NASCAR Truck Series at Charlotte 2015: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview
While the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race will take center stage this weekend, drivers will still be racing for points in the Camping World Truck Series as they converge on Charlotte Motor Speedway for the NC Education Lottery 200.
Last week's race at Kansas Speedway was thrilling to say the least as points leader Matt Crafton won for the second time this season. A smart fuel strategy allowed Crafton to widen the gap atop the standings, but there will be no shortage of contenders gunning for him Friday.
Add in the fact that some Sprint Cup regulars are scheduled to run in the truck race, and it promises to be one of the season's most intriguing events.
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With the fifth race of the 2015 campaign on the horizon, here is a look at the full schedule of events, current standings and drivers to watch in the NC Education Lottery 200.
Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina
When: Friday, May 15, at 8:30 p.m. ET
Watch: Fox Sports 1
Full Charlotte Schedule
| Thursday, May 14 | 3 p.m. | Practice | Fox Sports 1 |
| Thursday, May 14 | 7 p.m. | Final Practice | Fox Sports 1 |
| Friday, May 15 | 5:45 p.m. | Qualifying | Fox Sports 1 |
| Friday, May 15 | 8:30 p.m. | NC Education Lottery 200 | Fox Sports 1 |
Truck Series Standings
| 1 | Matt Crafton | 88 | Leader | 2 |
| 2 | Tyler Reddick | 19 | -17 | 1 |
| 3 | Erik Jones | 4 | -18 | 0 |
| 4 | Johnny Sauter | 98 | -22 | 0 |
| 5 | Cameron Hayley | 13 | -52 | 0 |
| 6 | John Wes Townley | 05 | -53 | 0 |
| 7 | Timothy Peters | 17 | -54 | 0 |
| 8 | Justin Boston | 54 | -61 | 0 |
| 9 | Ray Black Jr. | 07 | -63 | 0 |
| 10 | Spencer Gallagher | 23 | -64 | 0 |
Drivers to Watch
Brad Keselowski
When Brad Keselowski takes the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it will make for a very interesting dynamic. Not only is he a Sprint Cup regular who sees limited action in the Truck Series, but he also happens to be the owner of two additional trucks.
Tyler Reddick, who is second in points, and Austin Theriault both compete for Brad Keselowski Racing. The former Sprint Cup champion will take Theriault's spot in the No. 29 truck Friday, which means he will be a friend and a foe to Reddick in the NC Education Lottery 200.
According to Tod Palmer of the Kansas City Star, Keselowski feels as though his success on the Sprint Cup circuit has afforded him the opportunity to help other drivers along in the lower series:
"Racing is circular in a lot of ways. Obviously, we drive in circles around the track, but in a much bigger-picture way, it's cyclical from the standpoint that I was provided some opportunities early in my career and I feel like I've been fortunate to make the most of those and get to where I'm at now. In turn, it's my responsibility to send the elevator back down and the truck team is my way of doing that.
"
Last week at Kansas, Keselowski experienced the pitfalls of being a team owner. Both Reddick and Theriault crashed in qualifying, but Keselowski still managed to remain positive:
The 31-year-old veteran will have a bit more control over the situation this week since he'll be in the driver's seat of his own truck, but he'll have to wear multiple hats as an owner as well.
So many responsibilities could potentially hurt Keselowski's performance, but he is such a successful professional that he is more likely to overcome them and turn in a great showing.
Kasey Kahne
It is a rare occasion when Kasey Kahne takes part in a Truck Series race, but that is precisely what he'll do Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kahne will take the wheel of the No. 00 JR Motorsports truck, which is fitting since he and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are teammates on the Sprint Cup circuit with Hendrick Motorsports. Based on Kahne's history in the truck series, he may very well make his teammate and temporary owner proud.
According to NASCAR on NBC, the 35-year-old star has quite an impressive record as a truck driver:
Although he has never run a truck race at Charlotte, Kahne certainly knows what it takes to have success there. He has won four Charlotte races on the Sprint Cup Series and one in the Xfinity Series. With that in mind, there is no question that he would love to add a truck triumph to his trophy case.
Kahne is in an enviable position in that he can race for a win without worrying about points. Based on that as well as his impeccable Truck Series resume, he will be incredibly difficult to beat Friday.
Matt Crafton
Among Truck Series regulars, nobody has a better chance to win the NC Education Lottery 200 than Matt Crafton.
The two-time Truck Series champion is gunning for his third consecutive title, and he is well on his way. He already has two wins to his credit, including a thrilling victory last week. Crafton won this race in 2008, and there is no reason why he can't take the checkered flag once again this time around.
If nothing else, he should at least be within striking distance as the race reaches its latter stages. Per NASCAR Trucks on Twitter, Crafton has simply dominated 1.5-mile tracks, dating back to last season:
Recent history suggests that another top-10 result is all but certain provided Crafton can avoid any crashes or technical problems. That would allow him to pad his points lead even more, but there is little doubt that he'd love to put an exclamation point on it with a win.
There may also be some added motivation to win since Crafton will be going up against superstars like Keselowski and Kahne. If he can beat them out, then it will be yet another feather in the cap of the Truck Series' top dog.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
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