NASCAR Truck Series Teams Continue To Have Financial Struggles

NASCAR should have deep-six'ed the Truck series years ago. With motorsports in a free-fall there needs to be some consolidation. If not the Xfinity series will be next to go under.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is seeing its teams "battle financial challenges while facing questions about a schedule that has veered from its grassroots beginning," according to Dustin Long of NBCSPORTS.com.

Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski, who owns a team in the Truck Series, said that his truck operation lost $1M in '14. But he noted that figure is "still the average for his organization."

Red Horse Racing, which ran in the Truck Series for 13 years, "suspended operations May 22 after struggling to find sponsorship."

Driver Kyle Busch said that it costs $3.2M to "run a full-season Truck team," and he has to "put some of his own money into the operation."

But Keselowski said that the cost is closer to $4.5M to "run a full-season Truck team."

Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick, whose Truck Series team folded years ago, recently suggested on his SiriusXM NASCAR Radio show that the series "run at more short tracks — as it did in its early years — to help NASCAR reconnect with grassroots racing fans and give the series a stronger identity."

However, if NASCAR "went to some smaller tracks, it might have to lower sanctioning fees and that could mean a smaller purse for teams."

Busch: "If we make less money, you’re digging our grave, so the sanctioning agreements can’t be for any less money, that’s for sure. We actually need them to be for more."

Keselowski said that with more short tracks, engines are "not as great a factor and money can be saved there." Also, more short tracks would "make aero development less important and that might be another area to save money." NBCSPORTS.com