The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series could see some big championship changes in its future—according to reports from Motorsport.com, a format mimicking the Sprint Cup Series’ Chase is under consideration. As ironic as it is, reports of these talks come during Matt Kenseth’s suspension for intentionally wrecking another driver because he was upset about a Chase situation.
One of the considered formats includes a knockout eight-driver playoff over the course of seven races. Just like the current Cup format, elimination rounds would consist of three races apiece until the final battle at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Two truck competitors would be eliminated per round, with four entering the final race with a chance to win the championship.
Currently, Erik Jones leads the Truck Series standings over Matt Crafton by 17 points and Tyler Reddick by 21 with two races to go. With a seven-race Chase on the Truck Series schedule, it would take up a decent portion of the series’ season—which dropped from 25 to 22 races after the 2011 season, and featured 23 this year with 13 different winners so far.
The knockout Chase format in the Cup Series has upped the competition (and subsequently, the intensity in each race), because each driver gets a fairly level playing field so long as he or she qualifies for the next round. And Homestead, well, is all about which of the remaining Chase drivers finishes the highest.
But we’ve also seen the intensity of the Chase create situations like Kenseth and Joey Logano, and traditionalists aren’t the biggest fans of it. While Motorsport.com did not report a timetable for action the Truck Series Chase talks (or if there would be any action), Cup driver and Truck Series owner Brad Keselowski said he’d heard of the idea.
He’s not sure how he feels about it just yet, though. From Motorsport.com:
“All the series are so different that one template that applies to one certainly doesn’t apply to the next,” Keselowski added. “Things that works in the Cup series don’t always work in the truck series and vice versa — and I respect that.
“But it’s too early to answer whether that would work in the truck series.”
Photo credit: AP Photo/Jim Cole
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