When NASCAR announced that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was coming to Canada, I couldn’t contain myself as a Canadian fan. I knew right from the announcement that it’d be great to be able to see the trucks in my own backyard (only two hours from my hometown) and get the experience up close to them that so many fans down south know too well.
It also an interesting experience as people questioned whether putting the trucks on a road course would be a good idea. They’d seen success with the cars – some close finishes, beating and banging, and the trucks had done it before so why not? Beyond that, the 11-turn track is the perfect place to go with the wide, fast corners that allow opportunities to try and pass. A driver messes up getting off a corner and getting into the next one, it opens the door for the truck behind them. For that reason, testing the driver’s skills would be up there near the top and seeing what they could do behind the wheel of their pick-ups.
The skepticism continued throughout practice and qualifying, but there was one thing known at the end of the weekend – this race had everything that NASCAR fans love.
The result of the 250 mile race brought forth everything that had made me a NASCAR fan and more as I watched the stars on the track, and the emotions that took place with the close competition. It was a perfect display for those who came out of curiosity as to why they should stick with the series moving forward, and why many fans in Canada travel to the United States yearly, whether Daytona, Bristol or Michigan, to watch racing.
NASCAR was built on certain roots – family, and emotion. The emotion of defeat and the emotion of victory combined to one, equaling confrontations. The ability behind the wheel to do whatever you could possible to try and win the race. It was evident by simply looking at two drivers – Chase Elliott and Ty Dillon. Now front runners in the Nationwide Series, the pair had been working their way up through the racing ranks and it was the streets of CTMP that brought forth the coming of age to many fans eyes. Fans got to see the future of NASCAR and how the love of racing is passed on from one generation to the other – Bill Elliott to Chase and Richard Childress to Ty. Both were doing whatever they could in the final laps to win the event for themselves and their team and as you know, contact took place in the final corner that led to Elliott winning and Dillon wrecking.
Being in victory lane and seeing the emotion on Chase’s face in the form of his NASCAR National Series victory, it was special – you can’t repeat first wins. Though it was also a glimpse of seeing the future and knowing the sport was in good hands.
On the flip side, seeing the disappointment on Dillon’s face and his frustration towards Elliott was the emotional aspect that fans love. The fact that Dillon was so passionate about winning that he confronted Elliott post-race, and then expressed displeasure in his interviews brought to the fans the passion as to why they do this.
Of course, this was just the beginning of the fun that weekend as there was some icing on the cake in the form of Mike Skeen and Max Papis. The pair must’ve bumped back and forth at least 20 times through the final laps, resulting in both trucks pretty torn up at the end of the race. The rubbing back and forth, the never give-up a spot attitude – another reason why fans are drawn to NASCAR. There was also that passion as Skeen’s girlfriend went up to Papis, slapping him across the cheek to show her displeasure. It was reflection of not only passion, but how NASCAR got their start. Who remembers the famous fight in the 1979 Daytona 500?
Last year’s race delivered a lot of excitement that will forever go down in history. This year’s race has the ability to deliver the same type of excitement with the cards that are laid on the table. Be sure to tune in – or attend the race yourself – as left and right turns should lead down a path of fun.
