People are always asking me what I think the perfect schedule would be for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. If I had my way, the truck schedule would look very different than it does today. In my perfect world, we would race only on tracks three quarters of a mile and smaller. I would love to see this series running at Irwindale, Berlin, Lake Erie and Toledo speedways.
However, times have changed and I understand why the final schedule has to look the way it does currently.
With that being said, here is my version of a much-improved schedule over what we raced in 2013.
My 2014 event schedule gets back to 25 events with what could be the most diverse lineup of tracks that is humanly possible. So here are my thoughts on making a really great calendar for the pickup drivers.
1. I love Speedweeks in Daytona. It would be weird no to be there, but having a six-week break between the first two races is silly. I will move the trucks to July at Daytona and begin the season in Sin City the first of March.
2. Charlotte has not been able to attract any fans on Friday night before the Sprint All-Star Race, so I am moving the race across the street to the dirt track, and they will need to bring in extra seating!
3. The worst date on the schedule is a Friday AFTERNOON race at Dover. Only a handful of weekend campers can make it to this event, so I am making Saturday at Dover a double header. Trucks and Nationwide run twin 200’s. Start one at 12:30 and both are finished before 6 p.m.
4. I need to switch the truck and ARCA dates at Michigan. Trucks move to June to open up the August date for a road course double with Nationwide at Mid-Ohio. If teams are going to build a road course truck for Canada, they would love to have two races to use this vehicle. Obviously, there are many other possibilities: New Jersey, Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen. The best ever would be to add Austin (Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas). However, let’s not consider the west coast!
5. Assuming Eldora is returning, (It was a huge hit. Why would it not?) plus, I am adding Charlotte to the dirt list, so why not go to the granddaddy of them all, Knoxville? I am slapping a third dirt event into my 2014 list on Sunday Sept. 28 at the end of the Knoxville Nationals. Beat that!
6. This schedule has three races in each month. It keeps the fans interested all summer, it keeps the sponsors active, it keeps the momentum rolling! The truth is, I would like to see the season run from the first of April to the end of September. If there is a way to compress this list, I am open to your ideas of how to do that. Remember, the NCWTS teams are much smaller than the Sprint Cup teams and operate on ¼ of the budget. Let’s not burn out the crew guys and gals, but we have to find a way to NOT have three weeks off between events.
7. Iowa Speedway has too many events in a small space of time. I would like to see trucks race with the Nationwide Series there. A truck standalone event at Las Vegas makes no sense to me. Chicago should consider a doubleheader on Saturday also. Nobody is leaving work in the Windy City on Friday at 2 p.m. to hurry down to see the trucks race!
8. To all the tracks that are charging WAY too much for NCWTS tickets, wake up. Would you not be better off getting 40 percent more people in the stands? Make the truck race a day a family can come out and enjoy your facility for a reasonable price. Family of four gets tickets, a hot dog and a Coke for $80. It is time to fill up the place for preliminary events, and let’s make some new fans.
9. IF Rockingham is not returning, ( I have no inside information here) I sure hope that Darlington does!
Dunlap’s Ultimate 2014 Schedule for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series:
3/7/2014 Las Vegas
4/5/2014 Martinsville
4/19/2014 Kansas
4/25/2014 Richmond
5/9/2014 Darlington
5/16/2014 Charlotte
5/31/2014 Dover
6/6/2014 Fort Worth
6/13/2014 Michigan
6/26/2014 Kentucky
7/4/2014 Daytona
7/12/2014 Iowa
7/23/2014 Eldora
8/1/2014 Pocono
8/15/2014 Mid-Ohio
8/21/2014 Bristol
8/31/2014 Canadian Tire Raceway
9/7/2014 Iowa
9/12/2014 Chicago
9/28/2014 Knoxville
10/18/2014 Talladega
10/25/2014 Martinsville
10/31/2014 Fort Worth
11/7/2014 Phoenix
11/14/2014 Homestead
