Jamie Skinner won the first ever FASCAR Pro Truck race at New Smyrna Speedway
With their first official event less than two weeks away, the FASCAR Pro Truck Series has put a key component into place for the ingural season. FASCAR announced the hiring of Troy Snipes as Series Director for the newly formed organization.
Snipes, 41, is a lifelong resident of Volusia County who has extensive officiating experience. He has served in multiple tech and official capacities with NASCAR during an eight-year career. Snipes chose to step away from the circuit to spend more time with his family. The FASCAR position will allow him to utilize his experience without extensive road trips. Snipes understands the importance of the support of his family, includking wife Kristi.
"I'm genuinely excited about this opportunity," said Snipes. "I'm all about these drivers and these crews and I'm all about safety. I want the guy who pulls into the pits last with an open trailer to feel like he has just as much of a chance as the guy who brought his equipment in with an 18-wheeler."
Snipes realizes the importance of providing a good product for all parties involved. "I think the drivers and people involved in the series will find out quickly that they can respect me because I respect them. I will be fair and play by the book. What's there applies to everyone. I'm not here to try to make a name for myself. I'm here because this is a great opportunity with great potential and I'm excited about getting started."
Snipes has hit the ground running with a strenuous daily schedule. "I'm trying to set the PR work, get a contact form down, things like that. I want to be the kind of director who will go to the shops and look at the trucks and meet everybody away from the track. I don't want to wait "til Saturday. This will give them time to change things that need to be changed and everybody will be relaxed at the track. Let's put some nice equipment out there on the tracks.
"I don't know what the crowds are going to be like. I'm coming from a world (NASCAR Nextel Cup) where we had a quarter of a million people and no empty seats. I don't want us to race in front of empty seats. I think we can get sellouts."
The FASCAR Pro Truck Series has already developed a positive schedule for 2005. "I want people to remember where this series started and, five years from now, look back on how much it has grown. I have never been a driver, but I can relate to drivers because I have been around them so much. This series is about the people and I'm thrilled that FASCAR is willing to take a chance on me. You can tell anybody anything, but the real test comes in doing it at the track on Saturday nights, I'm ready."
The series opens it's 2005 campaign at USA International Speedway in Lakeland during the Speedfest January 26-29.
