Ask any race fan:  What is Talladega without tailgating? And what is tailgating without trucks? Although fans at Talladega have done their best to do the former without the latter for many years, next season the tailgating is only going to get better at NASCAR's Most Competitive Track.

Talladega Superspeedway Vice President and General Manager Rick Humphrey announced today that in 2006, the 2.66-mile Alabama racetrack will welcome the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the first time in history! The event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7 during the 2006 UAW-Ford 500 event weekend set for Oct. 5 - 8.

"We cannot wait to welcome the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series next fall," Humphrey said. "You really have to witness these trucks race to understand how exciting it is. If you didn't think it was possible for us to top the level of competition and edge-of-your-seat racing we offer here at Talladega Superspeedway - make plans to be here for this truck race next year. Our fans are going to love it."

TalladegaSuperspeedway.com Photo

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series officially began competition in 1995, and has seen attendance figures grow from 400,000 to 1.1 million annually in that time period. Now in its 11th season, the series is celebrating its decade-old status with the theme "Ten Years Tough."  

On one hand, the series is perceived by many as a "stepping stone" to NASCAR's longer-running Busch Series as well as to the NEXTEL Cup Series, with stars such as Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards first making names for themselves as Craftsman Truck Series drivers before climbing the ranks to NASCAR's premier series. However, in recent years the Craftsman Truck Series has also brought an influx of seasoned, veteran drivers lured back to the track by the excitement and hot competition of the trucks - either as driver, owner, or both - such as 2004 Craftsman Truck Series Champion Bobby Hamilton and three-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion Darrell Waltrip, among several others. The combination makes for some of the most competitive racing in all of motorsports. There's no doubt it will make for a spectacular union at NASCAR's Most Competitive Track.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Ricky Craven, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Director Wayne Auton and Talladega Superspeedway Vice President and General Manager Rick Humphrey join together to announce the trucks will run at Talladega Superspeedway next fall. TSS PR Photo

The 2006 racing season at Talladega Superspeedway will begin with the Aaron's Dream Weekend, set for April 27 - 30, featuring NASCAR Busch Series Qualifying, The Birmingham News/Birmingham Post-Herald Qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, the Aaron's 312 NASCAR Busch Series  race on Saturday and the Aaron's 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on Sunday.
 
The 2006 UAW-Ford 500 event weekend slated for Oct. 5 - 8 will include Discount Food Mart Qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series as well as qualifying for the ARCA RE/MAX Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The Food World 300 ARCA RE-MAX Series race will be held on Friday, Oct. 6, with Talladega Superspeedway's newest addition to its spectacular fall schedule - the track's first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race - held on Saturday, Oct. 7.  The UAW-Ford 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race is set for Sunday, Oct. 8.

Two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race trucks zoom out of Turn Four and through the Tri-Oval at Talladega Superspeedway during the July 26 announcement that the track will host the series in 2006.. TSS PR Photo

Race fans that purchase a Saturday, Oct. 1 ticket to the 2005 Food World 300 ARCA RE/MAX Series race will be allowed to renew that seat to the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event in 2006. In addition, 2005 UAW-Ford 500 ticket holders will have a special pre-sale opportunity for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. To allow other fans the opportunity to ensure their presence at the first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in history at Talladega Superspeedway, the track will take $25 per seat deposits through December 30, 2005. These deposits will secure the best available seat based on the location requested at the time of deposit. An invoice will be sent with seat locations and for the remaining balance of the payment for the event.  In order to make a deposit, call the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office at 1-877-Go2-DEGA.

Currently, the staff at Talladega Superspeedway is preparing to welcome fans for the second time this year, with the 2005 UAW-Ford 500 event weekend set for Sept. 29 - Oct. 2.  The weekend includes Alabama Beef Producers Qualifying Day for the ARCA RE/MAX Series on Thursday, Sept. 29; Discount Food Mart Qualifying Day for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series on Friday, Sept. 30, which also features an ARCA RE/MAX Series driver autograph session; the Food World 300 ARCA RE/MAX Series race on Saturday, Oct. 1 and the UAW-Ford 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on Sunday, Oct. 2. Kids age 11 and younger are admitted free of charge when accompanied by a ticketed adult on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.