HAMPTON - The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will make its first appearance at Atlanta Motor Speedway next season, replacing the ARCA event as a companion to the Winston Cup Series race in March. <br>
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The truck series already races at Texas Motor Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway, tracks that are very similar to Atlanta in design and speed. <br>
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Atlanta president and general manager Ed Clark said -- quote -- ``We thought long and hard about how we could beef up our spring race schedule. What really convinced me is that the fans have been asking us to run a truck race for years.'' <br>
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Over the past several seasons, trucks have tested at Atlanta, so many drivers already are familiar with the speedway. <br>
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Driver Chad Chaffin said -- quote -- ``We don't have much of a presence in this market, and we need to change that. Not only is the track extremely fast and competitive, but it just makes sense for us to be racing in this area. There are a lot of truck fans right now that have to travel too far to watch us race.''