The concept emerged in 1991 when a group of SCORE off-road racers — Dick Landfield, Jimmy Smith, Jim Venable, and Frank "Scoop" Vessels — sought to create a pavement truck racing series. They approached NASCAR Western Operations Vice President Ken Clapp, who in turn consulted Bill France Jr., but initial discussions stalled. Clapp told the group to build a prototype first. Bakersfield fabricator Gary Collins constructed a truck that was showcased during the 1994 Daytona 500 Speedweeks and tested at Daytona International Speedway by Jim Smith. Fan response was positive and NASCAR formalised plans at a meeting in Burbank, California, on April 11, 1994.
Four demonstration races were held at Mesa Marin Raceway, Portland Speedway, Saugus Speedway, and Tucson Raceway Park. Sears, Roebuck & Co. secured naming rights through its Craftsman brand on a three-year deal, and the series was originally called the SuperTruck Series before being renamed the Craftsman Truck Series in 1996.
The series' first points-paying race, the Skoal Bandit Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway, was held on February 5, 1995. Mike Skinner won before a crowd of 38,000 spectators, holding off Cup veteran Terry Labonte. The series immediately attracted major Winston Cup team owners including Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, and Jack Roush, as well as Cup drivers Dale Earnhardt and Ernie Irvan. Early competitors also included sprint car star Sammy Swindell, off-road racer Walker Evans, open-wheel veteran Mike Bliss, and Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville.
Early seasons used a distinctive "halftime" break in place of pit stops, as many venues lacked safe pit roads. Teams could make any changes to the truck during the five-minute interval, and television broadcasters used it for driver interviews. Competition cautions replaced the halftime format in 1998, and full pit stops were introduced in 1999.
Sears held naming rights under the Craftsman brand from 1995 through 2008. Camping World then served as title sponsor from 2009 through 2018, with the series briefly rebranded as the Gander Outdoors Truck Series in 2019 and the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series in 2020 before returning to the Camping World name in 2021 and 2022. Stanley Black & Decker, which had acquired the Craftsman brand from Sears in 2017, revived the original Craftsman Truck Series name from 2023 onwards as part of a multi-year deal that also made the company the official tool brand of NASCAR.
A race weekend in November 2001 run in conjunction with CART's Marlboro 500 produced a significant rule change. Because the event operated under CART's adherence to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, 16-year-old Kyle Busch of Roush Racing was disqualified from competing despite having already qualified. A 2002 rule change subsequently mandated that drivers competing in any NASCAR national touring series or any regional series race held on the same weekend as a national series event must be at least 18 years old.
From 1995 until mid-2004 the series operated an unlimited "green-white-checkered" rule requiring all races to finish under green flag conditions with at least two consecutive green-flag laps. A particularly extended example saw a 1998 Pikes Peak race scheduled for 186 laps run to 198. A July 2004 rule change across all three NASCAR national series restricted the number of attempts at a green-white-checkered finish.
In 2016 the series experimented with a "caution clock" limiting green-flag running to 20-minute stretches; this was replaced by the stage-based racing system in 2017. A playoff format was introduced in 2016 with eight drivers across three rounds, expanded to ten drivers from 2020.
The series was the vehicle for Chrysler's return to NASCAR factory racing, with the Dodge Ram debuting in 1997 and achieving full factory support by 2001. The Ram Trucks division continued after Dodge's withdrawal until 2016; Ram announced a return for 2026. The Chevrolet F-150 and Ford F-150 have been present since the inaugural season, and the Chevrolet Silverado replaced the C/K in 1998. Toyota entered with the Tundra in 2004, becoming the first foreign manufacturer to compete in NASCAR's modern era; Toyota later joined the Cup and Xfinity series in 2007.
Trucks run on a steel tube frame with safety roll cage. The engine is either a 5.86-litre built V8 or a 376 cubic inch Chevrolet LSX NT1 crate unit producing 650–700 hp unrestricted or approximately 450 hp in restricted form. Minimum weight with driver and fuel is 3,400 lb. Wheelbase is 112 inches and overall length 206.5 inches. Tyres are Goodyear Eagle slicks, with rain tyres permitted on road courses and short flat ovals in wet conditions.
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