferson, Ohio and his son, Sean is a student at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.
Leary has conducted motivational seminars and performed stand up comedy around the country. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and Exeter University in England. Gregg has hitchhiked 40,000 miles through 36 states and 10 European countries and is a licensed pilot and skydiver. Leary is available for motorsports consulting on a limited basis. Contact him via email at gleary@speedtv.com .
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SpeedTV.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel
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