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Tag: Eldora Dirt Derby

  • Four Takeaways-NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Race at Eldora

    Four Takeaways-NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Race at Eldora

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Eldora Dirt Derby took place last Thursday night. It was the 15th race of the season for the truckers with only two races until the Playoffs begin at Bristol. Many drivers needed a good points day or a win to solidify themselves in the championship hunt. While it was a fun event, for the most part, some fans were not happy with how the race went down but they were happy with the outcome.

    With that said, here are this week’s Four Takeaways From The Dirt Derby

    1. Friesen finally gets win – A favorite among the dirt racing fans, the Canadian finally took the checkered flag last Thursday night. It was a popular win for Friesen and his fans who waited so long to get into victory lane. Something to note, during the post-race press conference, team owner Chris Larsen stated, “We started this out as something on the side, something else to do for fun.” Now they are winners and championship contenders in the Truck Series. It really is amazing to see how far Friesen and his No. 52 Halmar Racing team has come in the past four years since his first race at Eldora in 2016.

    2. Too many cautions laps – This was certainly the talk of the night on Social Media among race fans and racers. There were way too many caution laps wasted especially late in the race. They could have gone back to racing with seven to go but didn’t resume until two to go. At the track, you could hear the fans voicing their opinion as it came across TV. To put it into perspective, there were 68 laps ran under caution. That’s 45% run under yellow with an average green flag run of 6.3 laps. I hope we never see this again, as it is one of the biggest races of the season in the Truck Series aside from Daytona, Talladega, Bristol and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
    3. Not an exciting race – Speaking of Eldora, it really wasn’t that exciting compared to years past. While there is nothing wrong with Chase Briscoe winning both stages and leading 93 laps after starting on the pole, for some fans, it lacked some of the intensity that we usually see. There was only one lead change throughout the race and that came under caution, when Briscoe made a pit stop and Friesen stayed out. It was all about track position and it seemed like it was tough to pass and the second groove never came in.

    4. Heated Tempers – You know that the Playoffs are on the horizon when tempers flare after the race is over. Ben Rhodes and Tyler Dippel had an altercation in the garage area due to on-track activity. The action has certainly been heating up over the past few weeks as drivers are trying to make the Playoffs and fight for a championship. It will definitely be interesting in the weeks to come, especially when the Playoffs began at Bristol.
  • Friesen survives, wins his first career race at Eldora

    Friesen survives, wins his first career race at Eldora

    It took 437 laps led and 63 starts but finally, Stewart Friesen is a winner in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series. Friesen had to hold off Sheldon Creed and company to win the Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway.

    “Thank you to all the race fans that stuck with us, that kept pulling for us,” Friesen said after he got out of his truck in Victory Lane. “Everybody that came to my hauler and thought that this is the week. Today, this is the day. This is part of it!”

    “Just thanks to all these race fans. This was meant to be.”

    Friesen was on the last spot in the Truck championship but with the win, he is locked into the field of eight for the Truck Series Playoffs that will start in Bristol.

    Sheldon Creed came home with a career-best finish of second followed by Grant Enfinger and Mike Marlar, a dirt regular, who came home fourth. Kyle Bisch Motorsports driver Todd Gilliland came home in fifth.

    Chase Briscoe and Matt Crafton started on the front row and they are no strangers to being up front on the dirt. Briscoe won this race last year with Crafton winning the year before. Briscoe led from wire to wire even though the stage was slowed by two quick cautions. Landon Huffman who is subbing for Spencer Boyd spun it around. Then Jake Griffin spun it around as well right after the green flag waved from the Huffman spin. When it was all said and done it was Briscoe winning the stage followed by Gilliland, Brett Moffitt, Creed and Crafton to round out the top five.

    Stage 2:

    Most of the leaders decided to stay out after the stage break with the exception of Gilliland and Moffitt while Briscoe continued to dominate as he did in the first stage. Also like the first stage, some yellows disrupted the flow of the action. Harrison Burton spun his truck around on Lap 57 and the dirt version of “The Big One” happened on Lap 65 which involved Austin Hill, Burton, Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, Colt Gilliam and more. Many were able to continue but for Hill and Gilliam, their nights were over.

    The action and the yellows did not stop though as the No. 34 of Mason Massey spun it around on Lap 76 when he got a cut tire. Creed spun it after they went back to green after the Massey spin but there was no yellow waved.

    Like the first stage though it was all Briscoe as he went wire to wire to win the stage.

