DOVER — Some of the most colorful 18-wheelers on the road will thunder into Dover when NASCAR rolls into town Oct. 2-4.

On Tuesday Dover International Speedway announced the return of the NASCAR Hauler Showcase and Parade on Oct. 1. Fans can get an up-close look at the trucks that carry the NASCAR teams’ race cars and equipment at the showcase at the Blue Hen Corporate Center. The free event will run from 3 to 5 p.m..

At 5 p.m. the haulers will leave the center, located at 655 S. Bay Road, for the parade through downtown Dover. About 40 Sprint Cup driver haulers will follow the route through Dover before ending up at Dover International Speedway. Each hauler is about 80 feet long.

Both the showcase and parade arefree and open to the public.

While last year’s event was rained out, the inaugural event in 2013 saw close to 10,000 people spread out along the parade route.

“The event was a huge success, it was only natural to bring it back,” said Michael Tatoian, president and CEO of Dover International Speedway. “We are always looking for ways to enhance the fan experience, and being able to work with NASCAR and the hauler drivers to put on a great show makes our race weekend that much more exciting.”

At 5 p.m., haulers will start north on Bay Road, before making a left onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (formerly Court Street). They will turn right onto Legislative Avenue in downtown Dover, before turning left onto Loockerman Street, then right on South State Street. From there, the haulers will proceed to the track via Leipsic Road and arrive at about 5:45 p.m.

The AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the third event and first eliminator race in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, will be held on Oct. 4 with the Hisense 200 NASCAR XFINITY Series race held on Oct. 3 and the Drive Sober 125 presented by the Delaware Office of Highway Safety NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race on Oct. 2.

For tickets or more information, call (800) 441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.