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What is a NASCAR Truck?

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is coming to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend to contest its only race on Canadian soil this season.

Cole Custer, Jr Motorsports Chevrolet

Cole Custer, Jr Motorsports Chevrolet

NASCAR Media

Brandon Jones, HTPG Refrigeration Products Chevrolet Silverado
Cody Coughlin, ThorSport Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton, Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota
Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski Racing Ford makes a pit stop, Sunoco
Johnny Sauter, GMS Racing Chevrolet
Crew member works on Noah Gragson, Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota
Cody Ware, Chevrolet
John Wes Townley, Athenian Motorsports Chevrolet

What are these pickups trucks especially design and made for racing? The Truck series is one of the three top national NASCAR divisions that include the Monster Energy Cup series, the Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. It is the only series that races modified pickup trucks.

The series was created in 1995 from the idea to race trucks on short oval tracks, superspeedways, road courses and even a dirt track. This weekend’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is the only stop of the Truck Series on a road course this season.

Like the Cup and Xfinity cars, the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra trucks are made up of a steel tube frame with a safety roll cage made to meet the NASCAR standards. The rest is just lightweight bodywork with a few aerodynamic devices to help the truck generate downforce at high speeds, such as the front splitter and the rear spoiler.

A 700 horsepower pickup

Under the hoods, we find 6.0-litre (366 cubic-inches), naturally aspirated, pushrod V8 engines that are fed with carburettors instead of the electronic fuel injection like the Cup cars. Maximum power output is around 650-700 bhp unrestricted (450 bhp restricted) and the Trucks can reach a top speed of approximately 290 km/h (180 mph) on the fastest tracks with the longest straightaways.

The V8 engines are mated to four-speed manual gearboxes. The fuel tank can take on 68 litres (18 US gallons) of 98 octane E15 unleaded gasoline standardized by Sunoco. All Trucks are shod on identical Goodyear slick tires.

Trucks must weight a minimum of 3,400 lb (1,542 kg) without driver, but with with fuel onboard. They are 206.5 inches long (5,245 mm), 60 inches high (1,524 mm), 80 inches wide (2,032 mm), and a wheelbase of 112 inches (2,845 mm).

Adjustments are obviously made to the brakes, weight distribution, camber, toe and caster of the suspension to help the Trucks turn left and right and brake efficiently on CTMP’s demanding road course.

 

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