    Final Stage:

    Friesen stayed out while Briscoe and Crafton, among others, went in to pit after the stage ended. With going in to pit Briscoe restarted 12th while Friesen led the field to green to start the final stage. Friesen started to pull away but it was all for nothing due to the No. 45 of Chastain spinning right in front of the field. But somehow, someway, all of the field escaped without hitting Chastain’s truck.

    There were a few more incidents after this one including a yellow that featured three wrecks in one. First, the No. 54 of Kyle Strickler spun trying to navigate the high side and before that the No. 32 of Devin Dodson and the No. 10 of Jennifer Jo Cobb. Last but not least Johnny Sauter and Briscoe got connected after the Strickler spin. Norm Benning spun with 31 laps to go after they went back to green following the multiple trucks that spun in the previous caution. The fun didn’t stop there as Dodson spun it around again with 17 laps to go.

    Briscoe was a man on a mission but he tried a little bit too hard and spun out with nine laps to go while battling Creed for fifth. Briscoe went on to finish seventh.

    There is only one race left to make the field of eight for the Gander Outdoors Truck Series Championship and that will be determined by the race in Michigan, a week from Saturday (August 3), on FS1.

  • Jeffrey Abbey – Eldora Dirt Derby Race Advance

    Jeffrey Abbey – Eldora Dirt Derby Race Advance

    Eldora Dirt Derby | Eldora Speedway Race Advance

    Team: No. 44 Niece Chevrolet Silverado
    Driver: Jeffrey Abbey
    Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport

    Abbey on Racing at Eldora: “I’m excited to return to the Truck Series at Eldora,” said Abbey. “It’s definitely a unique challenge, but I’m thankful for the opportunity. This is my third time coming to Eldora in one of these trucks, I’ve learned a lot the last two years and should be able to apply that this year. Niece Motorsports is having a strong season, and I’m hoping to keep that momentum going for them.”

    Abbey at Eldora: Abbey has two starts at Eldora Speedway, coming in 2017 and 2018. His best finish was in his Truck Series debut with Niece Motorsports in 2017. Abbey started 16th and worked his way into the top-five, before finishing 14th.

    About Jeffrey Abbey: The 20-year-old driver got his start behind the wheel racing go-karts at the age of six. Abbey has earned 62 wins in 225 starts, between 2013 and 2017, racing IMCA Southern Sport Modifieds. In addition, Abbey’s resume boasts a 2016 IMCA Supernationals Championship at Boone Speedway.

    Abbey was also the IMCA Nationals Point Champion in 2016, as well as the Brian Mize Memorial Champion at 85 Speedway in 2016. Abbey was the Southern Challenge Champion at Abilene Speedway in 2016 and the Texas State Champion in 2015 and 2016. Abbey was crowned the Boyd Raceway Track Champion in both 2015 and 2016.

    About Niece Motorsports:

    Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2019, Niece Motorsports enters its fourth season in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel / lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

  • Ross Chastain – Eldora Dirt Derby Race Advance

    Ross Chastain – Eldora Dirt Derby Race Advance

    Eldora Dirt Derby | Eldora Speedway Race Advance

    Team: No. 45 Niece Equipment/Jack Hewitt Throwback Chevrolet Silverado

    Driver: Ross Chastain

    Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @RossChastain

    Ross Chastain on Racing at Eldora: “I’m so proud of this team,” said Chastain.  “This week will definitely be a new challenge for me, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to race at a place like Eldora.  Plus, we have this awesome Jack Hewitt throwback scheme; I’m hoping we can make Jack proud!”

    Making the Playoffs: Chastain’s third win of the season is the most among series regulars, with two of those wins counting towards playoff eligibility.  Chastain is 18th in driver point standings and must stay in the top-20 for the next two races to remain eligible to compete for the championship.

    Chastain at Eldora: Chastain will make his first start at Eldora Speedway on Thursday night.

    On the Truck: Niece Motorsports and Ross Chastain will pay tribute to one of dirt racing’s greatest this week at Eldora Speedway.  The No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado will carry the iconic JW Hunt paint scheme made famous by Jack Hewitt.

    Hewitt, who was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2002, was beloved by fans for his no-nonsense attitude.  Never one to mince words, Hewitt did his talking on the race track, but did not shy away from speaking his mind.

    In 1998, Hewitt made history as the first driver to win all four legs of the USAC Four Crown Nationals.  Among his other accomplishments at the half-mile dirt track: 13 USAC National Sprint Car Series feature wins, three USAC National Midget Car Series wins, eight USAC Silver Crown Series wins, 16 Modified wins, two All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car A-main wins, and one Dirt Late Model Victory.

    Hewitt’s success was not confined to Eldora, on the strength of 12 victories, he secured the Championship in 1985 in the All Star Circuit of Champions.

    He was also a back-to-back champion in the USAC Silver Crown Series in 1986 and 1987.

    About Niece Motorsports:

    Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece.  In 2019, Niece Motorsports enters its fourth season in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.  Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices.  Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability.  The company provides water and fuel / lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry.  Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

  • Jake Griffin Racing Preview: Eldora Dirt Derby

    Jake Griffin Racing Preview: Eldora Dirt Derby

    Jake Griffin Excited To Return To Eldora With Affarano Motorsports

    Event: Eldora Dirt Derby
    Location: Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH
    Date/Broadcast: August 1, 2019 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

    Jake Griffin Fast Facts:
    Jake Griffin will return to the site of his best NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series finish, fourth, as he straps in to the No. 03 Chevy Silverado of Affarano Motorsports.

    Jake just ventured to Alaska Motorsports Park where he scored a win in a Pro Late Model. Jake is equally comfortable on asphalt or dirt. Jake has made five starts in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series,
    having debuted under the tutelage of Mike Mittler and his MB Motorsports operation.

    In his last outing at Eldora, Jake drove Red Horse Racing’s #11 Toyota Tundra. After starting 11th, he brought home a fine 4th place finish.

    Jake Griffin, Q&A:

    What are you looking forward to the most at Eldora?

    “Everything! What’s not love about Eldora? It’s a fantastic track that has so much history and it’s one of those places that you get a special vibe from. Everything about it just awesome.”

    What was it like to race in Alaska and win?

    “Talk about complete opposites – Alaska Motorsports Park and Eldora Speedway! I could look at mountains as I raced on asphalt in cool Alaska and now we head to one of the world’s finest dirt tracks during the hottest part of the year in Ohio. Alaska was really cool and I’m so glad I had the chance to race there. As great as it was to bring home the trophy, my focus is on Eldora now.”

    You and crew chief Buddy Sisco have known each other for a long time. You’ve got to be glad to have him atop the pit box at Eldora.

    “Buddy’s so good at everything- building the trucks, strategy, making the calls, you name it. I’m thrilled to be able to head to the track with him. I think we can run well together.”

    You’ve worked with team owner Mike Affarano before, so you have some familiarity with him, too. That’s got to make the trip to Eldora easier.

    “Yeah, Mike’s a grass roots racer. He’s old school and I love that. We’re not heading to the track with the newest or most pristine truck out there, but I know we’ll be tough out on the track.”

    Speaking of the truck, you’re driving a pink one at Eldora…

    “Hey, Dale Earnhardt’s first race car was pink, so I’m in good company. Besides, we will be easy to spot no matter how much dust and dirt gets kicked up!”

    Sponsors for Eldora:
    The #03 Chevy Silverado will carry the colors of the Clayne Crawford Foundation, AIR West: Adventures In Racing, American Trash Service, Comfort Solutions, Comfort Inn of Piqua, Ohio and Cut It Out Graphics. MechanixWear, Maradyne and WIX Filters will serve as associate sponsors.

  • Four Takeaways From The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race At Eldora

    Four Takeaways From The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race At Eldora

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway never disappoints. It was the 13th race of the season and with three races to go until the Playoffs begin, some drivers are on the bubble and other drivers are locked in.

    Here are four takeaways from the sixth annual Eldora Dirt Derby.

