“I’m pretty sure it has never happened before or since,” he continued. “It was rewarding to me as a driver because the response was incredible. People were cheering and hollering and were so appreciative.”

From the impromptu autograph session to the spectacular racing and Bodine’s accident the first year, the Trucks have brought something special to Daytona and to the sport as a whole.

“The Truck Series has given NASCAR more credibility and made it look awfully smart,” said Mike Skinner, 1995 NCWTS champion. “Bill France Jr. really wrapped his arms around the series back in the mid-‘90s and said, ‘Hey, we need to make this work’ and he pulled it off. The Truck Series took guys like me, Hornaday, Sprague, Crawford and several others who just needed a jumpstart and helped us get going and get our names out there more. The series has just been great for NASCAR as a whole.”

“The Truck Series has served as an opportunity for young drivers to gain experience competing at a professional NASCAR-sanctioned level,” said Ron Hornaday Jr., runner-up in the 2008 NCWTS championship. “It gives them the chance to practice pit stops and compete on radial tires. When NASCAR added the series in '95, it was a win for everyone.”

So, when the trucks hit the high banks of Daytona Feb. 13 for the 10th annual race, 36 drivers will be clawing for their shot at a special notch on their belts.

“Every driver wants to win at Daytona,” said SPEED reporter Ray Dunlap. “It’s awe-inspiring to drive through the tunnel and it still affects me even after 20 years. If a driver has accomplished a lot in his career but didn’t win at Daytona, he’d be highly disappointed. Daytona is the one race everyone wants on their resume and winning at Daytona is great in any division, especially one as competitive as the Truck Series.”

SPEED, now in more than 78 million homes in North America, is the exclusive home of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Gatorade Duel at Daytona, NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The only network delivering live, at-track programming all season long, SPEED offers the definitive pre- and post-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series programs – NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane, as well as other popular NASCAR programs including Trackside Live, Tradin’ Paint, NASCAR Performance, NASCAR Live!, This Week in NASCAR, NCWTS Setup and NASCAR in a Hurry.

NASCAR 39/10: Reviewing the 60th Season A unique and comprehensive look at a historic season in the annals of stock car racing. For the first time ever, NASCAR fans will be able to relive the entire 2008 Sprint Cup Season, over the course of a 30-hour anthology. From Preseason Testing in Daytona, to the Postseason Banquet in New York, viewers will relive NASCAR’s 60th season, and one of the most important years in the sport’s history.

SPEED will offer 100 Hours of High Definiton coverage from Daytona. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE FROM DAYTONA