Consumer: NASCAR Truck Racing Sells Ford Trucks

While it's likely that men have been racing trucks in some form since the first models appeared on the landscape to see work or military duty, the world of truck racing today is as far a field from the farm fields and backcountry roads of America as it can be--and the trucks that are raced look nothing like the vehicles they are derived from, as well. It should come as no surprise that racing trucks is big business, but just how big the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) racing has become in a relatively short period of time could clearly be a shocker.

Truck makers, like Ford Motor Company, know that racing helps sell trucks. "Alliances such as NCTS are really important to Ford, since we know that 50 percent of our F-Series buyers attend or watch NASCAR racing, in all forms," explained Todd Eckert, Ford's Manager of Truck and SUV Communications, while attending the Built Ford Tough 225 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race, sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Ford dealers at the Kentucky Speedway. Eckert and other Ford spokespeople attended the race at this 66,089-seat Speedway to announce the three-year extension of the entitlement partnerships associated with NCTS. "Even in a time of budget constraints, Ford wants to establish ties (such as this) with customers at a grassroots level," said Eckert. "Giving what's happening in the industry, we can't go silent. Plus, truck racing is more of an old-fashioned racing and it's very family-friendly."

For 2007, Ford NASCAR Truck Series team drivers include Travis Kvapil, Joey Clanton, David Starr, Rick Crawford, Jon Wood, Peter Shepherd, Eric Dranell, and Jack Smith. Kvapil, who drives for car owner Jack Roush and is sponsored by K & N Filters, is currently in third place standing, in this year's series.

Ford Racing is a division of Ford Motor Company and is also the title sponsor of the season-ending "Ford Championship Weekend", at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where NASCAR officially crowns its NEXTEL Cup Series, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series champions.

NASCAR Truck Racing History: The Truck Series got its start in 1993 after a group of off-road racers developed a prototype for a NASCAR-style pickup and put it before the public at the 1994 Daytona 500. After demonstration races proved to be popular, NASCAR created the "Super Truck Series", in 1995, which became the Craftsman Truck Series a year later. Although new, it immediately garnered the attention of many prominent team owners and drivers.It has evolved from 125-mile long and 150-lap races and no pit stops or tire changes to longer races-typically 250 miles and 200-250 laps at shorter tracks and a minimum age requirement of 18 years. Televised on a number of networks in the early years, it is now seen on Speed Channel and FOX and is covered by the independent web site truckseries.com.

NCTS Specifications