    1. Grant Enfinger Comes Up Short – At Eldora, you wouldn’t think of Enfinger as a dirt racer but he did have some prior dirt experience racing in ARCA at tracks such as Illinois State Fairgrounds and Duquoin where he had some success. Throughout the night, he was quietly racing inside the top-10. Enfinger started 10th and finished seventh and second in both stages, respectively. After some pit strategy late in the race and late race cautions, Enfinger found himself up front with eventual race winner Chase Briscoe. Both of them battled side-by-side in the overtime finish until he fell .038 seconds short of getting his second win and locking himself into the Playoffs.
    2. Noah Gragson and Johnny Sauter Have Forgettable Night – While Gragson finished sixth Wednesday night at Eldora, it didn’t come easy and he had his challenges early in the night. Gragson was put in the last chance qualifier and qualified 27th. At the end of Stage 1, he worked his way up to 18th. He continued to have his challenges as he restarted 25th in the second stage. Gragson would only end up 23rd in Stage 2. The No. 18 Safelite driver benefited from late cautions and various pit strategy and found himself finishing sixth. Nonetheless, Gragson is looking to put Eldora behind him and looking ahead to Pocono. Like Gragson, Sauter was also in the last chance qualifier. He was locked in, regardless, as he could have used a champion’s provisional. Sauter finished fourth in the last chance qualifier, giving him a 29th place starting spot. His night didn’t get better as Sauter was the first caution of the night at Lap 11. Sauter continued to struggle throughout the night not placing in the top 10 in either stage. At the end of the night, Sauter was glad to be done with Eldora as he finished 16th.
    3. Logan Seavey Shines At Eldora – Seavey, a dirt track midget star, had a career night at the dirt track in Rossburg, Ohio. He made his Truck Series debut driving the famed No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Tundra for Kyle Busch. Seavey handled the pressure well as he started on the pole for the second heat race. He led seven laps until he was passed by his KBM teammate Todd Gilliland in the final laps of the heat race. By finishing second, Seavey found himself starting seventh for his first ever Truck Series race. His night continued to shine as he took the lead for the first time on Lap 92 and held on for 53 laps, as a late race caution cut Seavey’s three second lead. More cautions continued to fall and with that, it hurt his track position as other drivers were on fresher tires. Ultimately, Seavey finished eighth. If it weren’t for the late race cautions, we all could be talking about a different winner. Nonetheless, Seavey caught some eyes and attention from race fans and owners. It will be interesting to see if he’ll get anymore Truck Series starts in the future.
    4. Three Races Left Until The Playoffs Begin – Now that one of the wildcards is over for the series, there are three races left until the 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs begin at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. The Playoff field is pretty much set in stone as five drivers have a win and are locked in. These drivers are Sauter, Brett Moffitt, Gragson, Justin Haley, and Ben Rhodes. As the series heads to Pocono this weekend, the action will start to heat up on the track as three drivers sit on the bubble of not making it. These are Matt Crafton, Stewart Friesen and Grant Enfinger. These three drivers will have three more chances to lock themselves in on wins. If not, barring any more issues or troubles they have, they could lock themselves in on points if there aren’t any new winners until the Playoffs begin.
  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Power Ranking-Eldora

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Power Ranking-Eldora

    Eldora Speedway was home of the 13th race of the season for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In one of the most anticipated races of the season, this standalone event certainly did not disappoint. The field included Truck Series regulars and dirt regulars but it was a not a dirt regular but a former series driver that stood atop the victory circle Wednesday night.

    Here’s a look at this week’s power rankings.

