NASCAR Truck

Hamilton reflects on Chase format

Hamilton Reflects on Chase Format if in Truck Series Chase Format to Trucks: "Really, all the limelight goes on in that particular series [NEXTEL Cup] which is good, because that's the originator of it all, but I think it needs to trickle down to ...

Published: Sep 13, 2005, 3:52 PM

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Hamilton Reflects on Chase Format if in Truck Series

Chase Format to Trucks: "Really, all the limelight goes on in that particular series [NEXTEL Cup] which is good, because that's the originator of it all, but I think it needs to trickle down to this deal. The only bad thing about it is that we don't run enough races.JI've already thought about this. The way the schedule is, the Cup guys would start it first and the Busch cars would start it second then we would start it third. So it would be a stair step for all media outlets to focus on. I don't think you can do it with 10 races to go in Craftsman Trucks because we only run 25 races. But I think you can do it with five, six, or seven. Is 10 adequate? It is what it is and you make it work. There are some guys that say 10 is perfect and there are some guys at the end of Richmond last year like Jamie McMurray that wished there had been 12. It is what it is."

As an Owner, Would that Help Sell? "Sure it would. It just draws more attention. We need whatever it takes to draw more attention to this series. My suggestion is let us do it before they let the Busch guys do it. What I've always worried about that deal though is that it will help, sponsor-wise, but the minute you're not in it...last year, I think DJ didn't make it in, did he? UPS is probably one of the top ranked sponsors in the sport and the coverage absolutely stops, unless you go out and wreck Ryan Newman or something. It just absolutely stops. What concerns me was that we need to make sure that all these people get a little time on TV. I said last year after the way they done the winner's circle, I was like 'I wouldn't even go to the winner's circle.' I'd just sit and do burnouts for 15 minutes. I wouldn't even give them the chance to talk to anybody else. If I saw a camera I'd go over to them and do a burnout [laughs]. I don't see any negatives to the Chase."

J Not Making the Chase, Would You Lose Sponsorship? "I don't know. We've got to get the sponsors before we can lose them. Our problem is that we don't get enough attention in this series and it's really ridiculous. I've said it since I've owned it, it's some of the best racing and it just gets tougher and tougher. It's some of the best racing out there. These guys race their butts off and we just can't get the awareness out there. We even had Tony Stewart and Mike Bliss not make a race in the trucks in Richmond. Tony Stewart is arguably one of the best Cup drivers out there. The Craftsman Truck drivers race their guts out and earn those qualifying spots. We have a handful of guys that race their guts out in Cup and the rest of them just say 'Oh my car isn't good and I need to get the best that I can.' These guys, they all want to move forward or stay in business, one way or the other. That's their last grasp and it's very serious to them. I don't think this thing has got the attention that it deserves, yet."

-BHR

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