The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Returns to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park Friday for the first time since 2011. The ARCA Menards . Series It also returns to the IRP after being left out of the 2021 schedule.
When NASCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced their 2012 “super weekend”, the Xfinity Series (then known as the National Series) was moved from IRP to IMS. The short 0.68-mile IRP track was left off the 2012 NASCAR Truck Series schedule and the series hasn’t visited Indiana since. Timothy Peters won the last IRP truck series race in 2011.
Lucas Oil IRP of Brownsburg has been a staple on the NASCAR Truck schedule since the series’ inception in 1995. ARCA’s first races were held on the track from 1983-1985. After nearly 20 years, ARCA returned to the IRP in 2011 before being left out of the 2013 calendar. It was revived for 2014 and held the Friday before the Brickyard 400 weekend until it was removed from the 2021 schedule. This is the first of two ARCA races in Indiana this year. The series will move to Salem Speedway As the penultimate round of the tournament on October 1st.
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What are the must-see Camping World Truck series events?
The truck series qualifiers begin with Friday night’s race. The TSport 200 is the first of three races in the Round of 10. The 10 drivers who will start the race for a championship are Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Ben Rhodes, John Hunter Nemeczyk, Stuart Friesen, Christian Icks, Ty Majeske and Carson Hocevar. Grant Infinger and Matt Crafton. Enfinger and Crafton enter the race below the cut line. They will need strong finishing touches to help their chances advance.
Chandler Smith, driving the #18 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports, won the most recent race at Pocono on July 23. Smith’s teammate John Hunter Nemecic finished third in the Pocono.
Carson Hocevar was very close to claiming his first truck series win in 2022. Hocevar is still recovering from an injury he sustained at Gateway in early June, but has three consecutive finals in the top five before Friday’s race. He started fourth and finished ninth in the 2019 ARCA race in the IRP.
Ben Rhodes is the Defender of the Truck Series and will be looking forward to a strong start in his playoff campaign. However, Rhodes has not had a victory since the Bristol Dirt race in mid-April. It entered the weekend in a slump, having not scored in the top 10 since Knoxville in June.
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On the ARCA side of things, Raja Karuth leads the championship by three points over Nick Sanchez. Carruth leads third-placed Daniel Day with nine points. Tony Bridger is fourth in points, 64 points behind the championship. The Reese’s 200 will mark the start of the second half of the season. This will be the 11th of the 20 races for the ARCA Menards Series. Taylor Gray has won the last two ARCA events in Mid-Ohio and Pocono.
The ARCA Menards Series will also continue its “Sioux Chief Showdown” as part of the tournament on Friday night. Drivers under the age of 15 are allowed to compete in selected ARCA races. However, the maximum age for racing on the larger tracks is 18 years. Since ARCA is seen as a traditional starting point for rookie drivers, the series has created an alternative title consisting of short runs, dirt track and road courses for young drivers unable to complete the full schedule due to their age. This will be the sixth race out of ten for that championship. Sammy Smith currently leads “Sioux Chief Showdown” by 18 points over Taylor Gray.
What time are the races at Lucas Oil IRP?
The truck chain will have one practice session at 10:35 a.m., just five minutes after the gates open for the day. Qualifiers will then take place at 4:30 p.m., and the ARCA Menards Series will practice and qualify from 12:30 to 2:15 p.m. The ARCA racing flag is due to turn green at 6pm and the truck racing is scheduled to turn green at 9pm.
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Where can I watch?
ARCA Menards Series Reese’s 200 and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series TSport 200 will be broadcast on FS1. Coverage in FS1 will begin at 4:30 p.m. with the Truck Series qualification. Truck Series morning training and ARCA practice and qualification will not have TV coverage. ARCA race coverage is scheduled to begin at 6pm with truck coverage starting at 9pm after a pre-race show at 8pm
The radio broadcasts of the ARCA and Truck Series races will be produced by MRN Radio and will be available to stream for free at www.mrn.com. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that there will be traditional radio broadcasts available in the Indianapolis area.
How much are tickets and parking?
Tickets can be purchased at the gate or at www.raceirp.com. General admission is $35 with reserved seats starting at $45. Children 12 and under are free with the purchase of an adult general admission ticket. Parking is free.