      1. Grant Enfinger – Enfinger and Chase Briscoe certainly put on quite a show in the last remaining laps. Enfinger, who was looking for the second win of his career, his first since Talladega in 2016, had to settle for second by .038 seconds. The win would have locked him into the Playoffs, but with the consistency and strength that Enfinger has shown in the past remaining races, he sits sixth in the playoffs standings, 120 points. In Wednesday night’s race, he finished seventh and second, respectively in both stages. His second-place finish earned him his fourth top five of the year. Previous Week Ranking: 5th
      2. Stewart Friesen – Friesen came up short once again at Eldora, but it wasn’t due to lack of effort from the No. 52 Canadian driver. He was in the fifth heat race and led all 10 laps to score the win, which led him to a third-place starting position. The race was somewhat of a struggle early on for Friesen, as he ran as low 31st but was able to advance with pit stop strategy and cautions helping out the team. But, it wasn’t until the end of Stage 2 when he placed inside the top-10 to finish 10th. Friesen found himself in competition for the win in the final five laps of the race with the multiple race cautions. On one of the restarts, he went four-wide with the top leaders until another caution came out. However, Friesen rallied after being a caution on Lap 29 and earned a third-place finish, giving him his fifth top-five of the year. He’ll have to be careful in the three remaining races until the Playoffs begin as he sits on the bubble in seventh per Playoff standings, 111 points behind, considering no new driver wins until then. Previous Week Ranking: 3rd
      3. Brett Moffitt – Moffitt had a good night at Eldora, considering this was his first time racing on dirt. Based on qualifying results, he was placed in heat race #2 and ended up finishing third, giving him a 12th place starting position. The three-time race winner in 2018 had to fight his way to the front after fighting in dirty air and heavy traffic. He wasn’t able to earn stage points which will hurt the team just a little bit, but Hattori Racing team already has three wins this year and is good for the Playoffs, if they continue to get sponsorship throughout the season. In the end, Moffitt was helped out with the cautions and race strategy to give him a third-place finish. Previous Week Ranking: Not Ranked
      4. Matt Crafton – It has now been one year since Crafton has won a race in the Truck Series. After last night’s race, he has three more races remaining to earn a win to solidify himself into the Playoffs and compete for the championship. Crafton didn’t have a bad night, but it certainly didn’t come without troubles. On Lap 55, he and Tyler Dippel got collected with each other, and Crafton got tipped from behind by Ryan Newman who tore the back end off Crafton’s truck. However, not all was lost, as he and the No. 88 ThorSport team finished eighth and seventh respectively in both stages, ultimately giving him a fourth-place finish. But Crafton and the team are hungry for a win as he sits right on the cut line for the playoffs. He may have to get in on points if he wants to be a championship contender. Previous Week Ranking: 2nd
      5. Justin Haley – Like Briscoe and Crafton, Haley often competes in dirt racing when his schedule allows. It was second race at Eldora and it was almost the same identical finish for the No. 24 GMS Racing team. In last year’s race, he started 13th and finished eighth. Haley was placed in the fourth heat race and finished fourth after starting sixth. This gave him a 19th starting position, meaning it was going to be a long night for the series regular. But the No. 24 took the entire race to get to the front. He didn’t earn any stage points, but with his Gateway win, Haley is locked into the Playoffs. After a wild finish and race, he finished ninth for his ninth top-10 finish of the year. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares in the Playoffs. Previous Week Ranking: Not Ranked

    Fell Out

    1. Noah Gragson – Gragson had a quiet night at Eldora and didn’t make too much noise. He was placed in the last chance qualifier but had points to fall back on to make it into the race. He didn’t finish inside the top-10 at all for either stage after starting 27th, but Gragson did finish sixth after battling handling conditions all night long. He’ll look to Pocono and try to continue to close the gap on Johnny Sauter’s points lead.
    2. Ben Rhodes – Rhodes was having a good race going until a few laps after the Stage 2 restart. On Lap 45, he hit the wall and continued to slip all the way back in the field, ultimately having to bring the truck to pit road as the tow was knocked out of the truck. This gave the Kentucky winner a 29th place finish, but he is locked into the playoffs.

  • Chase Briscoe Fends off Teammate Grant Enfinger in Last Lap Thriller at Eldora

    Chase Briscoe Fends off Teammate Grant Enfinger in Last Lap Thriller at Eldora

    In a green-white-checkered race to the finish line, Chase Briscoe was able to fend off his ThorSport Racing teammate Grant Enfinger for the win in a last-lap thriller at Eldora Speedway. It was the closest finish at Eldora for the Truck Series with a margin of victory of .038 seconds.

    After a series of late race cautions near the end, Briscoe, with fresher tires than race leader Logan Seavey, was able to restart up front alongside his teammate Grant Enfinger. Both of them battled side-by-side all the way to the checkered flag after the restart and even banged the wall at the finish.

    “It means so much,” Briscoe said. “You know, I think Eldora, just in general, means a lot to people, but when you grow up with Sprint car roots and Sprint car backgrounds; I mean this place is our Daytona for dirt guys. So to be able to win this race, this is so special. There was one race that I wanted to win, it would definitely be this one. So it’s kind of surreal to me. Two years ago or three years ago, whenever (Christopher) Bell won, I came over (victory lane) here and was standing here, pumped that he won. We went to Waffle House later and maybe we’ll do that again tonight. Just unbelievable.”

    “Thank you so much to these Ford guys for allowing me to come do this,” he said. “The ThorSport guys worked their tails off. I hate how I had to race the (Grant Enfinger) 98. We definitely roughed him up a little bit and this is not how I race, but part of it, I guess. Just thankful for the opportunity. It’ll probably be the only truck race I’m going to do this year. It’s good to end on a good note.”

    Earlier in the day, there were five heat races including a last chance qualifier to set the 32 truck field. Last weeks winner, Ben Rhodes, and Todd Gilliland set the front row after winning the first two heat races.

