Different schedule, drivers await Truck Series
By Tim Packman, Turner Sports Interactive
January 13, 2002
11:00 AM EST (1600 GMT)
CONCORD, N.C. -- Even after seven years of competition, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is still experiencing growing pains.
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Rick Crawford (14) races Scott Riggs
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While the Winston Cup and Busch Series has added races in recent years, the Craftsman Truck Series has scaled back in 2002. The series dropped one race (down from 24) for 2002, and the schedule was also altered, as they dropped two tracks and added one.
Two of the top drivers in the series moved up after 2001. Three-time champion Jack Sprague and Ricky Hendrick, his teammate at Rick Hendrick Motorsports, are now in the Busch Series.
Scott Riggs won five races last year in the Craftsman Truck Series last year and led the points chase for a good part of the year. This year, he'll be driving for ppc Racing in the Busch Series.
Jason Leffler and Robert Pressley are both moving from Winston Cup to the trucks. They will be joining former Winston Cup driver Ted Musgrave, who is readying for his second full season of competition. Musgrave led the series with seven wins and finished second to Sprague for the title.
Missing -- so far -- is Joe Ruttman. After winning the season opener at Daytona last year, he went on to lead the Craftsman Truck Series points for several weeks and win another race.. Now, he is without a ride and searching to get back behind the wheel somewhere this year.
Different places and different places could be a theme for the series this year.
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Terry Cook (left) goes door-to-door with Ted Musgrave.
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The season kicks off just like it did last year when the trucks take to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway in February. Arguably one of the best races of Speedweeks in 2000, the series returns for its third visit.
Instead of heading to Homestead after Daytona, like it did in the past, the series will have race No. 2 at Darlington in March. All three of NASCAR's top divisions will race at Darlington that weekend.
Homestead is still on the schedule, but will be the final race of the year in 2002. All three top NASCAR series will end their season at Homestead this year.
The Craftsman Truck Series dropped Mesa Marin and Nazareth from the schedule in 2002.
The biggest gap in the 23-race schedule this year is between Darlington and Martinsville - the series will take a full month off. Texas Motor Speedway is the only venue the series visits twice.
Aerodynamic packages are still being worked on and changed as the Craftsman Trucks become seemingly faster each year.
What doesn't become faster is the calendar. Even though there are 23 races this year, time doesn't stand still as driver and crews ready their rides for the 2002 season.
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