NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is the third tier racing series in NASCAR after NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. As the name suggests, trucks are used to race.
The idea to race trucks was conceived in 1991 by a group of SCORE International (Southern California Off Road Enthusiasts) off road racers, namely Dick Landfield, Jim Smith, Jim Venable and Frank Vessels. All of them had concerns over the future of desert racing, where primarily trucks were used. Due to this concern they decided to start a racing series where trucks would race on paved tracks.
The initial talks to start the truck racing series failed with then NASCAR Western Operations Vice President Ken Clapp who took counsel from then NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr. But after much deliberation and consideration in late 1992, Bill eventually signed off on the idea.
In 1993 the first prototype race truck was ready and initially shown to the public in February 1994 at Daytona 500 Speedweeks. The race truck was tested by Jimmy Smiths on Daytona International Speedway. The prototype quickly garnered positive attention from racing fans and enthusiasts. Looking at this NASCAR scheduled a meeting on 11 April 1994 in Burbank, California. At the end of the meeting the SuperTruck Series was created with the inaugural season starting in 1995.
Manufacturers in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
As is consistent with the other two top tier racing series of NASCAR, the truck series is also competed by the three legacy car manufacturers in America which are Chevrolet, Toyota and Ford. The trucks used to race are flagship trucks of each of these manufacturers.
Chevrolet races with the Silverado which is the successor to the C/K truck which dominated the early years of the series. Toyota races with Tundra which has dominated in recent years. Ford races with the American favorite F-150 and in which Ben Rhodes won the 2023 drivers championship. In the early years Dodge (American car manufacturer) also competed in the series, racing the RAM pickup truck.
Specification of race trucks.
The trucks are production pickup trucks optimized for racing. The optimizations include lowered ride height in order to maximize aerodynamics and improve driving stability. A roll cage is added in the cockpit for driver safety. The trucks are 206.5 in (5245 mm) in length, 60 in (1524 mm) height and 80 in (2032 mm) in width.
The engines used by the trucks are naturally aspirated 5.86 Liter (358 Cubic Inch) built or 6.2 Liter (376 Cubic Inch) crate Pushrod V8. The power output produced by the engine is 650–700 Horsepower (480–520 kW) unrestricted, 450 Horsepower (340 kW) restricted with a restrictor plate. The power is transmitted to the wheels through a 4-speed manual transmission.
The trucks are fueled by Sunoco Green E15 fuel which is a blend of 85% unleaded gasoline and 15% Ethanol. NASCAR uses this fuel across all its series. Goodyear is the official supplier of tyres for all NASCAR series. The tyres used to race are Slicks for dry conditions and rain tyres for wet conditions on track.
FAQ's On Cars used in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
A. Chevrolet, Toyato and Ford are the manufacturers competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series.
A. Toyota holds the record for most wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with 225 wins.
A. The inaugural season was held in 1995.
