NASCAR Truck Series at Chicago 2015: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series continues to storm toward the end of the season, stopping at Chicagoland Speedway Friday for the American Ethanol E15 225.
It's 150 laps of competitive racing among the best the series has to offer, especially with Kyle Busch not partaking in the festivities—he's won the last two events.
Instead, big names such as series leader Erik Jones and Kyle Larson will suit up for the race at the legendary track, making for a worthwhile event with just a handful of races to go.
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Below, let's take a look at everything to know surrounding Friday's spectacle.
American Ethanol E15 225 Weekend Schedule
| Friday, September 18 | 10 a.m.-12:25 p.m | Final Practice | FOX Sports 1 |
| Friday, September 18 | 4:35 p.m. | Qualifying | FOX Sports 1 |
| Friday, September 18 | 8:30 p.m. | American Ethanol E15 225 | FOX Sports 1 |
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Truck Series Standings
| 1 | Erik Jones | 590 |
| 2 | Matt Crafton | 587 |
| 3 | Tyler Reddick | 575 |
| 4 | Johnny Sauter | 535 |
| 5 | Daniel Hemric | 500 |
| 6 | Cameron Hayley | 489 |
| 7 | Timothy Peters | 470 |
| 8 | John Wes Townley | 466 |
| 9 | Spencer Gallagher | 452 |
| 10 | Ben Kennedy | 451 |
Drivers to Watch
Kyle Larson
Busch might not be in the running, but Larson looks like someone who could make some noise Friday.
Larson, the owner of five top-10 finishes at the Sprint Cup level this year, heads to Chicago for his first truck start of the season. There's a certain level of hype around his season debut, too, as a tweet from Dale Earnhardt Jr. illustrated:
The fact Larson will pull a triple this weekend is impressive on its own. The truck start comes first, though, meaning he'll be fresh and capable of throwing a wrench in the plans of those who want to move around on the leaderboard.
In nine starts in a truck, Larson has a win, four top-five finishes and six placements in the top 10. While out of the Chase, it looks like Larson aims to play the spoiler Friday where he can.
Matt Crafton
Now would be a good time for Matt Crafton to work his way back into the top spot.
Crafton looks great with three consecutive top-10 finishes to his name, including a second-place slot most recently at the end of August in the Chevrolet Silverado 250. The 28th slot at the start of August in the Pocono Mountains 150 seems years ago, not a month and change.
Last year, Crafton finished second at this event, and he knows a thing or two about how to put on a late-season run, including at Chicagoland.
ThorSport.com provided his thoughts on the track: "The asphalt at Chicagoland Speedway is very, very old. Because of that, the groove has moved around a ton. Usually in a run, the groove is right around the bottom of the track, but as the race gets going, we’ll be right around the top, by the wall, as the tires wear more."
Look for Crafton to use his experience and recent performances as a launching pad to contention for the checkered flag Friday, especially with heavyweight Sprint Cup regulars out of the picture.
Erik Jones
It's the keep-away game now for Jones.
He took home the checkered flag at the Chevrolet Silverado 250, giving him two wins and 12 top-10 finishes on the season to stand alone in first place for the time being.
The 19-year-old star managed to hold off Crafton down the stretch in Canada, as well as someone he's always wanted to race, Alex Tagliani.
"It was a blast," Jones said, per the Associated Press (via USA Today). "It was nerve-racking. It's a little intense when you've got a guy like that running you down for 15 laps."
Jones looks great on all fronts right now, also riding two consecutive top-10 finishes at the Xfinity level. When it comes to trucks, though, he's top dog, and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight given his ability to outrace some of the best of the best down the stretch.
If he can do so again, the gap at the top will widen. Given his form as of late, it wouldn't be the biggest shock of the season.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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