Trucks back to Gateway in 2014

[bsoyuz]

Saw this on MRN website

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR has announced the 2014 schedule for the Camping World Truck Series, which includes the return to Gateway Motorsports Park for the first time since 2010.

Gateway, a 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Ill. - just outside St. Louis, hosted Truck Series races from 1998-2010 with only one repeat winner in its 13-race history: Ted Musgrave, who won in 2001 and 2005. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kevin Harvick won the most recent Gateway race, in July 2010.

Now independently owned by St. Louis native Curtis Francois, a former racer with ties to the local community, Gateway will hold its 2014 race on June 14.

"The St. Louis area is such a racing hotbed," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. "Curtis Francois and his staff have worked diligently to bring NASCAR national series racing back to those great fans."

After a two-year hiatus, New Hampshire Motor Speedway likewise returns to the Camping World Truck Series schedule (Sept. 20). "The Magic Mile" held Truck Series racing from 1996-2011 and will return in 2014 as part of a companion weekend with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series during the post-season Chase.

"With their return to New Hampshire, it will be great for fans to see more of what the trucks are known for – close racing at shorter, tighter venues," O’Donnell said.

Next season’s 22-race schedule includes two tracks which made wildly successful debuts in 2013 – Eldora Speedway (July 23) in Rossburg, Ohio, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Aug. 31) in Bowmanville, Ontario. The entire 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season will be heard on Motor Racing Network, streamed live at MRN.com, televised on FOX Sports 1 and also heard on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

In 2013, Eldora - the half-mile dirt track owned by three-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart - held the first NASCAR national series dirt race since 1970. A standing-room-only crowd of 20,000 watched history as 2011 series champion Austin Dillon captured the victory. This event will be the first of two Wednesday night races for the series, joining Bristol Motor Speedway’s popular mid-week race on Aug. 20.

This summer, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park became the first road course to host a Truck Series race in more than a decade. Culminating with end-of-race fireworks that have become a trademark of Camping World Truck Series competition, Chase Elliott – son of former Cup Series champion Bill Elliott – won the inaugural event.

Next season’s schedule features one date shift, with the series racing at Kansas Speedway on May 9 - the first night race for the series on the 1.5-mile oval. The balance of the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck schedule, the series’ 20th season, maintains a familiar feel ... opening with Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 21 and ending Nov. 14 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Schedule

Feb. 21: Daytona International Speedway
March 29: Martinsville Speedway
May 9: Kansas Speedway
May 16: Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 30: Dover International Speedway
June 6: Texas Motor Speedway
June 14: Gateway Motorsports Park
June 26: Kentucky Speedway
July 12: Iowa Speedway
July 23: Eldora Speedway
Aug. 2: Pocono Raceway
Aug.16: Michigan International Speedway
Aug. 20: Bristol Motor Speedway
Aug. 31: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Sept. 12: Chicagoland Speedway
Sept. 20: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sept. 27: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Oct. 18: Talladega Superspeedway
Oct. 25: Martinsville Speedway
Oct. 31: Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 7: Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 14: Homestead-Miami Speedway

 

[bsoyuz]

another thing: No Rockingham

 

[Thunder98]

No Rockingham, not so surprised.

Gateway reaction:

 

[Hendrick4life]

Well thats good that Gateway is back. Rather have the Rock TBH.

 

[bigrolltide1877]

Good lord get rid of the damn six week layoff and keep rockingham but gateway should be produce a great race.

 

[Devin41]

Pocono truck race is also being extended by 25 miles...or 20 laps. Whichever way your cookie crumbles.

 

[KahneRacing945]

Yay Gateway is back! But i will miss Rockingham since Kahne won there in 2012 last year.

 

[nascarman14]

Why are they going back to New Hampshire??? Also, stay away from the cup tracks when they race there in the same weekend. I'm fine with them going to cup tracks but just not on the same weekend as them.

 

[dalejrgamer]

Good lord get rid of the damn six week layoff and keep rockingham but gateway should be produce a great race.

Guess they haven't learned from IndyCar's long-ass break.

Why are they going back to New Hampshire??? Also, stay away from the cup tracks when they race there in the same weekend. I'm fine with them going to cup tracks but just not on the same weekend as them.

I $ee no rea$on why I $houldn't agree with your opinion.

 

[MattSRD28]

Race 3 needs to be earlier than May 9 for crying out loud. Get some tracks to put on races in March/April already.

 

[flyersfan4888]

Glad to see Gateway and NHIS back on the schedule. Those were always fantastic tracks for the Trucks.

 

[Zoom]

Glad to see my home track back in NASCAR. Looks like a ghost town most of the time now.

 

[Relly]

Here's my personal reaction to the Rockingham news.

Although Gateway is one of my favorite tracks so I'm beyond thrilled they're back.


Now about that whole pretty much no March/April races....plenty of tracks like IRP, Myrtle Beach, South Boston, Memphis, Nashville etc are more than worthy of a date. I know some of them don't have the Safer Barriers but I'd like to see NASCAR help out some of these tracks with paying for them if they truly want to get "back to their roots."

 

[Fishtail]

Love Gateway,I will buy my ticket

 

[evan07]

I guess Rockingham isnt on the schedule because the track wasn't up to NASCAR standards?

 

[Harry Nurpplez]

Nope, financing.

 

[Orian Thompson]

Really couldn't care less about losing Rockingham. Really overrated track in my opinion. Glad Gateway is back.

 

[Doyle9]

Really couldn't care less about losing Rockingham. Really overrated track in my opinion. Glad Gateway is back.

The Rock played host to some of the best racing in the early 2000's. I remember always looking forward to it (and it normally fell closest to my birthday, too, so added bonus there lol)

 

[MattSRD28]

I guess Rockingham isnt on the schedule because the track wasn't up to NASCAR standards?

Nope, financing.

The issues are one and the same. Nascar has quality standards it requires of tracks it holds races at. Adhering to those standards costs the tracks money.

If the track owner has no money and/or refuses to pony up, standards are not met, and track is not up to Nascar standards.

 

[HJimenez42]

I really hate Rockingham won't be in the NCWTS 2014 schedule and why NHMS? ¬¬ (n)
In the other hand I'm happy Gateway is again in NASCAR...hope to see Memphis, Mansfield and North Wilkesboro in the schedule again