Trucks Series gets more competitive
2011 Truck Series Season Preview
Monday, Feb. 14, 2011
Observations
• The series appears set to take a big step up in level of competition this season. Former champion Travis Kvapil returns as do seasoned veterans Ron Hornaday and Todd Bodine. Austin Dillon made a huge impact during his rookie season and should be better this year. Several newcomers - including Nelson Piquet Jr., Parker Kligerman and Jeffrey Earnhardt - should be in the thick of battles for wins.
• NASCAR has to be pleased with the way several of its Sprint Cup Series drivers give back to the sport in the form of competing with their own teams in lower divisions, particularly Truck. Kevin Harvick Inc. has become a huge player in the series, not only in its ability to field championship teams but partnering with other teams to provide them the tools to compete. Brad Keselowski is expanding his Truck team this season as well.
What they're saying
• "It's a great series with a lot of tough competition, and I'm excited to be there fulltime. I've had a lot of success racing in the Truck Series in the past, and I'm looking forward to winning races and contending for the championship." Travis Kvapil
• "You're never going to stop people that doubt you can drive. When you come from a situation I'm in, it's just like when you work in a family business; you have to prove to people that you want to learn the business, you want to be a part of it, and you want to do it." Austin Dillon
• "I want to start in the whole NASCAR series slowly. I want to learn it. Coming from Europe, it's a completely different environment. I want to reach Cup when I'm prepared and get there with a good package and a good experience and good knowledge." Nelson Piquet Jr.
Preseason Top 10
Rank | Driver | Team | Comment |
1. | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | He won two races and seven poles and was 2010 rookie of the year. It's time to take the next step. |
2. | Ron Hornaday | Kevin Harvick Inc. | Four-time series champion is hungry for a fifth. With new crew chief Jeff Hensley, Hornaday will be in prime position to contend. |
3. | Todd Bodine | Germain Racing | Last year's champ returns with his team intact but with a new teammate in Brendan Gaughan. Will that help the organization? |
4. | Travis Kvapil | Randy Moss Motorsports | The 2003 champion returns to the series fulltime for the first time since 2007. Can he recapture the magic? |
5. | Johnny Sauter | ThorSport Racing | He finished a career-best third in points last season and won a race for the second consecutive year. He needs more wins to be a title contender. |
6. | Matt Crafton | ThorSport Racing | Like Sauter, Crafton consistently runs among the top 10 but needs to crack Victory Lane more (one win in 247 starts). |
7. | Timothy Peters | Red Horse Racing | He opened last season with a win at Daytona and finished sixth in points. He should contend for several wins this season. |
8. | James Buescher | Turner Motorsports | Buescher took a big step forward in development last season finishing 11th in points despite running just 22 of the 25 races. |
9. | Brendan Gaughan | Germain Racing | Gaughan hasn't run the series since 2008 and hasn't won since 2003, but he'll be in good equipment and should do well. |
10. | Nelson Piquet Jr. | KHI | In his brief experience in the series, he has been very productive. That bodes well for a full season in good equipment. |
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