Ken Schrader

The Camping World Truck Series has been a part of Nascar since it’s inception in 1995.  Starting on the short tracks, the Truck Series has also had beating and banging as a part of it’s DNA.  In 2000, at the Series’ first trip to Daytona, Geoff Bodine endured what most consider to be the Series’ worst crash after contact with another truck sent Bodine flying into the catch fence, destroying his truck and getting severely injured.

From there, Nascar started a string of seasons that saw more violent accidents and the losses of Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, and Dale Earnhardt Sr.  Nascar had to make changes.  It started with mandatory head and neck restraint systems, full face helmets, and full safety gear on pit road.  The introduction of the SAFER Barrier System permiated from track to track.  Then, in 2007, Nascar brought “The Car or Tomorrow” to the Sprint Cup Series.  They did this, in part, by borrowing concepts and designs from the (then) Craftsman Truck Series.

Basically, the “Car of Tomorrow” is an advanced truck with a car body.  Essentially, the Nascar SuperTruck was the first COT.  Nascar took the design of the truck and transformed it into a beefier, safer, racecar.  Over time, the COT has become the standard for Nascar racecars as the Nationwide Series begins to roll out the Nationwide New Car, which shares most, if not all, of the safety features as it’s big brother COT.

After watching Ken Schrader emerge from a mangled race truck after he T-boned a crashing David Starr in the Bristol Truck Series race I began to think, “Is it time for the trucks, Nascar’s first COTs, to get a new truck design?”

I think it is.  Nascar should give the Truck Series the exact same chassis as the other two series, and drop some new bodies on over top.  I am looking into if wether or not Nascar has already taken this step (updating the chassis), as it seems to be a no brainer.  As far as the outside appearance, update the spoiler and implement the nose design to conform to the concepts introduced the Nationwide New Car.  Loose the splitter braces.  Bring the “cage” inspection process to the trucks, requiring the same certification processes as the Sprint Cup Series.  The overall manufacture design is current, and gives the car makers plenty of idendity, which means that the race trucks are probably closer to the consumer trucks than the other two Nascar classes.

Nascar needs to do whatever it takes to make sure that the Truck Series doesn’t fall behind the curve of safety and design.  I’m not saying this isn’t happening, I’m just saying Nascar has to make sure that is happens.  Just some thoughts, and a couple opinions.  What do you think?  Are there any aspects of the Nascar Trucks that you want to see changed or improved upon?  Post your comments bellow.