The New Look of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
An Opinion
February 3, 2009
By Allen Madding
Allen Madding
With only ten NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams set to run the full 25-race schedule with established sponsorship, NASCAR has scrambled to make the series more affordable for competitors by announcing a series of new rules. The three main rule changes announced are:
1) After March 25th, teams will not be permitted to compete in more than three consecutive events without running a sealed engine that has been previously run. Team owners will decide when they want an engine sealed, and NASCAR will install seals.
2) Teams will be limited to twelve active team members to attend each race: a crew chief, driver, spotter, and nine mechanics. Only five crewmembers will be allowed over the wall during pit stops.
3) Teams will not be allowed to take on fuel and tires during the same pit stop.
To date, ten teams that have confirmed drivers and sponsors for full-time competition in the 25-event 2009 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule. Johnny Benson will be behind the wheel of the No.1 RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota. Jason White will drive the Gunbroker.com Dodge. Collin Braun will drive the Roush-Fenway No. 6 Con-way Freight Ford. James Buescher will be driving Tom Mitchell’s No. 10 International MaxxForce Diesel Ford.
Rick Crawford returns to drive Tom Mitchell’s No. 14 International Truck and Engine Ford. Brian Scott will be driving Xpress Motorsport’s No. 16 Albertsons Toyota. David Starr will drive HT Motorsports’ No. 24 Zachry Holdings Toyota. Terry Cook will be teammates with Starr. Cook will drive the No. 25 Harris Trucking Toyota.
Ron Hornaday returns to the Kevin Harvick No. 33 Chevrolet for the full schedule with Camping World as a primary sponsor. VFW will sponsor the truck in six events and Swedish Match/Longhorn Snuff will sponsor the truck for ten events.
Matt Crafton returns to drive Thorsport Racing’s No. 88 Menards Chevrolet fulltime for 2009.
So what about everyone else? Kevin Harvick’s No. 2 Truck will be the No. 4 in 2009 running 14 races with Ricky Carmichael driving with Monster Energy Drink sponsorship and Kevin Harvick driving at Phoenix with Longhorn sponsorship (total 15 races).
J. R. Fitzpatrick will be behind the wheel of the Racer’s Group’s No. 7 Chevrolet. No sponsor has been announced for the team.
Chad McCumbee will drive SS-Greenlight Racing’s No. 07 ASILimited Chevrolet in 12 events. The team is searching for sponsorship to fill out the schedule.
Dennis Setzer is set to compete in 12 races driving MRD Motorsports No. 8 Malcolmson Construction Chevrolet. Connor Cantrell is slated to drive the truck at Martinsville.
DGM Racing has not named a driver for their No. 12 Chevrolet and had not named a sponsor.
Johnny Sauter was announced to be the driver of Duke Thorson ThorSport’s No. 13 Chevrolet which to date has no sponsor signed.
Shane Sieg is slated to drive the Billy Ballew’s No. 15 Toyota in four events but has not signed a sponsor.
Timothy Peters will drive Premier Motorsports’ No. 17 Strumaster.com Toyota in 8-10 events.
Brad Keselowski has not named a sponsor for his No. 19 Chevrolet and has not announced his schedule.
Jim Rosenblum announced that he would field the No. 28 FDNY Racing/Kissin Kuzzins Construction Chevrolet for Andy Lally at Daytona.
Todd Bodine is scheduled to drive Germain Racing’s No. 30 Toyota, but sponsor Lumber Liquidators has left as the team sponsor and the team laid-off employees over the winter with no replacement sponsor named as of yet.
Shelly Brevak has not announced a driver, sponsor or schedule for the No. 31 Dodge.
Chase Austin was named the driver of Arthur Shelton and Armando Fitz’s Trail Motorsports No. 32 Chevrolet, but a sponsor has not been signed.
Mike Bliss will drive Key Motorsports No. 40 Chevrolet in six events. The team would like to run more events if sponsorship can be negotiated.
Mike Skinner was announced as the driver for No. 46 Toyota, but no sponsorship has been announced.
Andy Hillenburg will field the No. 48 Chevrolet for Bryan Silas at Daytona.
Bradley Riethmeyer will drive Tracy Trotter’s No. 49 BlackwaterUSA.com Dodge in a limited schedule.
Kyle Busch will drive in 12-15 events in Billy Ballew’s No. 51 Miccossukee Resorts Toyota.
Ken Schrader will drive his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Toyota in a part-time schedule.
Stacy Compton was announced as the driver for Wyler Racing’s No. 60 Toyota but as of yet has no sponsorship.
Brett Thompson will drive three events in the No. 61 Windmill Inns/Rich Thompson Trucking Dodge.
MB Motorsports plans to run the No. 63 Dave Porter Truck Sales Ford in a few races. No driver announcement has been made.
Larry Foyt will drive Derrike Cope’s No. 74 Blu Frog Energy Drink Dodge at Daytona.
Brett Rowe will drive ten events in Herd Racing’s No. 75 Diest Industries Ford. The team is currently seeking sponsorship for more events.
Ray Hackett Racing plans to field the No. 76 Ford for Ryan Hackett in a limited schedule. No sponsorship has been announced.
Randy Moss Motorsports announced Tayler Malsam would drive the No. 81 Toyota. The team has not signed sponsorship.
Brent Raymer will drive his No. 85 Ford at Daytona and is seeking sponsorship for other events.
Laffery Motorsports named Mike Harmon to drive the teams No. 89 Chevrolet at Daytona and California. The team plans on competing fulltime but has not signed a sponsor and has not announced a driver for the remaining schedule.
Stringer Motorsports will field the No. 90 Toyota for Gabi DiCarlo for a limited schedule.
Max Papis will run a six-race schedule in the Germain Racing Geico Toyota.
With the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series seemingly on the cusp of struggling to fill a 43-car field, it seems almost certain that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will not be able to draw a full field for all 25 events on the schedule.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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