Diggin’ the Dirt

July 22, 2014

Diggin’ the Dirt

Eldora Speedway continues to remain unique to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as the only dirt track on the NASCAR national series schedule, and the only race to award the winner a golden shovel. The 1-800 CarCash Mudsummer Classic on Wednesday July 23 will carry on the "ceremonial digging" tradition instituted at the inaugural event, in which the race winner scoops dirt from the track as a keepsake. FOX Sports 1 will provide coverage of practice, qualifying and the qualifying races throughout the day, with the green flag at 9 p.m. ET.

Defending race winner Austin Dillon returns to add to his dirt collection while runner-up Kyle Larson hopes to start one of his own.

It will not be an easy path to the finish, as the race format at Eldora presents a unique challenge. With five qualifying races and a Last Chance Race drivers must stay focused on running at the front. Ken Schrader, Jared Landers, Timothy Peters, Jeb Burton and Kenny Wallace all proved the drivers to beat in qualifying last season, but it was Norm Benning who stole the show in the Last Chance Race, beating and banging his way across the finish line to make the inaugural starting lineup.

Although some drivers have become acquainted with Eldora, almost half of the entries have yet to make a truck series start at the dirt track.

Busy Week on Tap for Townley

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver John Wes Townley is scheduled to compete in five races over an eight-day span. He, along with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson and NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Ty Dillon, competed this past weekend in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. All three will get their midweek racing fix at Eldora Speedway on Wednesday and will then head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this week. Larson will hit a total of four races competing in each national series while Dillon is scheduled for three.

Townley began his five-race stint starting on the ARCA Racing Series pole for the first time this season at Chicagoland before jumping into the driver’s seat in the EnjoyIllinois.com 300 on Saturday night. Now, Townley travels to Eldora Speedway and continues to build on a career-best season in which he has earned two top-five and three top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Following the Wednesday night showdown, he will find himself back in the ARCA Racing Series at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, and capping off his whirlwind week with his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at The Brickyard.

Schrader Back in Action

NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader makes his return to the truck series at Eldora Speedway where he became the oldest pole winner in NASCAR national series history last season at the age of 58. It was his second career pole in the series and first since 2004.

Schrader has a strong dirt racing background, competing at local tracks around the country for his team, Ken Schrader Racing. He is coming off a recent win at the dirt track of El Paso County Speedway (Kan.) in the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified Series on July 19.

Schrader began competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 1995, posting one career-series win at Saugus Speedway (Calif.) that same year. In 101 starts, he has accumulated 11 top-five and 36 top-10 finishes.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Etc.

German Quiroga was in Los Angeles, California on July 17, attending the first annual Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Sports Awards as a special guest….Ben Kennedy participated in batting practice with the Arizona Diamondbacks before attending their game against the Detroit Lions in Phoenix on July 21.