    Stage 1 was 40 laps and there were only three incidents that occurred. One on Lap 9 for 2016 Champion Johnny Sauter who spun around in Turn 2 and went a lap down. On Lap 20, Justin Fontaine in the No. 45 spun out and brought out the second caution, giving Sauter his lap back. Then the final incident in the first stage came on Lap 27, when Stewart Friesen was spun by Chris Windom with other trucks involved as well including Sheldon Creed and Cody Coughlin.

    Kentucky winner, Ben Rhodes was able to win the first stage. The race was restarted on Lap 41 and went to lap 90 for Stage 2. On lap 45, Rhodes smacked the wall hard and had to come down pit road, eventually ending his night. He would ultimately finish 29th.

    Then a little foreshadowing occurred for what the end of the race might be, as Briscoe held off teammate Enfinger for the stage win.

    The final stage took place with 59 laps to go.

    Briscoe and Enfinger made pit stops for fresh tires and were sent to the back of the field. During the early stages of the final stage, this saw dirt standout star, Logan Seavey, lead for a total of 53 laps until a late race caution came with 21 to go. This saw Tyler Dippel and Austin Self make contact in the turns, thus bunching the field up once more.

    Seavey tried all he could to hold off the hard-charging Enfinger and Briscoe, but the late race cautions continued to hurt him as he had no tires. There were two more cautions near the end with less than five to go.

    In the end, there was a green-white-checkered overtime finish. Enfinger and Briscoe pulled away from the rest of the field. The other 30 drivers had to watch a thrilling finish between Briscoe and Enfinger which ended by a .038 seconds margin with Briscoe as the winner.

    Friesen, Matt Crafton and Noah Gragson rounded out the top five finishers in the Sixth Annual Eldora Dirt Derby.

    It was Briscoe’s first win in the Truck Series since his victory at Homestead-Miami last year for the Brad Keselowski Racing team. This was his second career Truck Series win.

    Briscoe led three times for 54 laps with seven lead changes among five drivers. There were nine cautions for 41 laps.

    Sauter, who finished 16th, continues to lead the standings by 32 points over Gragson.

  • Primer on Eldora race format

    Primer on Eldora race format

    Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    A Wednesday night NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on dirt represents a big change from the normal schedule, but it’s nothing to worry about. This “Eldora Explained” article will get you up to speed on the technical aspects of the competition, so you can sit back and enjoy the Eldora Dirt Derby, scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    There are two practices on the half-mile dirt track Tuesday. All of the events below take place Wednesday.

    Qualifying: Two laps, single truck. Pole qualifying is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1. A random draw will determine the qualifying order. The fastest qualifier will be awarded the pole, but won’t necessarily start first.

    The results of qualifying will determine the starting positions for the five qualifying races; the qualifying races themselves set the lineup for the race.

    Qualifying Races: Five races, 10 laps each, starting at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, and only green-flag laps will be counted. Lineups for the qualifying races will be based on speeds from qualifying. The fastest truck in qualifying will start first in the first qualifying race, the second-fastest truck will start first in the second qualifying race, etc.

    The top five trucks from each qualifying race will automatically transfer to the race. Upon completion of the qualifying races, 25 of the 32 trucks in the field will be set for the race.

    Last Chance Qualifying Race: This race will be 15 laps, and the lineup for it will be set based on finishing position in the qualifying races — it will feature only the trucks that have not yet qualified for the main show. Only green flag laps will be counted, and the top two finishers of this race will fill lineup positions 26 and 27 for the race.

    Lineup spots 28-31 will go to the highest-ranking eligible trucks in owner points that haven’t already earned a starting position through qualifying. The 32nd lineup spot will go to the most recent eligible past series champion. If the 32nd position is not filled by an eligible champion, it will be assigned based on owner points. There are 39 trucks on the entry list.

    Race: Divided into three stages (40, 50 and 60 laps) with competition cautions at the breaks on Laps 40 and 90. Caution laps will not count during competition cautions and positions can’t be improved on pit road. Teams are not required to pit during competition cautions. Those that remain on the track will restart in front of those that pit.

