1994–95 NASCAR SuperTruck Series exhibition races

August 2023 In 1994 and early 1995, seven non-championship demonstration races for the newly-born NASCAR SuperTruck Series were held. The races were broadcast during coverage of the Winter Heat SeriesHuntting Lynn http://www.roadandtrack.com/?section_id=21&crashnet_id=23027 Press Snoop: NASCAR Truck Series facts. Road & Track February 18, 2015 February 25, 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20081011063234/http://www.roadandtrack.com/?section_id=21&crashnet_id=23027 October 11, 2008 and were held on tracks primarily based on the West Coast of the United States, featuring four to five trucks each.Rockne Dick https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19950508/2119918/trucks-pick-up-fans-sponsors Trucks Pick Up Fans, Sponsors The Seattle Times May 8, 1995 February 19, 2015 The series helped begin the careers of future NASCAR drivers like Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Matt Crafton, and Ron Hornaday Jr.https://tucsonspeedway.com/about-the-track/ About the track Tucson Raceway Park April 28, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20151212163534/https://tucsonspeedway.com/about-the-track/ December 12, 2015 dead Another exhibition race was held at the Homestead–Miami Speedway at the end of the 1995 season called the NASCAR Supertruck 25, though not as a Winter Heat race.http://racing-reference.info/race/1995-03/X 1995 NASCAR Supertruck 25 Racing-Reference February 18, 2015 Supertruck Mesa Marin 20 CUST Supertruck Mesa Marin 20 1994 7 30 1994 1 7 MesaMarinSpeedwayMap.svg Mesa Marin Raceway, Bakersfield, California 0.500 0.805 20 10 16.093 81.818 mph km/h on Craig Huartson Bruce Huartson Race Team P. J. Jones Vestar Motorsports Dave Ashley Dick Landfield Enduro Racing 7 1 P. J. Jones Vestar Motorsports The race was run as a support event to the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour.Mims Mark https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18975938/nascar_announces_debut_of_supertruck/ NASCAR announces debut of Supertruck Racing Series Longview News-Journal Newspapers.com May 20, 1994 April 5, 2018 Craig Huartson, a NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series driver,http://racing-reference.info/driver/Craig_Huartson Craig Huartson Racing-Reference February 20, 2015 won the pole for the race with a lap speed of 91.227 mph km/h. After leading the first lap, he lost the lead to offroad racer Dave Ashley, who led for seven laps before relinquishing it to Rob MacCachren. MacCachren would lead until lap 13, when P. J. Jones claimed first, and led for the remainder of the race, beating Gary Collins by 15 seconds.http://racing-reference.info/race/1994-01/X 1994 Supertruck Mesa Marin 20 Racing-Reference February 20, 2015 Jones won the race in a Ford, though the team switched to Chevrolet for the next race after General Motors offered the team a technical package.Pope Thomas http://www.fayobserver.com/sports/nascar-supertruck-series-opens-in-phoenix/article_fb4f7a35-e320-5d54-bc60-a599c91b5f09.html NASCAR SUPERTRUCK SERIES OPENS IN PHOENIX The Fayetteville Observer February 4, 1995 February 19, 2015 Race results Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps run Laps Led 1 4 1 P. J. Jones Vestar Motorsports Ford 20 7 2 5 12 Gary Collins Venable Racing Ford 20 0 3 3 21 Rob MacCachren Venable Racing Ford 20 5 4 1 8 Craig Huartson Bunce Huartson Race Team Chevrolet 20 1 5 2 2 Dave Ashley Dick Lanfield Enduro Racing Ford 20 7Source: Supertruck Portland 20 CUST Supertruck Portland 20 1994 8 19 1994 2 7 Portland Speedway, Portland, Oregon 0.5 0.805 20 10 16.093 81.818 mph km/h on Craig Huartson Bruce Huartson Race Team Rob MacCachren Venable Racing 20 21 Rob MacCachren Venable Racing The race, run as an undercard to