NASCAR
Drivers Preview the 6th Annual Running of the Camping World Truck Series Eldora Dirt Derby
In advance of the 6th annual running of the Eldora Dirt Derby, drivers from the Camping World Truck Series previewed the dirt classic. Brett Moffitt, Matt Crafton, and John Hunter Nemechek were all made available to the media for questions about NASCAR’s only dirt race.
Brett Moffitt
One of the strongest drivers in the Truck Series 2018 season, 3-time winner Brett Moffitt has very little dirt experience. Outside of a few modified races, Moffitt is a vastly inexperienced dirt racer compared to others in the field. Little dirt experience doesn’t entirely write off Moffitt’s chances at the victory however. Back in 2014, Bubba Wallace won at Eldora, which was his first ever dirt start.
When asked his preparation for this Wednesday’s race, Brett was able to plug his newest sponsor. This race team has been plagued with limited sponsorship issues all year long, and thankfully they will be at Eldora.
“I would say a good tool is our new sponsor, iRacing, and just trying to get a truck on the dirt track of Eldora and practice as much as you can. You never really know until you get there in person how much is going to translate over. But it seems like everywhere I’ve iRaced in the past and I actually raced at, there’s a lot of similarities and you can really take a lot away from it. I’ve just been trying to get as much practice on there as possible and just watching past races. That is generally what I do. I watch the year before’s race just to try to figure out what strategy and what works and what doesn’t. I’d say the biggest tool is just spending a lot more time on the simulator and trying to figure it out.”
Despite very little dirt experience, be sure to keep your eye on the 16 truck tonight at Eldora. The Hattori Racing team has been one of the most consistent all season long. If Moffitt can survive the race, he may be a contender for the 6th annual Golden Shovel.
Matt Crafton
1 of 3 drivers with starts in all 5 prior Eldora Dirt Derbys, Matt Crafton won this race last year. Going into the 6th annual Eldora race, Crafton has more experience in this race than just about anyone. However, this is a far different race than it was back in 2013. “It’s changed a lot. I did a little bit of dirt racing just trying to learn the dirt a little bit, and it helped me. I mean, I ran in the top 10 in the majority of the races, and I just put my head down last year and bought my own dirt car and put a lot of focus on it, and I won at Eldora and won the golden shovel,” said Crafton.
After a rough start to the 2018 season, Crafton goes into Eldora looking for his 1st win in a year. Even though the 88 team is 8th in points, Crafton has to be considered a favorite for the win in the 6th annual Eldora Dirt Derby.
John Hunter Nemechek
Unlike previously, this year’s Eldora Dirt Derby has a new meaning for John Hunter Nemechek. No longer being a championship contender, Nemechek has his entire focus on the win at Eldora. In 4 prior Eldora starts, Nemechek has 3 top 10s and 12 laps led. His best finish on the Ohio dirt was 5th last season.
In his 4 starts on the clay, Nemechek’s mindset has changed with more experience. “Since 2014, I think just having more experience at Eldora definitely helps. The first year going into it, we really didn’t know what to expect because our team hadn’t been to Eldora. The trucks definitely drive completely different on dirt compared to asphalt. Overall, I think it’s just finding your comfort. It’s hard going back to run just one race a year on dirt compared to running more races on dirt or being a dirt regular. You kind of have to get back in that mindset. But I think it’s just experience and learning as much as you can.”
There is no question, the Eldora Dirt Derby has become a hallmark event for the Camping World Truck Series. In 5 years, there have been 5 different winners with 5 differing levels of dirt experience. For the 6th annual trip to Rossburg, Ohio, the field of potential winners is as wide as ever. Don’t miss a minute of the action, starting with the qualifying races tonight at 7 PM EST on FS1.
