February 16th, 2010 
Journo Speedweeks at Daytona no doubt left us with thrilling finishes and things to talk about for weeks to come. From Danica Patrick to Asphalt-Gate to Jamie McMurray and Timothy Peters this is sure to be a year we won’t soon forget. Despite the issues with the track on Sunday the races for the Cup and Nationwide Series were really very good. Even the ARCA race (despite the usual wrecks) was quite good. All in all I was pleased with the weeks…except that is for one race.
For those of you who read the site often, you know what a big fan I am of the Truck Series. I firmly believe week in and week out it provides the best racing with the best personalities of all the three major series. Unfortunately I’ve got to say I was genuinely disappointed with Saturday’s race.
Don’t get me wrong, the last few laps were great and what a finish! It was good to see Timothy Peters muscle his way through at the end and win the race. It was also good to see Dennis Setzer and Johnny Benson run well in under-funded trucks.
That said the wrecks and inability to bump-draft made it difficult to watch.
Less than a lap into the race Austin Dillion got loose while trying to run down the middle and took out nine trucks. There were guys involved in that incident, Dillion included, I was looking forward to see race. So much for that.
Then, while being bump-drafted in separate incidents, Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday had their days ended. Apparently the bumpers and tailgates on the trucks don’t line up (I say facetiously). While I don’t recall it being quite this bad in the past, bump-drafting in the trucks has never been a good idea. It is a shame they aren’t able to do it (cough-NASCAR needs to look at this-cough).
Other incidents throughout the day cost even more guys their chance at the win.
Ultimately the race ended with just 14 trucks left on the lead lap. That’s pitiful. I understand there isn’t a lot you can do about the wrecks. There are a lot of young and inexperienced drivers out there and you just have a to deal that as it comes. The bump-drafting thing though is a separate issue. NASCAR seriously needs to think about addressing it.
As I said I was thrilled with the ending (who wasn’t?), but what came before it kind of stunk. Unfortunately the Truck Series race was far from the highlight of the weeks and weekend (for me at least).
Luckily Atlanta’s only two weeks away.
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I like bump drafting.
Garry: The issue with the trucks isn’t that they bump draft, it’s that the bumpers don’t line up, so when they do bump draft, the lead truck is pretty much picked up off the ground. If NASCAR could make one small rule change that would make the bumpers line up, we’d have a lot fewer of these types of crashes.
“While I don’t recall it being quite this bad in the past, bump-drafting in the trucks has never been a good idea.”
I agree. I know bump drafting in the trucks was discouraged but it still happened. I don’t remember the wrecks being this bad though. A normal bump sent the lead truck flying on Saturday. It seemed like every time. Was there a change in the clips that the bumpers don’t line up even more than before?
The way the bumpers line up on the COT is one of the best things about the COT. The trucks need to come up with some sort of similar arrangement on their bodies. And yes, Atlanta is just two weeks away, but are you going to miss the trucks at Fontana?
Agree with above I couldn’t believe such a big wreck on the FIRST lap! what were these guys thinking?! And it didn’t ease up, taking good trucks out in so many bunches I was truly wondering if there would still be a race left by the end. I love the Truck races best, but this crap really killed my enthusiasm, and I will admit it was mainly because all of my drivers got wrecked out. Glad Peters won instead of Bodine, tho.
Michael: The trucks don’t run at California Speedway anymore. The trucks lost Memphis and Fontana this year and added Darlington and Pocono.
I agree the truck race was less than stellar. I normally love the truck races, but was very glad to see the winner was not a cup driver.
The trucks leaving Fontana is a great start, now we just need the rest of nascar to stop going there. As for adding Pocono, that is about the dumbest idea I have ever heard. It’s another track that NO Nascar series should be racing at, terrible track, horrible racing, and the cup boys go there twice, WHY????????
I am all with you T.C.
I was agreeing, and I would bet that they make this change in the near future, esp with the new found reasonableness NASCAR seems to have adopted
I still have fond memories of Dale teaching Jr the art of bump drafting. I can not remember the exact circumstances, but I do recall the two of them practicing bumping ….. it was so kewl, like the daddy lion teaching the cub how to hunt … maybe a bad analogy,,,but it was kewl to watch. I so wished I was Jr back then,,to have a Dad like that….so awesome.