The newly named Metal Mulisha Truck Series opens once again at Daytona. This track for the past 2 seasons has proved to be the series Wild Card race providing different winners each season. Could we see a new points leader to open the 2014 season? It's almost a sure thing. From Daytona teams travel across the country to Phoenix Int'l Raceway. Last season Phoenix proved to be a great drivers track with Dave Daniels battling Rod Weston and Tony Pizzaro for the win. Phoenix is definitely a points shaker and should scatter the opening points around a bunch. Bristol is new to the NORL Truck series schedule and should also provide a shake up in the points, along with some bent and twisted sheet metal. Watch for short track aces to come to the front and stay there for most of the evening. Rhythm is the key to this concrete half-mile. Sears Point is also new to the truck series schedule. These trucks will twist and wind through the beautiful California wine country. Watch for Road Course Ringers to make their debut here. Kentucky Speedway in the heart of horseracing country also debuts as an NORL truck series track. The thousands of horses will go head to head in this derby for the first time in the Bluegrass State. North to Michigan as the trucks return to the Motor City for the 3rd installment of Motor-City Madness. Last season TEX Perry worked his way from the back to the front to lead the field to the checkers on a late race restart. Could this be TEX's season to lead the points? Time will tell. North to more Northern as the trucks cross the border once again to the chilly confines of British-Columbia and Victoria Speedway. Victoria has been super great to the drivers of the NORL truck series as this fast paced track produced great racing among all the competitors. Southern bound to the paperclip of Martinsville where last season Rod Weston was the favorite but mechanical troubles gave way to eventual winner Tony Pizzaro. Watch for both to come back with a vengeance on their minds. Tony to repeat and Rod to dethrone him as king. West again to Kansas Motor Speedway another track new to the truck series schedule. Watch for those strong at Kentucky to compete again for the win. Road America also debuts for the trucks this season and after Kansas stirs the pot Road America should turn the points completely on its ear. Watch for Road Course ringers to return to try to move up in the points. From Road America the trucks return to the Dirt confines of Eldora Speedway for another mid-season classic. Last seasons Dawn of the Dirt turned out to be a spectacular event and actually went off with only one hitch as one starting spot seems to be occupied by 2 trucks but should be avoided easily by taking a quick caution to reset the field. Dawn of the Dirts Revenge should be just as spectacular this season with all the spark and flair of last seasons race. Back to the points paying schedule and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indy has long been a staple in american racing history and should prove to be just as grand of a stage as Daytona for this truck series. Long straights and close corners make this squared oval a tough one but should also provide some of the best racing all season. On to Iowa where Dave Daniels looks to repeat his performance of last season. This mid-west track as quickly become a favorite among the truck series drivers. Heading back east to NHIS the truck make their debut in the Northeast to do battle on the flats of Loudon for the Large Lobster trophy. Watch for those up front from Martinsville to be strong. Lobster to Las Vegas. The truck teams head to Sin City to battle on the mile and a half banks of LVMS. Those from KY and Kansas should fair well here. But some teams have struggled in the past here. They say what happens in Vegas, stay in Vegas. Could this be true for the trucks? Or can the winner carry their momentum into the final few races of the season. Back east to start the final push for the Truck Series Championship. Richmond is the gatekeeper to the championship. Those that perform well here should be true contenders but with the tracks coming up anything can happen. North again to Pocono. This tricky triangle poses itself to be quite a treat for those that can survive. Long straights and 3 different turns make this one of the best "drivers" tracks on the schedule for 2014. West once again to Gateway. This now defunct speedway re-emerges as a grand sight for these truck series racers who have long been asking for "something different." NORL has high hopes to fill the stands and see if they can make this the Gateway of champions. Watkins Glen, NY. This road circuit has been on the NORL schedule every season and always allows for great racing from the trucks. One could only hope the soon NASCAR could take a page from the sim-racers book and allow it to the CWTS schedule. ... Read more »
The N.O.R.L. obtained its 16th Champion last week after Scott Jackson crossed the finish line in third place during the Speedway Cup Season 10 Finale @ California. Scott became the first independently owned N.O.R.L. Champion since John Tharp, who won his crown during the 2011 Sunday Series Fall Season. The quiet NASCAR Racing 4 veteran capped off a streak of 11 top-5 finishes that began at the end of Season 9. That's only ten off of the top-5 record that belongs to 2nd-place points finisher Tim McDonnell, who grabbed 21 top-5's in-a-row between the final two Shootout Series seasons in 2013. Scott also grabbed 0 DNF's during the 10-race season, sharing the accolade with Tim McDonnell as the only two full-time drivers to do so.
The new Speedway Cup Season commenced after celebrating Jimmie Stevens' inaugural Championship in Season 9. Likewise, Season 10 would provide the crown to another newly-named superior. The season started off with seven different victors in the first seven events, something that has never happened in Speedway Cup or N.O.R.L. history. Because the drivers were so competitive this season, both Ben Geer and Tony Pizzaro were kicked out of the chase despite their victories in weeks 3 and 4. Craig Lee was the only contender to keep up with top-seeded Scott Jackson and fourth-seeded Tim McDonnell after the chase race at Indianapolis Banked. Craig fell off after a 9th place finish at Zen Joltis the next week, giving Tim a 3-point deficit behind Scott without pressure from behind. Tim would start on pole for the final race at California on January 23rd. Despite hogging the lead for most of the race, Tim's second place finish behind Dave Miller was still one spot behind the Championship crown. Scott's 3-point advantage over Tim entering the chase turned out to be the difference!
Season 10 Chase Results Average Finish Tim McDonnell 1.67 Scott Jackson 2.67
Points Tim McDonnell 131 Scott Jackson 129 Laps Led Scott Jackson 54 Tim McDonnell 51
Other accolades this season include laps led Champion Scott Jackson, 3-time pole winner Craig Lee, and laps completed leader Tim McDonnell.
