Friday, February 13, 2009 marks a new era. The opening of the NASCAR Truck Series at Daytona will see a new title sponsor. Craftsman is out and Camping World is in as the sponsor for the truck series. The seven year agreement is thought to be worth between $5 million and $7 million dollars.

Camping World has been active in NASCAR for several years. It has sponsorship deals with Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Truck Series and in the Nationwide Series. Their sponsorships of the East and West series and KHI's No. 33 truck, driven by Ron Hornaday Jr. will also continue.

Craftsman has sponsored the NASCAR trucks since their inception in 1995. We've known since December of 2007 that Craftsman was dropping its sponsorship. We just didn't know who was taking over until October of last year when Camping World was announced as the successor.

According to Brian France, Chairman and CEO of NASCAR, the series is "very healthy". Still, it's notable that the manufacturers involved in NASCAR have particularly hard hit by the current economy and truck sales are in slump. "We're obviously affected by that, it's a legitimate issue," France said. NASCAR has pledged to continue to explore cost-cutting methods just in case some of these manufacturer's sponsorships get reduced or even cut altogether.

Camping World is the worlds largest supplier of RV parts and camping accessories. They currently have 77 stores nationwide with a 78th opening soon.