the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series, was sold out.Zurschmeide Jeff https://books.google.com/books?id=BqXlAgAAQBAJ&q=nascar+supertruck+series+exhibition&pg=PA91 Portland Speedway 2014 Arcadia Publishing 9781467131469 February 19, 2015 We announced a special exhibition of the brand-new NASCAR SuperTrucks Series. I've never seen anything like it. I had to hang out the SOLD OUT sign, and that broke my heart, says former speedway manager Craig Armstrong. After starting second, Rob MacCachren led all 20 laps of the race. Race results + Race results Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps run Laps Led 1 2 21 Rob MacCachren Venable Racing Ford 20 20 2 5 12 Gary Collins Venable Racing Ford 20 0 3 6 1 P. J. Jones Vestar Motorsports Ford 20 0 4 3 8 Craig Huartson Bunce Huartson Race Team Chevrolet 20 0 5 1 2 Dave Ashley Dick Lanfield Enduro Racing Ford 20 0 6 4 11 Mike Hurlbert RPM Racing Ford 20 0Source:http://racing-reference.info/race/1994-04/X 1994 Supertruck Portland 20 Racing-Reference March 1, 2015 Supertruck Saugus 20 CUST Supertruck Saugus 20 1994 9 10 1994 3 7 Saugus Speedway, Saugus, California 0.333 0.536 15 5 8.047 20 6.66 10.718 54.38 mph km/h on Gary Collins Venable Racing Gary Collins Venable Racing 15 12 Gary Collins Venable Racing The race, held as part of a Featherlite Southwest Tour race weekend,Glick Shav https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-17-sp-5151-story.html Ready or Not, Here Come the Trucks Los Angeles Times June 17, 1994 February 19, 2015 featured a sellout crowd of 6,308.Esper Darian https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-11-sp-37335-story.html SAUGUS SPEEDWAY : Collins Wins Exhibition for SuperTrucks Los Angeles Times September 11, 1994 February 19, 2015 Gary Collins led the entire race. Originally scheduled for 20 laps, the race was cut by five laps after an incident on lap 14 and after the caution started to rain;http://racing-reference.info/race/1994-03/X 1994 Supertruck Saugus 20 Racing-Reference February 20, 2015 P. J. Jones, who was in second, backed his Ford into the wall between turns 3 and 4. At the same time, it began raining at the track which led the race to be the first ever Truck series event shortened due to rain. As a result, the race ended under caution. Craig Huartson did not finish the race when his engine failed after completing four laps. Race results + Race results Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps run Laps Led 1 1 12 Gary Collins Venable Racing Ford 15 15 2 3 11 Mike Hurlbert RPM Racing Ford 15 0 3 2 1 P. J. Jones Vestar Motorsports Ford 15 0 4 4 8 Craig Huartson Bunce Huartson Race Team Chevrolet 4 0Source: Supertruck Tucson 20 CUST Supertruck Tucson 20 1994 9 24 1994 4 7 Tucson Raceway Park, Tucson, Arizona 0.375 0.604 25 9.375 15.088 Ron Hornaday Jr. Spears Motorsports Ron Hornaday Jr. Spears Motorsports 14 75 Ron Hornaday Jr. Spears Motorsports Mike Hurlbert failed to start the race. After Gary Collins led the first lap, P. J. Jones, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Rick Carelli each led for one lap until Jones inherited the lead on lap 5. Craig Huartson led lap 6 before Jones reclaimed first, leading for three laps. Huartson retook the lead on lap 10, but relinquished it to Rob MacCachren on lap 11, who led two laps before Hornaday passed him for first. Hornaday led the final 13 laps to win the race. Race results + Race results Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps run Laps Led 1 1 75 Ron Hornaday Jr. Spears Motorsports Chevrolet 25 14 2 3 1 P. J. Jones Vestar Motorsports Ford 25 5 3 2 12 Gary Collins Venable Racing Ford 25 1 4 5 6 Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing Chevrolet 25 1 5 4 8 Craig Huartson Bunce Huartson Race Team Ford 25 2 6 6 21 Rob