(WOMR file photo)
Wednesday evening the Camping World Truck Series made their debut at one of the most premiere dirt tracks in America, the Big E, better known as Eldora Speedway!
If there was any question about NASCAR on dirt, those questions were answered Wednesday evening! If there was any question about the Camping World Truck Series on dirt, those questions were answered Wednesday evening! If there was any question about the race winner Austin Dillon’s capabilities on dirt, those questions, too, were answered Wednesday evening!
If I may add one more observation, as well. If there was any question about the young gun who finished second to Dillon, who fought tooth and nail for second with a veteran dirt track racer, Ryan Newman, those questions were answered about Kyle Larson Wednesday night, as well!
Let me say that I have watched both Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson race on dirt over the last couple of years, and there is no questioning either of these young racer’s talents on a dirt track. Not many people may know about both of the Dillon boys’ dirt track prowess. I have personally witnessed, both Austin and brother Ty, race their dirt modifieds at Volusia Speedway the last two years in February. Let it be said that both of the Dillon brothers are bonified “Mudslinging Throttle Jockeys”!
Likewise, I have watched 20 year old Kyle Larson race sprint cars on the West Coast over the last couple of years, and there is no doubt that Kyle can run with “the big boys” on any track, on any surface! Wednesday night, young Mr. Larson showed that he can hang with anyone, any day, on any track! I have been say ing all year to keep you eye on Kyle Larson! It will not be too long before you will be seeing him race on Sunday afternoons with the Sprint Cup Series, and “the Big dogs! Which, I may add, reminds me of one of my favorite sayings—-“If you can’t hang with the big dogs, stay up on the porch”!
Let it be said that Kyle Larson has no intention of staying up on the porch!
Wednesday night both of these young guns of NASCAR showed that they are talented and fierce dirt track competitors!
So it was Austin Dillon who won Wednesday night’s Camping World Truck Racing Series event at Eldora Speedway in NASCAR’s return to dirt-track racing.
Dillon stayed ahead of Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman as they banged away at each other over the final scheduled laps of the three-segment, 150-lapper and then through a couple more laps after a green/white/checkered restart.
“It feels amazing,” said Dillon, who started 19th. “Going into this week, I was just really focused on doing whatever it took to make sure we had a good show for the fans and NASCAR so we could come back again…
“I think it was a success. It was such a great show… This is real racing right here, and that’s all I’ve got to say.”
Larson finished second and Newman, a regular in the Sprint Cup Series, finished third at the half-mile oval which is owned by Tony Stewart.
Joey Coulter finished fourth and Brendan Gaughan fifth.
Rounding out the top 10 were Timothy Peters, Darrell Wallace Jr., points leader Matt Crafton, Dave Blaney and Max Gresham.
The Mudsummer Classic at Eldora, located in Rossburg, Ohio, was the first dirt-track race in any of NASCAR’s top three series since Richard Petty won at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh on Sept. 30, 1970.
Former Cup driver Ken Schrader won the pole for the main event by winning the first heat race of the night.
“There’s been more hype for this race — I’m thinking back — since the inaugural Brickyard 400 (in 1994),” Schrader said.
I don’t know about your thoughts were after the truck race at Eldora Speedway, but for this REDNECK race fan, I would love to see that again next year. Additionally, I think that NASCAR should look into the possibility of having another dirt race at possibly the high banks of Belleville, KS, or another high banked half mile dirt track.
It is not necessarily how fast the cars go, but rather, how good of a show that the race cars put on for the fans!!
Check out the unofficial standings after the race at Eldora.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
