SPEED Quotes: Ready To Race At The Rock For Sunday's NCWTS Race

Camping World Trucks

SPEED Quotes: Ready To Race At The Rock For Sunday’s NCWTS Race

First NASCAR race at Rockingham Speedway since 2004...

Megan Englehart | Posted April 14, 2012 Charlotte, NC

Rockingham Speedway is ready to once again host the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. (Photo: Getty Images)

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN FOR SUNDAY’S NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE AT THE ROCK

ROCKINGHAM SPEEDWAY PRESIDENT ANDY HILLENBURG, JAMES FINCH LIVE ON WIND TUNNEL WITH DAVE DESPAIN SUNDAY AT 8 P.M. ET

With all practice sessions complete at Rockingham Speedway for Sunday’s inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (live on SPEED at 1 p.m. ET; NCWTS Setup at 12:30 p.m. ET), NASCAR appears to be picking up right where it left off in February 2004.

Of utmost importance remains tire management, much like in the days of old at the venerable one-mile facility, leading many to give the competitive advantage to veteran drivers who previously have raced at the speedway.

“I really think Rockingham could be our best Truck Series race of the entire season,” SPEED reporter Ray Dunlap predicted. “Rockingham isn’t fancy and it’s not a huge facility, but it seems to be providing the same great competition it did nearly a decade ago. Like in years past, the tires are falling off beautifully throughout a run, and tire management will be the key. So I expect veterans like Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday and Kasey Kahne to be good. Timothy Peters looks really good, as well.

“What happens if the caution comes out with 10 laps to go?” Dunlap continued. “I bet we’ll see some teams save their last set of tires for a situation like that, and if the 15th-place trucks don’t have a set of tires remaining and the restart comes with eight or 10 laps to go, those guys will get blown out of the water by fresh tires. I’m looking for a great race and I really think The Rock will live up to its billing this weekend.”

Once Sunday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is complete at Rockingham, track president Andy Hillenburg will be a live guest on Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain on SPEED (live at 8 p.m. ET). Also joining Despain Sunday is Phoenix Racing owner James Finch, for whom Kurt Busch competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.