Up to Speed: Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Preview

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer

For the 22^nd race of the season, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to ISM Raceway. Teams using the NT1 Spec Engine versus those using OEM engines, stage racing, and the final chance to secure a spot at Homestead are just some of the storylines heading into the 22^nd race of the season at Phoenix.

Coverage for the Lucas Oil 150 is scheduled to start Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET. ISM Raceway has been on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule since the Series’ inaugural season. In 27 races at the 1.0-Mile Dogleg Oval, 17 drivers have claimed victory. The last four races have produced four different winners.

Since the Truck Series last competed at ISM Raceway, the track has been reconfigured. The Start-Finish line is now just before the dogleg. What was turns 1 & 2 are now 3 & 4. Turns 3 & 4 are now 1 & 2. Pit road is now almost exclusively on the backstretch, unique only to ISM Raceway.

The last time the Truck Series visited ISM Raceway, Johnny Sauter earned the victory in dramatic fashion. He avoided a late-race accident between Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers Noah Gragson and Christopher Bell to inherit the lead. Sauter beat John Hunter Nemechek to the line by 0.668 seconds. Sauter is the only former winners entered in the race.

Series regulars have won 16 of the 21 races so far in the 2018 season.

By the Numbers

What:Lucas Oil 150, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race 22

Where: ISM Raceway – Avondale, Arizona (Opened: 1964)

TV/Radio:Fox Sports 1, 8:30 p.m. ET / MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90

Track Size: 1.0-mile Dogleg Oval

Banking: 8-9 degrees in turns 1 & 2, 10 degrees in turns 3 & 4, 10-11 degrees in the dogleg.

Race Length: 150 Laps, 150 Miles (Three Stages, 40/80/150)

2017 Race Winner: Johnny Sauter – No. 21 ISM Connect Chevrolet Silverado (Started 10^th, five laps led).

Track Qualifying Record: William Byron (26.039 seconds, 138.254 mph – 11/11/2016).

The Playoff Picture:

Following the events of Texas, GMS Racing teammates Justin Haley and Sauter are locked into the Championship Four via victories. Brett Moffitt, second in points, is 19 behind Sauter and four ahead of the Playoff cutoff, held by Noah Gragson.

While Gragson is currently in the cutoff position, he is 18-Points ahead Grant Enfinger. Matt Crafton is 25-points behind the cutoff.

Storylines Heading into the Lucas Oil 150:

There are several storylines going into this weekend’s race to watch for:

• John Hunter Nemechek returns to the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado for NEMCO Motorsports.
• Myatt Snider will have Tenda as the primary sponsor of his No. 13 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing.
• Stefan Parsons returns in the No. 15 VIPRacingExperience.com Chevrolet Silverado for Premium Motorsports.
• Tyler Ankrum returns in the No. 17 May’s Hawaii Toyota Tundra for DGR – CROSLEY Group.
• Derek Kraus will attempt his Series debut in the No. 19 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Tundra for Bill McAnally Racing.
• Landon Huffman will be in the No. 38 Niece Equipment Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports.
• Christian Eckes returns in the No. 46 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Riley Herbst will be in the No. 54 Advance Auto Parts / Terrible Herbst / NOS / ORCA Toyota Tundra for DGR – CROSLEY Group.
• Dawson Cram returns in the No. 83 RGS Products Chevrolet Silverado for Copp Motorsports.
• Chase Purdy returns in the No. 99 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado for MDM Motorsports.

Weekend Schedule (All Times Eastern)

Friday, November 9

• NCWTS Practice 1 (10:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. on Fox Sports 2)
• NCWTS Practice 2 (12:05 p.m. – 12:55 p.m. on Fox Sports 2)
• NCWTS Qualifying (5:35 p.m. on Fox Sports 1)
• NCWTS Lucas Oil 150 (8:30 p.m. – 150 laps, 150 miles – on Fox Sports 1, SiriusXM Channel 90, and the Motor Racing Network)