March 16th, 2009 
T.C. In past posts here at TNI, we’ve made no bones about the fact that we think the Truck Series gets the shaft. The series proves its worth week in and week out, and has arguably the best racing of the big three. Some of you are finally starting to take notice of the trucks though, as TV ratings continue to grow. According to Nielsen, the truck race at Atlanta saw a 23% ratings increase over the same race last season. But even with around a million people tuning in each week to watch the tailgaters race, news, info, and insight about the trucks is hard to come by.
There was a piece in Sports Business Journal a few weeks back regarding the IRL and their new TV deal with Versus. According to the article by John Ourand, Versus will dedicate seven hours of coverage a week to the IRL, including live racing, preview shows, and other programming.
Sounds great for the IRL right? Sure it does. But my question becomes, if Versus can do seven hours a week for the IRL, why can’t SPEED give the same to the Truck Series?
Okay, you won’t do seven hours, how about five? Four? Three then. Come on, give me something! Other then the races themselves, SPEED carries absolutely zero programming that focuses on the series.
Beyond TV, the next place to go for Truck Series coverage is the Internet. Pulling up a Google search for “truck series,” the top site returned is TruckSeries.com. Great, maybe I can get the lowdown on the series here…
Try again.
A couple years back, TruckSeries.com was a great place to go. They had live qualifying, trackside updates, podcasts, a ton of photos, and insights from some great writers. But you won’t find much of that here anymore.
Now all the site has is the occasional article from SPEED columnist Tom Jensen and broadcaster Ray Dunlap, and about a thousand rehashed press releases. Content of any real value is unfortunately all but gone from the site. And it’s a shame, because the site could be so much more then it is.
Beyond TruckSeries.com and NASCAR.com’s barely alive Truck Series section there aren’t many other places to go. SceneDaily.com’s truck coverage and Jayski’s Truck Series page are about the only respectable places online to find decent info.
I just don’t understand how a series that consistently draws a million TV viewers per race, and has a dedicated following doesn’t garner more attention. There is obviously a market for the trucks and how nobody is capitalizing on the opportunities here is beyond me.
So here is what I’m going to propose to anyone that happens to read this blog post. If you are a fan of the Truck Series and would like to see more, here a few places where you can go and request more coverage:
SPEED: http://www.speedtv.com/feedback/
TruckSeries.com: http://www.truckseries.com/contact/
TruckSeriesToday.com (newer site): http://truckseriestoday.com/index.php/contact/
Let these folks know that you are out there and you want more. Or, if you happen to be of the entrepreneurial spirit, I’ve just exposed a serious opportunity for you…
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Honestly, I wouldn’t want any additional Truck coverage on Speed. I think your comparison with the IRL is off. Versus is promising 7 hours on the only American Open Wheel racing league, and covering its main event. That’s unique, I can’t get that anywhere else.
Speed doing Truck programming would simply add an additional X hours of NASCAR to a weekend that’s already drowning in NASCAR, anyway.
Like it or not, there’s almost too much NASCAR on the weekend. Between qualifying, practice, happy hour, NASCAR Now and other news shows from the track, the Nationwide race on Saturday and the 4 hour NSCS race on Sunday (not to forget Speed’s pre-race festivities and the Fox show before the race), it’s pretty damn hard to drum up any excitement for yet another race. That’s not a knock against the Truck series. But there’s only so much racing that people can soak up every 36 weekends in a year.
Food for thought: NASCAR is the juggernaut. The IRL is competing for mindshare against NASCAR. The NHRA is competing for mindshare against NASCAR. The Truck series is competing for mindshare against… NASCAR? It’s a series wrestling with itself.
I don’t think you’re going to see much more programming at all out of Speed (for now anyway). From what I hear, they’ve axed a ton of producer jobs and that new fancy building on Harris Blvd. is pretty vacant.
TC, I couldn’t agree more. For pure racing the trucks are it! NASCAR created the series kind of like a third rate deal and seem determined to keep it there. I wish that cup had the personalities and the real racing that the trucks show week in and week out.
The truck series is like the old late model sportsman/Busch series where racers raced. Dated myself with that remark,huh? Ellis, Ard, Ingram, Gant, Earnhardt, Hutchins, many more just like them, that was racing at it’s best for me. That’s what I see in the truck series.
I don’t watch the truck series anymore to many Crate trucks made by Toyota and to much Michael Waltrip. When I say crate trucks I mean whole trucks including engines , suspensions an entire truck made at the Toyota factory in California. Why do you think all the other manufactures are leaving.
I like to watch all of the races that I can. I enjoy them all. If I have to schedule something during a race I normally will miss the cup race. I NEVER miss the truck race. It is truly the best racing in Nascar. It makes my furious that cup drivers race the trucks, but I enjoy the racing anyway.
It’s like the old Busch series when young guys had something to prove and were trying to catch the eye of a cup team. I wonder how much longer the truck series will last when these guys realize that cup owners are no longer interested in them. It seems now if your goal is a cup ride you need to start out in open wheel racing.
Keith: I understand the Waltrip comment. But I’m not sure I agree with you on the crate trucks deal. While Toyota does have heavy involvement in the series through Triad Racing Development, the trucks are anything but crate. And I don’t think we should be faulting a manufacturer for involvement in a series, especially in this economy…
Here’s a novel idea. Lets show more racing, instead of talking about racing (unless it is a good technical discussion). There will be room for CUP, NW, Trucks, IRL, ALMS, Grand-Am, World Challenge, DTM, F1, GP2, Australian V8, NHRA, Bikes, WOO, Midgets, etc to fill up a 168 hr week. So show everything 2x for those who missed it the 1st go round and you only need 84 hrs of weekly new stuff.
I like the trucks, but all I need to see is the race. F1 on the other hand, qualifying is every bit as good as the race itself.
People, people….watch Sebring 12 hr coverage starting at 10:00 am this Sat.
We love the truck series, and wish they’d show more coverage of the non-Cup drivers (like..the GOAT maybe? I heard 3 people say at Atlanta that they watch every truck race, and didn’t realize ‘Ricky Carmichael’ was THE Ricky Carmichael. Seriously?) I hate that these guys (and the CWS East and West guys) are like an afterthought to NASCAR on ALL of discussion shows (NASCAR Now, This Week in NASCAR , etc.) Some of the nicest guys in the sport put on THE best racing in the sport, and it seems like Speed would rather remind us 4230052 times that Martin Truex Jr had a KIDNEY STONE than mention the ‘lower divisions.’
I agree with Keith. The oversaturation of Toyota has ruined the Truck Series for me. I am sure I am not the only one who feels this is becoming a one manufacturer series. I make no bones about the fact that I am NOT a fan of Toyota, but I think any series is boring when completly dominated buy one company. I have no feelings against Dodge but it was boring a few years ago when they dominated the Trucks as well.
Toyota did not ruin the truck series. Toyota saved the truck series. Without them there would only be one manufacturer left. Take away their 10? trucks and what kind of field do you have? Even if they went to other brands they wouldn’t be factory supported.
TC, tell us how many jobs would be lost if Toyota pulled out?
Chad: A ton of jobs would be lost. Some teams in the past have run on Toyota money alone. It isn’t quite like that anymore, but Toyota supports its teams in a variety of ways, including money.
As a third-year NASCAR fan, I still haven’t been pulled into the truck series.
I guess I just don’t get it… it’s stock car racing, but the body panels are shaped like pickup trucks? Why?
Really, why?
If NASCAR is going to run a third series, they should do something more interesting than just put different bodies on the same engines…. Mix up the race rules and points systems. Try out ideas that could eventually migrate to the Cup.
I’ve always loved the Truck Series since it began. I miss the short tracks tremendously, but it’s still very enjoyable. Generally, I like Speed’s broadcasts with the half-hour prerace show. The other networks could learn a lot from that. They can have fun with the pre-race (like the Halloween edition last year) but the race broadcast itself seems right on target. Michael Waltrip is greatly annoying and Rick Allen never has really impressed me. Everything else gets a thumbs up. I like the comparisons to the old Busch Series. We just need more short tracks on the schedule. Hickory? South Boston? North Wilkesboro? Richmond?
Why all of this hate toward Toyota? They played by the rules and developed a working plan. Toyota doesn’t dictate that the trucks become a one make series, others just have to rise to the challenge. If Toyota were to offer crate trucks, more power to them (no pun intended)!
Bottom line is we all want to see good competitive racing week in and week out between manufacturers and teams willing to step up to the challenge a make a buck along the way.
Measure: Initially, the truck series was different then the other two. It was meant as mainly a short track series. It was still a national touring series, but it was cheaper to compete in then Cup and Busch. There were no pit stops, instead a half way break. In the early days, the CTS didn’t race at places over a mile in length, except two road courses. Stops included Mesa Marin in California, I-70 Speedway in Missouri, North Wilkesboro, and Portland Speedway in Oregon. Since then, NASCAR has shifted the series to mostly the same tracks run at by the other two series, with only a few exceptions.
Neon the hate for Toyota is just the fact that they come in, outspend everyone, mess up a series and leave it devestaed. They have not saved the truck series they have ruined it. By the way I said ruined it FOR ME. I am sure others are equally turned off by their approach. If you like them fine, but some of us never will and that is our right too. I truly wish they were never involved in Nascar at all. I liked it much better without them. Once again that is MY opinion which I am entitled to have, as are you entitled to like them. Everyone has the right to an opinion, right?
