How about them Craftsman Trucks?

I've spent so much time this year talking about the Sprint and Nationwide Series' that I almost totally overlooked what many would say is the most competitive series in NASCAR, the Craftsman Truck Series.

For me, when I get the chance to watch the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series it feels almost like your going back in time, back when hard racing was not only common but expected of every driver in every race. These guys beat, bang, bash and just in general race hard.

While watching the Sprint Cup race the other week a TV interviewer stopped a moment and talked with Mike Skinner after a crash during the race. She mentioned that Mike was helping the No. 84 Red Bull team that he was driving for (replacing AJ Allmendinger) work on the car after the crash. Skinner simply replied, "I'm a truck driver, that's how we do it over there."

THAT is the kinda of tenacity that I like to hear from a race car driver. The Craftsman Truck Series has created some great drivers to never see much mainstream success in the Sprint Cup Series. Skinner, Jack Sprague, Ron Hornaday, Johnny Benson, Bobby Hamilton, Dennis Setzer, Ted Musgrave and I could name countless others. All of these drivers tried their hand at running in the Sprint Cup Series but ultimately found themselves driving Truck's for a living. And believe you me, that is no insult to their abilities, they just found that the Truck Series is more suited to their driving abilities.

So if you find yourself with a chance to sit down and watch a Craftsman Truck Series race, do it. You might just be surprised at how good the racing really is.