MacCachren Venable Racing Ford 25 2 7 7 11 Mike Hurlbert RPM Racing Chevrolet 0 0Source:http://racing-reference.info/race/1994-05/X 1994 Supertruck Tucson 20 Racing-Reference March 1, 2015 Supertruck Winter Heat 200 No. 1 CUST Supertruck Winter Heat 200 No. 1 1994 11 20 1994 5 7 Tucson Raceway Park, Tucson, Arizona 0.375 0.604 200 75 120.701 74.324 mph km/h on Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing 107 6 Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing TNN The race, along with the next two, were broadcast nationally by The Nashville NetworkStephens Tim http://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/strait-nascar-join-truckers/article_9ccb61a6-0232-52b9-9858-8f1fb3df6e47.html Strait, NASCAR join truckers The Times of Northwest Indiana October 9, 1994 February 19, 2015 as part of the Winter Heat program, an eight-week series featuring both the SuperTrucks and the Winston West Series.Baumgartner Lee http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/1994/11/10/111334-racing-heats-up-with-nascar-winter-series/ Racing heats up with NASCAR Winter Series Tucson Citizen November 10, 2016 November 17, 2016 Former San Francisco 49ers kicker Mike Cofer, who had won on the regional Southwest Tour, was initially scheduled to run the race but did not.Williams Charean https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1994/11/17/new-nascar-series-makes-debut-sunday/ New Nascar Series Makes Debut Sunday Orlando Sentinel November 17, 1994 November 17, 2016 Mike Skinner led the first 62 laps of the race; halfway through his run, a caution for debris was called on lap 32. Rick Carelli and Skinner traded the lead on laps 64 and 65 before the former led 79 straight laps. The No. 54 of Steve McEachern spun on the frontstretch on lap 86, bringing out the second caution of the day. On lap 137, T. J. Clark crashed in turn two to force a third caution. Shortly after the green flag wove on lap 143, Ron Hornaday Jr. took the lead, leading for 24 laps before relinquishing it to Carelli. The two battled for first until lap 176, when Carelli held on to the position for the final 25 laps to win. Dave Ashley failed to start the race. Off-road racer Robby Gordon suffered an engine failure on lap 53, while Mike Hurlbert and T. J. Clark had rear end and suspension problems on laps 86 and 127, respectively. Race results + Race results Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps run Laps Led 1 6 6 Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing Chevrolet 200 107 2 8 1 P. J. Jones Vestar Motorsports Ford 200 0 3 5 75 Ron Hornaday Jr. Spears Motorsports Chevrolet 200 30 4 4 9 Dirk Stephens Butch Stevens Chevrolet 200 0 5 3 18 Johnny Benson Roehrig Motorsports Chevrolet 199 0 6 14 21 Gary Collins Venable Racing Ford 199 0 7 9 38 Sammy Swindell Akins-Sutton Motorsports Ford 199 0 8 1 3 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 199 63 9 2 8 Craig Huartson Bunce Huartson Race Team Chevrolet 198 0 10 7 12 Rob MacCachren Venable Racing Ford 197 0 11 10 54 Steve McEachern McEachern Racing Chevrolet 197 0 12 12 20 Walker Evans Walker Evans Racing Dodge 197 0 13 11 23 T. J. Clark Clark Racing Ford 196 0 14 13 11 Mike Hurlbert RPM Racing Ford 127 0 15 15 06 Robby Gordon Ultra Motorsports Ford 86 0 16 16 2 Dave Ashley Ultra Motorsports Ford 0 0Source:http://racing-reference.info/race/1994-06/X 1994 Supertruck Winter Heat 200 #1 Racing-Reference March 1, 2015 Supertruck Winter Heat 200 No. 2 CUST Supertruck Winter Heat 200 No. 2 1994 12 11 1994 6 7 Tucson Raceway Park, Tucson, Arizona 0.375 0.604 200 75 120.701 76.444 mph km/h on Ron Hornaday Jr. Spears Motorsports Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing 106 1 P. J. Jones Vestar Motorsports TNN The second of the Winter Heat races, a competition caution was implemented