NASCAR Truck Series at Eldora 2014: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview
Over the last two weeks, youth has dominated the lower NASCAR series. Between Erik Jones pacing the field in the American Ethanol 200 and Chase Elliott winning the EnjoyIllinois.com 300, two of the youngest drivers in the sport visited Victory Lane.
With both the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series taking one weekend off, they return to two completely different tracks.
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For the truck series, the drivers will return to the dirt track at Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio. After the inaugural race at the course last season, the second event promises to be just as intriguing with veterans and young drivers looking to master the dirt.
Before the truck race gets underway, here's a look at the schedule, standings and preview for the 1-800 CarCash Mudsummer Classic.
1-800 CarCash Mudsummer Classic Information
Where: Eldora Speedway, New Weston, Ohio
When: Wednesday, July 23, 9 p.m. ET
TV: Fox Sports 1
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
| 1 | Matt Crafton | 330 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 328 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 3 | Johnny Sauter | 323 | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| 4 | German Quiroga Jr. | 311 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 5 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | 307 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 6 | Ben Kennedy | 301 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | Timothy Peters | 299 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| 8 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | 293 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 9 | Joey Coulter | 282 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | John Wes Townley | 279 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Race Preview
Before moving on to the next race, a look back at what occurred in the previous event is necessary.
Though Jones was able to win the truck race at Iowa Speedway, the Kyle Busch Motorsports driver would later find out that he was penalized. The infraction was for failing to meet post-race height requirements, per Fox Sports: NASCAR:
The 18-year-old driver also made his first start in the Nationwide Series and came away with a top-10 finish at Chicagoland. Danielle Trotta of Fox Sports 1 noted the strong finish for the deserving young man:
He might only be a part-time driver, but Jones has certainly made his case thus far as one to watch in any race that he enters. Coming into a track like Eldora where every driver has limited experience, Jones might just be in contention yet again on Wednesday night.
The unique track in Ohio draws plenty of attention from NASCAR fans and also brings quite a few Sprint Cup regulars to the course.
Some of those familiar names at Eldora include Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson, who were pitted against one another last season. While Dillon took the victory in 2013, it was Larson who felt he should have taken the checkered flag if not for getting caught behind lapped traffic and a late caution.
Now a Sprint Cup full-timer, Larson spoke about growing from last year's race, per Brian Eberly of Motor Racing Digest:
Now competing for Rookie of the Year in Sprint Cup, there will be no love lost between the two emerging stars in the sport. On a dirt track where anything can happen, expect both to trade plenty of paint on Wednesday night.
As for the other contenders, points leader Matt Crafton and Darrell Wallace Jr. both finished inside the top 10 last season. With the two drivers holding a combined three victories, both will be in contention again on Wednesday night.
The truck series will take center stage on Wednesday night ahead of both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races. On a dirt track, anything can happen with some of the sport's best hoping to visit Victory Lane.
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