Ty Dillon returned to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) for the first time in 2018 to compete in the sixth annual Eldora Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. After two practice sessions on Tuesday, Dillon qualified 27th and raced his way to a fifth-place finish in Heat 2 after starting sixth, locking him into the 150-lap Eldora Dirt Derby where he finished 11th.
STAGE 1 RECAP:
· Started Stage 1: P27
· Finishes Stage 1: P22
Dillon started the Eldora Dirt Derby from the 27th position and was 25th when the first caution of the race was displayed on lap 9. When the caution was displayed at the halfway point of Stage 1, Dillon was still running in 25th, but in the closing laps, he was able to move up to the 22nd position.
STAGE 2 RECAP:
· Started Stage 2: P24
· Finished Stage 2: P16
On lap 41, Dillon brought the K&L Ready Mix No. 12 to pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment and restarted in 24th. By the caution on lap 53, he was up to 21st and continued to pick off Trucks as the stage continued, ultimately finishing in the 16th position.
STAGE 3 RECAP:
· Started Stage 3: P8
· Finished Stage 3: P11
Buddy Sisco, crew chief of the K&L Ready Mix No. 12, opted not to come to pit road at the end of Stage 2 and lined up outside of teammate, Tanner Thorson, in row 4 to kick off the final stage. When the caution was displayed on lap 130, Dillon was running in the 16th position. He survived two late race cautions, including a green-white-checkered restart, to gain five spots, earning an 11th-place finish.
“We struggled a little bit all week to get some forward drive out of the rear end of the truck,” said the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series regular. “But we had a decent heat race when the track had a little bit more grip in it and was able to get the final transfer spot. We played it patient and made quite a big adjustment at the end of Stage 1 which helped our truck and we were able to run up inside the top-10. I was able to slide around and make some things happen. I had a lot of fun. It was great to come drive for Young’s Motorsports and play in the dirt a little.”
Dirt track star Tanner Thorson made his third-career NCWTS start at the famed Eldora Speedway and started off the night by qualifying 37th and finishing eighth in his heat race. The Minden, Nev., native started 12th and finished third in the Last Chance Qualifier, missing the transfer spot by one. He was ultimately locked into the 150-lap Eldora Dirt Derby by owners points, where he started 28th and finished 19th.
STAGE 1 RECAP:
· Started Stage 1: P28
· Finishes Stage 1: P11
Thorson started the Eldora Dirt Derby from the outside of row 14 and didn’t waste any time moving forward. When the first caution of the race was displayed on lap 9, Thorson was up to the 20th position. By the time the second caution was displayed on lap 20, he was up to the 12th running position. In the closing laps of Stage 1, Thorson was able to gain one more spot to finish 11th.
STAGE 2 RECAP:
· Started Stage 2: P15
· Finished Stage 2: P14
Thorson brought the Ohio Logistics No. 20 to pit road on lap 41 for four fresh tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment and started Stage 2 from the inside of row 8. He survived two cautions to finish 14th in the second stage of the Eldora Dirt Derby.
STAGE 3 RECAP:
· Started Stage 3: P7
· Finished Stage 3: P19
Thorson and crew chief Andrew Abbott decided not to pit at the end of Stage 2 to gain some track position and the Ohio Logistics No. 20 started the final stage from the seventh position. Early into Stage 3, Thorson reported that the handling of his Ohio Logistics No. 20 was loose and when the caution was displayed on lap 130, he came to pit road or a trackbar adjustment. In the closing laps, including a green-white-checkered overtime finish, Thorson brought home the No. 20 in 19th-place.
“I definitely wish we could have had a better run this week,” said Thorson. “We struggled a bit from the start and going out late in qualifying didn’t help us. But we definitely got better for the Last Chance Qualifier and had a good Ohio Logistics Chevy in the middle of the main event, but just got too loose at the end and slipped back. I’m looking forward to getting back in this Young’s Motorsports truck at Pocono.”
Austin Hill made his first start on the dirt Wednesday night at Eldora Speedway. After two practice sessions on Tuesday, the 24-year-old qualified 22nd and earned the final transfer spot out of Heat 1 into the 150-lap Eldora Dirt Derby. Hill started 21st and was having a good run until a late-race multi-truck spin relegated him to a 21st-place finish.
STAGE 1 RECAP:
· Started Stage 1: P21
· Finishes Stage 1: P20
Hill started the 150-lap Eldora Dirt Derby from 21st and was 23rd when the first caution of the race was displayed on lap 9. At the halfway point of the opening stage, another caution came out and Hill was running in the 22nd position. In the closing laps of the race, Hill was able to gain one more spot to finish 20th in Stage 1.
STAGE 2 RECAP:
· Started Stage 2: P8
· Finished Stage 2: P9
Hill and crew chief Chad Kendrick opted to not bring the Young’s Building Systems No. 02 to pit road at the end of Stage 1, so he fired off Stage 2 from the eighth spot. When the caution came out on lap 53, Hill was running in sixth. As Stage 2 wound down, Hill slipped back to finish in ninth.
STAGE 3 RECAP:
· Started Stage 3: P19
· Finished Stage 3: P21
On lap 91, the Winston, Ga., native brought his No. 20 Chevrolet to pit road for four tires, fuel, and a small wedge adjustment and restarted in 19th. Hill started to climb his way through the field and was running 13th when the caution was displayed on lap 130. Unfortunately, on the restart, Hill was involved in a multi-truck spin coming off of turn 4 as the field stacked up and he had nowhere to go. He came to pit road for repairs and restarted in 23rd and finished 21st in the closing laps.
“We were having a pretty decent run for my first ever Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway,” said Hill. “We ran a lot of the race inside the top-10, it was just unfortunate we got caught up in someone else’s mess on a restart, but that’s short track racing. I can’t thank my Young’s Motorsports guys enough and I’m looking forward to getting to Pocono.”
Young's Motorsports next race will be the Gander Outdoors 150 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, July 28.
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