It is a shame that the truck series has shifted away from the short tracks. That is really what made it appealing to watch. Especially when they ran tracks that you normally wouldn’t see in the other two series.
Toyota with the support they give to all their teams has certainly saved the truck series. Toyota is allowing shoestring budget teams to actually be competitive. Why wouldn’t a team switch over to Toyota when you know you will be getting at least some kind of support when you are getting zilch from Ford or Chevy. It’s a no brainer to me.
My first truck race was at I70 in Odessa. Best race I have ever been to in person. I was fortunate enough to see Tony Raines win for Dodge in their first win since they left NASCAR in the 70s.
I met Jimmy Hensley when he was driving for Richard Petty on the walk back to the car after the race. (How many times will that happen to you?) The track was so small that the haulers had to park behind the track in the same area that the spectators were parking around.
I think the trucks do need to get back to their roots and head back to the short tracks.
I had heard the reason they lost the race at I70 is because it would only seat 10,000 people and that wasn’t enough tickets for a truck race to be held there.
My fondest memories of Nascar and racing all stem from that track.
I think the best way to help the truck series is to keep the cup drivers OUT. It’s a joke. What do they think they have to prove? No, I don’t just feel this way because I absolutely despise Kyle Busch. No cup drivers should be allowed to race in the lower series.
The trucks always puts the best show on my guess is sponsors and na$car are not puting up the big money because not alot of big names.no big money sponsors speed or who ever is just not going to cover more for less money .So it comes down to money if 3million watched then more money more coverage
Yeah, really…how awesome would it be for them to run Mesa Marin again!! That place is fun!
Bobby#7fan
Don’t think at least Kevin Harvick deserves to race a truck his own team built? His own truck? Don’t you think Kyle Busch who races for no prize money, no salary, only the trophy can race in in the series? He gives 100% of all winning back to Billy Ballew’s team. He’s helping the series if you ask me by keeping all that money away from Todd Bodine.
IMHO Joe W, in a series where rules are structured to provide as equal a competition as possible (at the cost of sacrificing all out speed and technology advancements), but ultimately there for entertainment purposes….I cannot see where Toyota has “come in, outspend everyone, mess up a series and leave it devesta(t)ed”. In an attempt to curb Toyota’s HP last year, NASCAR instigated rules changes aimed only at them. Yota goes back does more homework & offers a good piece. Step up BIG three and challenge ‘em.
All are certainly entitled to hate Toyota (or anyone else for that matter) if you wish, I am only curious if the hate is based on fact or just deep rooted emotions or envy…Hmmmm?
CUP drivers in NW and trucks? While it may not be all that popular with some fans, in this economy you better be more than glad they fill spots and grandstands. The alternative is ugly and desperately quiet!
T.C.,
You make some great points about the Truck Series. It does remind you of the Cup Series in the mid 80′s. Both in talent level, ownership structure and budget necessary to win.
All they need is a half-hour show on Thursday nights at 11 pm eastern before their weekend show. Recap the last race, preview the next one and carry some human interest in there. You could do it like NFL Films “Presents” and the Truck Series sponsors would support it with ads/sponsorships.
That would help propel the weekend races over a 2.0 rating, and once it reaches that “Tipping Point”, national sponsors could carry their ads there.
But it needs a leader on the TV side.
- RA Eckart -
I found the truck series because I heard Michael Waltrips voice on a Friday night and have searched it out ever since. I am not sure I would be able watch truck practice and qualifying on a regular basis but I would like to see them have an even bigger presence on things like Nascar Now and This Week in Nascar. Even better would be a show like NBS 24/7 for the truck series, helf fans to get to know the drivers etc and bring even more fans.
To Windowlicker,
No I do not think Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch should race in the truck series no matter what the reason or who’s truck it is.
Those guys have made it, they are cup drivers. I remember the old days when the lower series were all about driver development. Now the lesser known guys struggle and work there butts off just to see a cup driver win the race and what about that open cup ride? Sorry boys, no chance. We are gonna hire an open wheel driver who has never raced a stock car and has not earned the chance to.
The truck series rocks.
What’s with all the Toyota hate?
Expand on NCTS setup show by doing a recap / setup by midweek.
I agree to the keeping cup drivers out, it’s turning it into a live test session for the cup cars, and I while I also don’t like Kyle Busch, I’d probably feel the same way if I liked him.
From operating a small NASCAR website, its difficult to get news on the truck series anymore. Besides the weekly story lines and News N Notes that NASCAR issues, truck teams don’t spend the money that Cup teams spend on Media/Public Relations. A lot of it is an article on the Truck Series doesn’t get much, but as soon as you post something about Dale Jr, your hits go through the roof (thus the reason for the weekly Dale Jr reports across the net.)
My site is going to work on expanding towards good content on the truck series, its a viable series to work with, and a growing one at that.