RADIO
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to IRP, officially known now as Lucas Oil Raceway, on Friday for the first time since 2011, when Timothy Peters drove to victory lane. Not a single driver in this field has won at this track in any series higher on the ladder than ARCA, where Chandler Smith has a pair of wins here and Christian Eckes has one as well.
This is the first race of the playoffs for the Truck Series. 10 drivers still have a chance to win the title, with Zane Smith beginning the playoffs with a 15-point lead over Chandler Smith.
Here at RotoBaller, we want to help you make informed decisions about your DFS lineups, which is why I'll be breaking down the slates for the Truck Series. Let's look at some NASCAR Truck Series DFS lineup picks for the TSport 200 on DraftKings. Be sure to also check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for Truck Series including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station. This slate locks on 7/29/2022 at 9:06 p.m. ET.
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Truck Series DFS Preview - DraftKings
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Post-Qualifying Updates
Been a bit since we've had to structure a piece like this, but same day qualifying happening so close to the start of the race means that at publish time, we won't have the full details for this one, so check back pre-race for updates.
Analyzing The Top-Priced Drivers
Six drivers cost $10,000 or above. Let's briefly talk about them.
Zane Smith ($11,200): Zane Smith has run here twice in ARCA, finishing seventh and sixth in those starts in 2017 and 2018. Other drivers in this field have done better here, but Smith definitely wasn't in the best equipment. He's done a great job this season and should be considered the early favorite to win.
John Hunter Nemechek ($11,000): Many of the top drivers have ARCA experience here. John Hunter Nemechek is not one of those drivers. JHN also hasn't won a race since May. I have a feeling that unless he qualifies deep enough to have place differential upside, I won't go heavy on Nemechek.
Corey Heim ($10,700): Heim is one of a handful of drivers who'll run the ARCA race on Friday in addition to the Truck race, with Chandler Smith and Taylor Gray also pulling double duty. That added experience could be useful for Heim, who is such a tough driver to figure out. Seems like he either contends for the win or finishes sub-20th. Risky play that could pay off.
Chandler Smith ($10,400): Pair of ARCA wins here for Smith, and while the field in those races weren't as good as the field in 2018 when Christian Eckes won here, I think it still matters that Smith has experience leading laps here. Could be one of my top picks after qualifying.
Carson Hocevar ($10,200): Three top fives in a row for Hocevar. Decent shot for him to earn his first win here. He has two ARCA starts here, with top 10s in both races. I'll likely go light on him if he qualifies in the top seven or so, but think there's value if he starts below that.
Christian Eckes ($10,000): Eckes has three top 10s in a row. More importantly, he's an ARCA winner here, as he led 171 of the 200 laps in 2018 at this track, beating a field that looks a lot like this one. Of the top eight finishers in that race, five race full-time in the Truck Series and the other three race in Xfinity. So, it's not like Eckes was beating the 2022 ARCA field.
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Mid-Range Options
Here are a few drivers between $7,000 and $10,000 who I think could wind up being strong plays.
Ty Majeski ($9,600): Majeski is a Midwest short track guy. He was 12th in his only ARCA start here and was top five in practice on Friday. I could see Majeski contending for the win here.
Johnny Sauter ($9,100): Sauter makes his fourth start of the season today, which is his third for Thorsport. He finished in the top five in his other two starts with this team. He also has four Truck Series starts at IRP, with two top fives.
Chase Purdy ($7,400): Fourth in his only ARCA race here. Has three finishes in a row in the Truck Series of 13th or better, and seven straight top 20s, with six of those being top 15s. Purdy is peaking right now. Could be a surprise top 10 finisher.
Taylor Gray ($7,100): This is solely a "runs the ARCA race so might have a bit of an edge" play. Will have to see where he qualifies.
Hailee Deegan ($7,000): Deegan has run here twice in ARCA, finishing fifth in 2019 and third in 2020. She recently had her first top 10 of the season. If she starts 20th or worse, this is a play I'll be in on.
Potential Sleepers
Here are few names to watch for under $7,000:
Layne Riggs ($6,500): I know nothing about Layne Riggs other than his dad being former NASCAR driver Scott Riggs, but he's in the 62 truck, which should have plenty of speed.
Chad Chastain ($5,700): This is not Ross Chastain. It is his brother, Chad Chastain. But at $5,700, I think this might be a good shot to cross your fingers and hope the talent runs in the family, even though Chad was 34th at Watkins Glen last year in his only other Truck Series start.
Jesse Little ($5,400): He's been up and down, but Little does have two top 20 runs in his last three races. He'll have to qualify 25th or worse for me to have interest in playing him though, and preferably would start 30th or worse for me to really feel good about this play.
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