NASCAR Trucks, ARCA return to IRP Friday. Here's what to know

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday for the first time since 2011. The ARCA Menards Series also returns to IRP after being left off the 2021 schedule.

When NASCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced the "Super Weekend" for 2012, the Xfinity Series (then known as the Nationwide Series) was moved from IRP to IMS. IRP's .686-mile short track was left off the NASCAR Truck Series schedule for 2012 and the series has not visited Indiana since. Timothy Peters won the last Truck Series race at IRP in 2011.

Brownsburg's Lucas Oil IRP had been a staple on the NASCAR Truck schedule from the series' inception in 1995. ARCA races were first held at the track from 1983-1985. After nearly 20 years, ARCA returned to IRP in 2011 before being left off the 2013 calendar. It was revived for 2014 and continued to be held the Friday prior to the Brickyard 400 weekend until it was removed from the 2021 schedule. These are the first of two ARCA races in Indiana this year. The series will travel to Salem Speedway as the penultimate round of the championship on Oct. 1.

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What are the Camping World Truck Series storylines to watch?

The Truck Series Playoffs begin with Friday night's race. The TSport 200 is the first of three races in the Round of 10. The ten drivers who will begin racing for a championship are Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Ben Rhodes, John Hunter Nemechek, Stewart Friesen, Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger, and Matt Crafton. Enfinger and Crafton enter the race below the cutline. They will need to have strong finishes to help their chances at advancing.

Chandler Smith, who drives the No. 18 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports, won the most recent race at Pocono on July 23rd. Smith's teammate John Hunter Nemechek finished third at Pocono.

Carson Hocevar has been very close to scoring his first win in the Truck Series in 2022. Hocevar is still recovering from an injury sustained at Gateway in early June, but has three straight top-5 finishes heading into Friday's race. He started fourth and finished ninth in the 2019 ARCA race at IRP.

Ben Rhodes is the defending Truck Series champion and will look to have a strong start to his playoff campaign. Rhodes, however, has not had a victory since the Bristol Dirt race in mid-April. He enters the weekend in a bit of a slump, having not scored a top-10 finish since Knoxville in June.

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On the ARCA side of things, Rajah Caruth leads the championship by three points over Nick Sanchez. Caruth leads third-place Daniel Dye by nine points. Toni Breidinger is fourth in points, 64 points out of the championship. The Reese's 200 will mark the beginning of the second half of the season. It will be the 11th of 20 races for the ARCA Menards Series. Taylor Gray has won the last two ARCA events at Mid-Ohio and Pocono.

The ARCA Menards Series will also continue its "Sioux Chief Showdown" championship within a championship Friday evening. Drivers as young as 15 are allowed to compete in select ARCA races. However, races on bigger tracks have an age limit of 18. Since ARCA is seen as a traditional stepping stone for up-and-coming drivers, the series created an alternate title consisting of short tracks, a dirt track, and road courses for younger 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 the "Sioux Chief Showdown" by 18 points over Taylor Gray.

What time are the races at Lucas Oil IRP?

The Truck Series will have one practice session at 10:35 a.m., just five minutes after the gates open for the day. Qualifying will then take place at 4:30 p.m. The ARCA Menards Series will practice and qualify from 12:30-2:15 p.m. The green flag for the ARCA race is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the Truck race scheduled to go green at 9 p.m.

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Where can I watch?

The ARCA Menards Series Reese’s 200 and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series TSport 200 will be broadcast on FS1. Coverage will begin on FS1 at 4:30 p.m. with qualifying for the Truck Series. The Truck Series morning practice and ARCA practice and qualifying will not have television coverage. ARCA race coverage is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with Truck coverage beginning at 9 p.m. after the pre-race show at 8 p.m.

The radio broadcasts for 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 there will be a traditional radio broadcast 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 purchase of adult general admission. Parking is free.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NASCAR Trucks return to IRP for the first time in 10 years