What to know about the NASCAR trucks and ARCA weekend at the Milwaukee Mile (2024)

The first of consecutive weekends of racing at the Milwaukee Mile features the start of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with the LiUNA! 175.

The trucks returned last season after a 13-year absence, becoming the headliner on a weekend shared with the ARCA Menards Series. Both series again race Sunday, and then the Mile hosts an NTT IndyCar Series doubleheader the following weekend.

More: Key Wisconsin auto racing events for the 2024 season

How much do tickets cost for NASCAR trucks and ARCA at the Mile?

Reserved grandstand seats are $55 and general admission grandstand seats are $40, plus service fees, and are available in advance on the State Fair Park website. Children 12 and under get in free with a paid adult admission. Infield general admission is $35 and those tickets are only sold at the gate Sunday.

Discounted tickets are available at 28 Menards stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

Also, two- and three-night infield camping packages are available in advance. See the Wisconsin State Fair Park website for rules and limitations.

Parking on the grounds is $15, or $8 for motorcycles. Only credit cards are accepted for onsite purchases.

What has been done to address issues with entry and concessions that were prevalent in 2023?

Entrances have been reconfigured and will operate much as they do during the Fair, with admission booths and security screening separated and with more lanes than last year, a State Fair Park representative said.

Eight permanent and five temporary concession stands are to be open, nearly twice as many as last year. The grandstand will have four operating concession stands on the upper concourse and three beverage-only stands on the ground level.

What is the schedule for ARCA/NASCAR weekend at the Mile?

On-track activity begins at 1 p.m. Saturday with a 45-minute practice session for the ARCA Menards Series and then qualifying at 2. The Craftsman Truck Series follows with 20 minutes of practice beginning at 3 p.m. and then qualifying at 3:30.

The Sprecher 150 is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday and the LiUNA! 175 for 3 p.m.

A Craftsman Truck Series autograph session is scheduled for 11:15-11:45 a.m. Sunday in the infield. To attend, fans will need a wristband. One hundred will be handed out at the tunnel entrance at 10 a.m.

Are practice, qualifying and the races on television or streaming?

Both races are scheduled to be televised on FS1, as is truck qualifying.

Who are the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers to watch at the Milwaukee Mile?

Seymour native Ty Majeski has won the past two truck races this season and has won at the Mile in super late models. He was the favorite last year but was hindered by a penalty for an infraction found in inspection between practice and qualifying.

Corey Heim leads the series in wins (five) and is tied for the most-top-five finishes (10) but is behind in most other categories. He finished fourth at the Mile in 2023.

Christian Eckes is second in points as the playoffs begin, three behind Heim. He is tied with Heim for the most top-fives, has the most top-10s (15), has led the most laps (762) by almost 300, has the best average finish among fulltime drivers (5.9) and is tied with Majeski for most poles (three). He was third at Milwaukee last season.

Defending race winner Grant Enfinger, who won three times last season with the lame duck GMS Racing, has a pair of runner-up finishes so far this year and is looking for his first win with young CR7 Motorsports.

Marco Andretti, whose father, Michael, won five Indy-car races at the Mile, and grandfather, Mario, won four, is scheduled to do the doubleheader, making his third truck start of the season and eighth in ARCA.

What has happened in ARCA leading into the Milwaukee Mile?

Defending Milwaukee winner William Sawalich and Connor Zilisch – neither of whom was old enough to race on all tracks from the start of the season – have been the class of the field when they’ve competed.

Sawalich, 17, is the season leader with six victories in nine starts in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota, including the race Sunday on the dirt in Springfield, Illinois.

Zilisch, 18, is 4 for 4 in the No. 28 Pinnacle Motorsports Chevrolet this season, including the race Friday at Michigan International Speedway. He also finished second in his one start in 2023.

None of the series’ full-time drivers have won. Andres Perez, a 19-year-old from Mexico City, leads the standings on the strength of seven top-five finishes and 12 top-10s. Second-place Lavar Scott has led 144 laps, the most among series regulars.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Mile NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA weekend preview