    RELATED: Complete Eldora schedule | Eldora entry list 

    HOW ELDORA RACE LINEUP IS DETERMINED
    STARTING SPOT HOW DETERMINED
    1 Top finisher in Qualifying Race #1
    2 Top finisher in Qualifying Race #2
    3 Top finisher in Qualifying Race #3
    4 Top finisher in Qualifying Race #4
    5 Top finisher in Qualifying Race #5
    6 Second finisher in Qualifying Race #1
    7 Second finisher in Qualifying Race #2
    8 Second finisher in Qualifying Race #3
    9 Second finisher in Qualifying Race #4
    10 Second finisher in Qualifying Race #5
    11 Third finisher in Qualifying Race #1
    12 Third finisher in Qualifying Race #2
    13 Third finisher in Qualifying Race #3
    14 Third finisher in Qualifying Race #4
    15 Third finisher in Qualifying Race #5
    16 Fourth finisher in Qualifying Race #1
    17 Fourth finisher in Qualifying Race #2
    18 Fourth finisher in Qualifying Race #3
    19 Fourth finisher in Qualifying Race #4
    20 Fourth finisher in Qualifying Race #5
    21 Fifth finisher in Qualifying Race #1
    22 Fifth finisher in Qualifying Race #2
    23 Fifth finisher in Qualifying Race #3
    24 Fifth finisher in Qualifying Race #4
    25 Fifth finisher in Qualifying Race #5
    26 Top finisher in Last Chance
    27 Second finisher in Last Chance
    28 Owner points
    29 Owner points
    30 Owner points
    31 Owner points
    32 Past series champ/owner points
  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Eldora with Format, Rules, Qualifying Procedure

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Eldora with Format, Rules, Qualifying Procedure

    The Camping World Truck Series travels to Eldora Speedway this week for the Eldora Dirt Derby. Please check below for the complete schedule of events. All times are Eastern.

    Tuesday, July 18

    On Track: 7-7:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice – No TV (Follow live)
    9-9:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – No TV (Follow live)

    Wednesday, July 19

    On Track:
    5 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    7:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series First Qualifying Race (10 laps) – FS2
    7:39 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Second Qualifying Race (10 laps) – FS2
    7:48 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Third Qualifying Race (10 laps) – FS2
    7:57 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Fourth Qualifying Race (10 laps) – FS2
    8:06 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Fifth Qualifying Race (10 laps) – FS2
    8:45 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Last Chance Qualifying Race (15 laps) – FS2
    9:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Eldora Dirt Derby (150 laps, 75 miles/40-50-60) – Fox Business Network

    Race Details:

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
    Race: Eldora Dirt Derby
    Place: Eldora Speedway
    Date: Wednesday, July 19
    Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
    TV: FOX Business, 9 p.m. ET
    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 75 miles (150 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 40), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 150)

    Previous Winners:

    Winner                       Date
    Kyle Larson                07/20/2016
    Christopher Bell          07/22/2015
    Darrell Wallace Jr.       07/23/2014
    Austin Dillon               07/24/2013

    Eldora – Format, Rules, Qualifying

    Eldora’s qualifying and race formats differ from the knockout qualifying seen weekly in the NASCAR Camping World Truck series. Below is a guide to how it works.

    At Eldora, a random draw determines the qualifying order for two-lap, single-truck qualifying that determines the starting positions for the qualifying races (five races in total). The fastest qualifier earns the Keystone Light Pole Award.

    Each of the five qualifying races consists of 10 laps, with only green-flag laps counting. The top five trucks in the two-lap qualifying will start on the pole for their respective qualifying races. The lineups for the qualifying races are filled based on qualifying speeds (sixth competes in the first qualifying race, seventh in the second, eighth in the third, etc.)

    The top-five trucks from each qualifying race will transfer to the race. Upon completion of the qualifying races, 25 trucks will earn spots in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.

    When the five qualifying races are completed, there will be a last-chance qualifying race. The lineup will be based on finishing position from the qualifying races and the race will be 15 laps with only green flag laps counting. The top two finishers transfer to the race, where they will start in positions 26-27.

    The 28th-31st starting positions go to the highest-ranking eligible trucks in owner points that have not already earned a starting position through qualifying.

    The 32nd starting position goes to the most recent eligible past series champion; if that position is not filled by an eligible champion, it will be assigned based upon owner points.

    The race will be 150 laps divided into three stages: Stage 1 ends on lap 40, Stage 2 ends on lap 90, and the Final Stage ends on lap 150. During the competition cautions at the stage breaks on Lap 40 and Lap 90, caution laps will not count and positions cannot be improved on pit road.

    Teams are not required to pit during the competition cautions. Those teams that do not elect to pit may remain on the track and start in front of the pitting teams.

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