to be flown at the race's halfway point on lap 100. Pole-sitter Ron Hornaday Jr. led the first 71 laps of the event. During his run, a caution was flown on lap 38 for Ken Schrader's slow truck. Hornaday gave up the lead to Mike Skinner on lap 72. Steve McEachern spun in turn 4 on lap 131 to force another caution, while the third and final yellow flag of the day occurred on lap 141 for debris. Skinner continued to lead until lap 177 when P. J. Jones passed him. Jones led the final 23 laps to win. Two drivers failed to finish the race: Kerry Teague's engine failed on lap 38, while Johnny Benson failed to start. Race results + Race results Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps run Laps Led 1 5 1 P. J. Jones Vestar Motorsports Ford 200 23 2 1 75 Ron Hornaday Jr. Spears Motorsports Chevrolet 200 71 3 2 3 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 200 106 4 11 6 Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing Chevrolet 200 0 5 6 21 Mike Chase Venable Racing Ford 200 0 6 13 12 Tobey Butler Venable Racing Ford 199 0 7 9 23 T. J. Clark Clark Racing Ford 198 0 8 10 2 Dave Ashley Ultra Motorsports Ford 197 0 9 15 20 Walker Evans Walker Evans Racing Dodge 197 0 10 3 24 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 197 0 11 8 06 Mike Bliss Ultra Motorsports Ford 195 0 12 4 8 Craig Huartson Bunce Huartson Race Team Chevrolet 193 0 13 12 31 Gary Balough Griffin Racing Chevrolet 188 0 14 16 11 Mike Hurlbert RPM Racing Ford 182 0 15 7 54 Steve McEachern McEachern Racing Chevrolet 175 0 16 14 51 Kerry Teague Rosenblum Racing Chevrolet 38 0 17 N/A 18 Johnny Benson Roehrig Motorsports Chevrolet 0 0Source:http://racing-reference.info/race/1994-07/X 1994 Supertruck Winter Heat 200 #2 Racing-Reference March 1, 2015 Supertruck Winter Heat No. 3 (1995) CUST Supertruck Winter Heat 200 No. 3 1995 1 8 1994 7 7 Tucson Raceway Park, Tucson, Arizona 0.375 0.604 204 76.5 123.115 200 75 120.701 66.043 mph km/h on Butch Gilliland Ultra Motorsports Ron Hornaday Jr. Spears Motorsports 128 3 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing TNN In comparison to the first two Winter Heat races, the third was marred by cautions; six accidents occurred during the race. Butch Gilliland led the first ten laps of the race before Ron Hornaday Jr. took the lead, holding on for 91 laps. During Hornaday's run from laps 11–101, two cautions were flown: Bob Strait and Steve McEachern crashed in turn three on lap 39, while Craig Huartson spun in turn one on lap 59. The third caution, a result of Kerry Teague's truck spilling oil on the track, resulted in Hornaday losing the lead to Rick Carelli. He led until lap 149, when Mike Skinner took first. Two laps later, the Nos. 2 and 23 trucks of Dave Ashley and T. J. Clark were involved in a crash in turn one. The final caution period of the day came on lap 197 when Gilliland spun in turn four, forcing a green–white–checker finish and extending the race by four laps. Skinner led those laps to win the race. Of the 18 drivers competing, seven did not finish the race: T. J. Clark retired on lap 187 for overheating issues, P. J. Jones' brakes failed on lap 165, Tobey Butler and Teague both suffered engine problems on laps 100 and 99, respectively, Walker Evans' truck overheated on lap 73 and Strait and McEachern's crash forced both of them out of the race. Race results + Race results Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps run Laps Led 1 3 3 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 204 55 2 4 75 Ron Hornaday Jr. Spears Motorsports Chevrolet 204 128 3 2 6 Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing Chevrolet 204 11 4 5 18 Johnny Benson Roehrig Motorsports Chevrolet 204 0 5 9 31 Gary Balough Griffin Racing Chevrolet 203 0 6 18 38 Sammy Swindell Akins-Sutton Motorsports Ford 