2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series preview: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
Michael Manny previews the TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the opening race of the round of 10.
It’s playoff season.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opens the Round of 10 tonight at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for the TSport 200 at 9:00 p.m. EST.
Kyle Busch Motorsports’ John Hunter Nemechek is on pole for the fifth time this season, with teammate Chandler Smith next to him in the first row. As 10 drivers are set to begin their championship runs, the first five rows are filled with playoff drivers.
ThorSport Racing’s Christian Eckes is starting in row two, with Grant Enfinger and Ty Majeski in row three. Carson Hocevar and Stewart Friesen start in row four, with defending champion Ben Rhodes behind them in row five.
As the playoffs begin, here is a look at how the 10 drivers finished the regular season.
The most surprising part of the starting lineup, however, is not the top 10 — it’s the middle of the pack. Regular season champion Zane Smith is starting the furthest back of all the playoff drivers in 23rd. After struggling with throttle issues last week, he enters the playoffs with a tough starting spot.
Someone with momentum is Chandler Smith, who is coming off his second win of the year in the regular season finale at Pocono last week. Chandler won twice in the playoffs last season, including the championship race at Phoenix Raceway.
It’s the first time the series has visited the 0.68-mile IRP since 2011, after originally running at the track 17 times from 1995-2011. It’s also the first time the track has hosted a playoff race.
Due to this long gap, only two drivers have truck series experience at the track: ThorSport’s Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter. Crafton has 11 starts at the track, earning eight top-10 finishes and three top fives. Sauter, who is running part-time this season, had two top fives and two top 10s in four starts.
Crafton was the last driver to secure a playoff spot, needing his finish at Pocono to make it in on points. He also led just six laps this season, the least among the playoff drivers. But just having that experience at IRP alone may be able to give him a leg up on his younger competitors.
Coverage of the race can be found on Fox Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The stages will run through laps 60, 120 and 200.
Starting lineup:
Pit stall assignments:
Goodyear tire notes:
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series — Race No. 17 — 200 laps / 137.2 miles
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (0.686-mile oval) – Clermont, Ind.
Fast Facts for July 29, 2022
Tire:
Goodyear Eagle 15-inch Speedway Radials
Set limits:
5 sets for the event
Tire Codes:
Left-side — D-6114; Right-side — D-6116
Tire Circumference:
Left-side — 2,218 mm (87.32 in.);
Right-side — 2,244 mm (88.35 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 12 psi; Left Rear — 12 psi;
Right Front — 30 psi; Right Rear — 27 psi
Notes – Trucks on Gateway tire set-up at Indianapolis Raceway Park: This is the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park since 2011 . . . this is the same tire set-up Truck Series teams ran at Gateway in June . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at IRP . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.
— Goodyear Racing —