The NASCAR Craftsman Truck series drew 63,750 to Kentucky Speedway last year and could break 40,000 when it returns Saturday.

        For NASCAR's No.3 division, 40,000 is still a substantial crowd. Last year's near-capacity house was largely because it was the speedway's inaugural event.

SCHEDULE

Friday   (All tickets $30)   • 4 p.m. — Gates open   • 5:30 p.m. — NASCAR Craftsman Truck pole qualifying   • 6 p.m. — Tim Rushlow concert   • 7:15 p.m. — Craftsman Truck final practice   • 9 p.m. — ARCA Blue Grass Quality Meats 200 race   Saturday   • 3 p.m. — Gates open   • 6 p.m. — Joe Diffie concert   • 8 p.m. — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Kroger 225 race   Tickets: kentuckyspeedway.com, purchase tickets at the track, or call 1-888-652-RACE.

        “To get 63,000 again would be a miracle, but I still feel we will have a very nice crowd,” speedway chairman Jerry Carroll said. “Remember, at most places (trucks) get about 20,000.”

        Truck driver Terry Cook, speaking at a speedway media day this week, said the series looks forward to returning to Kentucky Speedway. Cook ranks seventh in the truck season points race.

        “I wonder if people around here know what a great track this is,” Cook said. “It's great to come to a track where you can race in front of 40,000 or 50,000 fans. This place was rocking last year.”

        In June 2000, Kentucky fans saw Greg Biffle win the first Kroger 225 race. Biffle has graduated to the Busch Series, one notch below Win ston Cup.

        Several more of last year's top truckers also have moved on. Mike Wallace, Andy Houston and Kurt Busch all moved up to Winston Cup.

        The remaining stars include Jack Sprague, a two-time truck series champion (1997, '99) and third in points this year; veteran Joe Ruttman, who is second in season points; series points leader Scott Riggs; former Winston regular Ted Musgrave; and Ricky Hendrick, son of Winston Cup owner extraordinaire Rick Hendrick — Jeff Gordon's car owner.

        The truck series was formed in 1995 as NASCAR's third national series, behind Winston Cup and Busch. The series has provided another avenue for aspiring Winston Cup drivers to gain experience in heavy-body, high-horsepower equipment.

        The truck series vehicles are “trucks” in name only. Beneath the exterior, pickup-truck look of Chevrolet Silverados, Ford F-150s and Dodge Ram 1500s are racing engines similar to Winston Cup cars.

        For instance, a Winston car has 780 horsepower and a truck about 750. A Winston car gets about 200 mph at top speed and a NASCAR truck can hit 185 mph.

        Mike Skinner, now a Winston Cup regular, was the first truck champion in 1995. Ron Hornaday won two truck titles (1996, '98) before moving to Winston Cup. Winston regulars Terry Labonte, Mark Martin, Steve Park and Kevin Harvick all have run in the truck series.

        “We've had a lot of guys move on,” said Owen Kearns, chief publicist for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series. “We've got a number of good stories, like Ted Musgrave. He kind of got unceremoniously dumped by Jack Roush from Winston Cup, and now he's the story of our series.”

        Musgrave, a Winston regular for most of the 1990s, has revived his career with four truck wins this year. He might regain a full-time Winston ride for 2002.

        An ARCA stock race, the Bluegrass Quality Meats 200, serves as an appetizer at 9 p.m. Friday. ARCA practices and qualifying today are closed to the public, although fans can glimpse the action (between 11 a.m. and 5p.m.) from outside the speedway Fan Center above Turn Three.

        NASCAR truck qualifying is 5:30p.m. Friday.

        Kentucky already has staged its big event of 2001, with last month's Greater Cincinnati sports-record crowd of 70,338 for a Busch race. But Carroll is making sure his staff has all the bases covered again, knowing NASCAR is still monitoring the track for its long-term Winston Cup potential.

        “We'll focus on the best program we can put on,” Carroll said. “We know the drivers and fans like us, so that's important.”

Get the lowdown on other events at Kentucky Speedway in our special section

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