My version of the story comes as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series prepares to race at the South Boston Speedway for the running of the NetZero 250. Although I did not grow up racing at South Boston, I have raced thousands of times on places that hardly marvel in comparison.

	Setzer is currently eighth in the points standings.

Tracks like Hickory and Caraway, small tight "Bull Rings" as they often came to be known. These were the types of tracks that I learned to hone my driving skills, gain the experience necessary and eventually be noticed and given an opportunity in the big leagues.

In the past few years there has been a shift in NASCAR, we have seen the small tight short tracks of the past disappear and be replaced by new state of the art racing facilities. Mile to mile-and-half tracks, which generate high amounts of speed and even higher amounts of fans in the seats. Tracks that often could hold 25,000 to 30,000 fans are now replaced by places with 100,000 to 200,000 seats.

That's why returning to a short track like South Boston is kind of like going back to the early stages of many of our careers. The Craftsman truck series got the tag line "Tough Trucks and Tough Drivers" early on. This statement is going to be tested this weekend as we head to a true short track.

Often times at the end of a short track race you'll find bent fenders, crushed in nosepieces and black rubber donut holes. The proof that 36 competitors were battling side by side-by-side for 250 laps of fast paced action.

South Boston is unique in the fact that you are faced with a great deal of challenges before you ever throw in the 35 other competitors. You have the pressure of qualifying, you have to be at least mid-pack so your not dealing with going a lap down after five or 10 laps. Then add in the pressure of pit road being split evenly between the front and backstretch and the odds are already stacked against you.

A driver is going to have to qualify in the front part of the field to have any opportunity at all to race for the win. South Boston is the smallest track that the series races on this season, with 36 trucks in the field the leaders will be chasing down the back half of the field within a few laps. This not only presents a problem for those that are near the tail end of the field but the leaders as well.

The leaders will be bunched up for much of the race due to the lapped traffic. Accidents are like ticking time bombs waiting to explode, so the lead pack is going to not only have to deal with lapping trucks, but dodging accidents as well.

This is one of the races that has been circled on my calendar all year. I have been counting the days until the series gets back to a true short track event. I think the fans are going to see one of the best races of the year; it will be a rough and tumble battle to the bitter end. I just hope, we're one of the trucks that are up in the front when it's all said and done.