NASCAR Truck Series at Chicago 2014: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview

Following a well-deserved week off for the Camping World Truck Series, the drivers head back to the track in Chicagoland.

With a thrilling win in the most recent race at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ryan Blaney is looking to continue a stellar season. Though he's seen a dip to third in the points recently, the 20-year-old is still very much in the chase for a trucks championship.

As for the men ahead of him, both Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton remain the top contenders for the points title. Darrell Wallace Jr. sits in fourth but trails Sauter by only 38 points with eight races left on the season.

While the points race remains the focus around the CWTS, a former champion will no longer be in contention. Turner Scott Motorsports has folded the trucks team for Ron Hornaday Jr., team co-owner Harry Scott Jr. announced on Sept. 2, per The Associated Press (via USA Today).

"The decision to lay off any employee is painful and we realize the effects it has on their lives," he said. "However, the decisions made by TSM today are necessary and the responsible steps for all of TSM to ensure our commitment to our employees, partners and fans to be as competitive as possible."

The casualty is a tough one for truck racing fans, as Hornaday, 56, is a four-time champion in the series. A two-time truck series Most Popular Driver, Hornaday was also fourth in the points standings before being forced to miss the Canada race.

As the truck series heads to Chicago, here's a look at the schedule, standings and full preview for the Lucas Oil 225.

Race Information

Where: Chicagoland Raceway, Joliet, Illinois

When: Friday, Sept. 12, 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: Fox Sports 1

Radio: Motor Racing Network

Pos.	Driver	Points	Wins	Top 5	Top 10
1	Johnny Sauter	524	1	7	12
2	Matt Crafton	517	2	7	10
3	Ryan Blaney	511	1	8	10
4	Darrell Wallace Jr.	486	2	5	7
5	German Quiroga Jr.	476	0	3	9
6	Ron Hornaday Jr.	460	0	5	10
7	Joey Coulter	456	0	3	6
8	Timothy Peters	448	0	4	8
9	Ben Kennedy	441	0	1	5
10	Jeb Burton	420	0	0	4

Race Preview

brightcove.com/?flashVars='videoId=3760232372001

It should come as no shock to anyone that Kyle Busch comes in as the favorite in Chicagoland.

The driver-owner has dominated the series this season with five wins, more than Sauter, Crafton and Blaney combined. Along with that, he's also collected three victories in Joliet during the five races ran in the series.

But with his supremacy over the truck series, it's far from a surprise when he blisters the field. Kyle Magda of Speedway Digest joked about Busch:

If any driver can chase Busch down, it might just be Blaney again. After holding off Busch in the Nationwide Series earlier this season at Bristol, he has shown no intimidation against the Sprint Cup full-timer.

Last season, Blaney finished third behind both Busch and Brad Keselowski, the top contender for the Chase at the premier level. With Keselowski out of the field this season, Blaney has a better chance to grab his second consecutive checkered flag.

brightcove.com/?flashVars='videoId=3760232364001

During his latest Nationwide start in Richmond, Blaney showed even more progress on the track. Crew chief Jeremy Bullins spoke about the driver following the race, via Zack Albert of NASCAR.com.

"I think he grew upon the shorter tracks in these kind of races, where he can be aggressive with the car at the end of the race like that and he does a good job with it," Bullins said. "But I think he's learning to be good everywhere, so I don't see any weaknesses in his future."

Along with Blaney, the other top contenders also have a solid history at the track. Both Crafton and Sauter finished inside the top 10 last year, with Bubba narrowly missing out at 11th.

With young drivers merging with the experience of Busch and other Sprint Cup drivers, the Lucas Oil 225 promises to be an exciting one.

Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter: