One last lap for vets

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – This wasn’t exactly what NASCAR had in mind when it created the Craftsman Truck Series 10 years ago.

Originally intended to be a training ground and launching pad for future Nextel Cup drivers, the truck series has evolved into a golden parachute for former Cup racers.

It’s one thing for former Nextel Cup champions such as Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte to make cameo appearances, but the truck series now has evolved into NASCAR’s version of The Senior Tour.

At least 13 former Nextel Cup regulars, including Jimmy Spencer, Johnny Benson, John Andretti, Mike Skinner and Ricky Craven, will be in the field for Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway.

Andretti, who has made seven Indianapolis 500 races as well as 339 Nextel Cup starts, will be making his debut, and next year, veteran Mark Martin and possibly Rusty Wallace will join the series after retiring from Cup racing.

“I’m not so sure Nextel Cup isn’t a springboard to the Craftsman Truck series,” joked Skinner, the 1995 truck champion who returned to the series last year after seven seasons in the Nextel Cup series.

Truth is, most of the former Cup drivers are not in the truck series by choice, but because they lost their higher-paying Sunday rides after failing to win or post enough top-10 finishes. But that hasn’t diminished the enjoyment they derive from stoking their competitive fires in the truck series.

In fact, the truck series can be even more appealing considering it has just 25 races compared with 36 points races in the Cup series. Also, the shorter truck races are less demanding physically and mentally on veteran drivers who are now well into their 40s.

“The attractions are it’s good, hard racing and the schedule,” said Skinner, 48. “There’s this thing called fun and having a life. The truck series allows you to spend time with your family; you have a lot of Sundays at home. You’re not near under as much pressure.

“These young guys want the 24/7 racing. That’s all they think about. We’ve all been there at one time. As you get older and you’ve been there and done that, you say, ‘I’m not getting any younger, life is awfully short. I need to spend a little time with my children.’ The truck series allows you to have a little more time off and really enjoy it.

“I call it my semi-retirement.”

Spencer, 48 , is in his first full-time truck season after 16 years in the Cup series and has been able to combine racing in the truck series with his second job as a commentator for Speed Channel’s Nextel Cup coverage.

“The thing that attracts drivers to the truck series is that they know they can get in a competitive truck and be competitive again and win,” said Spencer, one of eight drivers to win races in the Cup, Busch and truck series in his career. “At the same time, the truck series has some younger talent. … I mean, Greg Biffle came out of there, Kurt Busch came out of that series and then into Nextel Cup.”

Spencer has been impressed with the camaraderie between drivers and teams, which is a far cry from the cutthroat world of Cup racing.

“It’s the closest thing to Saturday-night racing that you have,” Spencer said. “The officials, all the crew members, help one another, all the drivers just really enjoy racing the series … asking how your families are doing.”

While it would be natural for some of the truck regulars to resent the migration of the Cup drivers, most welcome the opportunity to race against them.

“I think it is great,” said Dennis Setzer, the current points leader and winner of the last two truck races at Michigan and at Milwaukee. “There is still plenty of springboarding to Cup from the truck series. Look at Carl Edwards, who came from our series.

“We have a great mixture right now. I think it is the best of all worlds. You have some guys coming over here from Cup rather than retiring; there are guys like myself who have made the NCTS (truck series) our career, never did go to Cup racing; and you got the young guys that want to go to Cup. It is the best it has ever been.”

Besides Setzer’s two wins this season, the nine other victories in the truck series have been recorded either by former or current Cup drivers.