202 0 7 6 12 Scott Lagasse Venable Racing Ford 202 0 8 1 06 Butch Gilliland Ultra Motorsports Ford 202 10 9 17 2 Dave Ashley Ultra Motorsports Ford 198 0 10 16 11 Mike Hurlbert RPM Racing Ford 194 0 11 11 23 T. J. Clark Clark Racing Ford 187 0 12 7 8 Craig Huartson Bunce Huartson Race Team Chevrolet 174 0 13 10 1 P. J. Jones Vestar Motorsports Ford 165 0 14 8 21 Tobey Butler Venable racing Ford 100 0 15 14 51 Kerry Teague Rosenblum Racing Chevrolet 99 0 16 15 20 Walker Evans Walker Evans Racing Dodge 73 0 17 12 37 Bob Strait Strait Racing Ford 38 0 18 13 54 Steve McEachern McEachern Racing Chevrolet 38 0Source:http://racing-reference.info/race/1995-02/X 1995 Supertruck Winter Heat 200 #3 Racing-Reference March 1, 2015 NASCAR Supertruck 25 (1995) CUST NASCAR Supertruck 25 1995 11 4 1995 Homestead Miami Speedway Original Layout.png Map of Homestead–Miami Speedway Homestead–Miami Speedway, Homestead, Florida 1.5 2.414 25 37.5 60.35 Jimmy Hensley Grandaddy Racing Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing 12 7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Following the end of the 1995 NASCAR SuperTruck Series season, the series held a 25-lap exhibition race at the newly-opened Homestead–Miami Speedway. At the time, the track resembled a smaller Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was praised by series champion Mike Skinner. As trucks weren't as aerodynamic as regular stock cars, he commented, drivers had to be more cautious entering the turns.Harris Mike https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18976679/homestead_supertruck_exhibition/ 'Careful' is the key word in first Homestead race Standard-Speaker Newspapers.com November 5, 1995 April 5, 2018 Pole-sitter Jimmy Hensley led the first two laps before Skinner took the lead. Skinner led until lap 12, when the competition caution was waved, and Geoff Bodine claimed first. Bodine led for three laps, followed by Skinner leading for a lap, then Butch Miller for two laps. Bodine took the lead from Miller on lap 19, and led all but one of the final seven laps (Skinner led lap 22) to beat Skinner by 0.1 seconds. Ernie Irvan, who had failed to qualify for the Busch Series race, finished third.O'Brien David http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-11-05/sports/9511040327_1_supertruck-race-25-lap-week-s-race Breakthrough Truck Win Super For Bodine Sun-Sentinel November 5, 1995 March 8, 2015 April 7, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140407062619/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-11-05/sports/9511040327_1_supertruck-race-25-lap-week-s-race dead The track was added to the 1996 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule as the opening race. Race results + Race results Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps run Laps Led 1 4 7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford 25 9 2 9 3 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 25 12 3 2 28 Ernie Irvan Irvan-Simo Racing Ford 25 0 4 8 98 Butch Miller Liberty Racing Ford 25 2 5 1 30 Jimmy Hensley Grandaddy Racing Dodge 25 2 6 7 6 Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing Chevrolet 25 0 7 5 87 John Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 25 0 8 3 1 Mike Chase Vestar Motorsports Chevrolet 25 0 9 10 63 Ron Esau Bunce Engineering Chevrolet 25 0 10 6 64 Michael Dokken Dokken Racing Chevrolet 20 0Source: See also 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series 1994 NASCAR Busch Series 1994 NASCAR Winston Transcontinental Series 1995 NASCAR SuperTruck Series 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series 1995 NASCAR Busch Series 1995 NASCAR Winston West Series References Category:NASCAR Truck Series Category:1994 in NASCAR Category:1995 in NASCAR Category:NASCAR Truck Series races