Once again this weekend, the Camping World Truck Series sits idle while the Nationwide Series heads off to Iowa as the only of NASCAR’s top three series racing this weekend. And with this week’s only news surrounding the No. 51 failing post-race inspection at Iowa Speedway and the penalty (10-point deduction each for driver Erik Jones and owner Kyle Busch, $5,000 fine and probation until Dec. 31 for crew chief Eric Phillips), now is another chance for us to sit back and reminisce on the moments that have brought the series through the years.
Memorable Series Moments Part I
Memorable Series Moments Part II
Johnny Sauter and Ron Hornaday, Jr. Synchronized Slide
When the series visited Kansas Speedway in 2010, the race was a pretty standard one until the laps began to wind down. Johnny Sauter and Ron Hornaday, Jr. were both fighting the for the lead with around 10 laps remaining when they caught up to a couple of lapped trucks. Hornaday was slowed by Norm Benning, got loose and slid up the track sideways, tagging Sauter on his way. The result wasn’t what anyone expected, and to this day, I have no idea how the pair didn’t wreck, other than their driving abilities. For a less talented duo, that slide would likely have ended in some torn up sheet metal, but instead they finished 1-2 with Sauter handily taking the victory by more than five seconds.
Rookie John King Wins at Daytona
Bump and Run at Martinsville
Let’s rewind back to the 2011 Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. A late race caution set up a five-lap sprint to the finish, and we all know that at the 0.533-mile paperclip, those laps wind down very quickly. On the restart, Kyle Busch, who was still driving for Billy Ballew Motorsports at the time, got out front — but not by much — and Sauter, chased him down and executed a nearly perfect bump-and-run to grab the victory. That type of racing is exactly what I’ve come to know and love from Martinsville. The close-quarters racing leaves room for plenty of beating and banging, and the bump-and-run is almost a staple at short tracks — or at least it used to be. A return to competition like this finish is exactly what NASCAR needs today.
Johnny Sauter Black Flagged at Texas
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If this column had a soundtrack it would be crickets. The truck series is dead.