The 2017 Eldora Dirt Derby 150 was the 11th stock car race of the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the fifth iteration of the event. The race was held on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, in Rossburg, Ohio at Eldora Speedway, a permanent oval dirt track. The race took the scheduled 150 laps to complete. At race's end, Matt Crafton, driving for ThorSport Racing, would take control of the race on the final restart with 18 laps to go to win his 14th careerNASCAR Camping World Truck Series win and his only win of the season. To fill out the podium, Stewart Friesen of Halmar Friesen Racing and Chase Briscoe of Brad Keselowski Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
Eldora Speedway (nicknamed "The Big E", "Auto Racing's Showcase Since 1954," and "The World's Greatest Dirt Track") is a high-banked clay dirt oval. Located north of Rossburg, Ohio in the village of New Weston, Ohio, it features permanent and festival-style seating believed to be in the range of 30,000. The 22,000 permanent grandstand and VIP suite seats make it the largest sports stadium in the Dayton, Ohio-region according to the Dayton Business Journal.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Korbin ForristerJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevroletJennifer Jo Cobb Racing1Brandon HightowerTJL MotorsportsChevroletTimmons Truck Center, Premier Recycling, LLC02Max JohnstonYoung's MotorsportsChevroletBrandt Professional Agriculture4Christopher BellKyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaToyota6Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevroletNorm Benning Racing8John Hunter NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevroletFire Alarm Services10Ray CiccarelliJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevroletDriven 2 Honor, Stealth Belt13Cody Coughlin (R)ThorSport RacingToyotaRIDE TV16Ryan TruexHattori Racing EnterprisesToyotaTacti18Noah Gragson (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaSwitch19Austin Cindric (R)Brad Keselowski RacingFordFitzgerald Glider Kits20Sheldon Creed (i)Young's MotorsportsChevroletUnited Rentals21Johnny SauterGMS RacingChevroletAllegiant Air24Justin Haley (R)GMS RacingChevroletFraternal Order of Eagles27Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyotaSafelite Auto Glass29Chase Briscoe (R)Brad Keselowski RacingFordCooper-Standard33Kaz Grala (R)GMS RacingChevrolet15-40 Connection36Chris WindomMB MotorsportsChevroletBaldwin Brothers Racing, Fox Paving44J. R. Heffner*Martins MotorsportsChevroletA. Colarusso & Son, Park East Sales45Jeffrey AbbeyNiece MotorsportsChevroletBlack Rifle Coffee Company49Wendell Chavous (R)Premium MotorsportsChevroletJAS Expedited Trucking50Mike Harmon (i)Beaver MotorsportsChevroletLodestar Guidance51Harrison BurtonKyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaHunt Brothers Pizza52Stewart Friesen (R)Halmar Friesen RacingChevroletHalmar57Tommy ReganNorm Benning RacingChevroletNorm Benning Racing63Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevroletGotta Race, Premier Waste Services66Ken SchraderBolen MotorsportsChevroletK&L Ready Mix, Midwest Logistic Systems75Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevroletFood Country USA80Justin ShipleyJacob Wallace RacingFordRogers Mechanical Contractors, Georgia Arms83J. J. Yeley (i)Copp MotorsportsChevroletFr8Auctions88Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyotaMenards, Ideal Door89Rico AbreuThorSport RacingToyotaCurb Records98Grant Enfinger (R)ThorSport RacingToyotaChampion Power Equipment99Ty Dillon (i)MDM MotorsportsChevroletK&L Ready MixOfficial entry list *Withdrew due to blowing an engine on their heat qualifying lap.
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Tuesday, July 18, at 7:00p.m. EST, and would last for 55 minutes. Stewart Friesen of Halmar Friesen Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 19.547 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed152Stewart Friesen (R)Halmar Friesen RacingChevrolet19.54792.086299Ty Dillon (i)MDM MotorsportsChevrolet19.65791.57034Christopher BellKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota19.69791.385Full first practice results
Second and final practice The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Tuesday, July 18, at 9:00p.m. EST, and would last for 55 minutes. Caleb Holman of Henderson Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 19.990 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed175Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet19.99090.04524Christopher BellKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota20.17789.211399Ty Dillon (i)MDM MotorsportsChevrolet20.18789.166Full Happy Hour practice results
Qualifying Qualifying for the five heats took place on Wednesday, July 19, at 5:00p.m. EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap. Qualifying would set the grid positions for the heats; first would get first in heat one, second first in heat two, etc in a repeating order until the slowest car.
Stewart Friesen of Halmar Friesen Racing would win the overall heat qualifying pole, setting a time of 20.000 and an average speed of .
Time Trials Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed152Stewart Friesen (R)Halmar Friesen RacingChevrolet20.00090.000229Chase Briscoe (R)Brad Keselowski RacingFord20.13889.383333Kaz Grala (R)GMS RacingChevrolet20.17989.20244Christopher BellKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota20.21689.038518Noah Gragson (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota20.24088.933680Justin ShipleyJacob Wallace RacingFord20.35488.435788Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota20.37388.352816Ryan TruexHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota20.41288.183975Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet20.41788.1621089Rico AbreuThorSport RacingToyota20.42288.140118John Hunter NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet20.42488.1321227Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyota20.45488.0021351Harrison BurtonKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota20.46487.9591421Johnny SauterGMS RacingChevrolet20.47387.9211536Chris WindomMB MotorsportsChevrolet20.47687.9081645Jeffrey AbbeyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet20.51887.7281719Austin Cindric (R)Brad Keselowski RacingFord20.54587.6131824Justin Haley (R)GMS RacingChevrolet20.56787.5191920Sheldon Creed (i)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet20.59587.4002099Ty Dillon (i)MDM MotorsportsChevrolet20.63587.2302163Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevrolet20.69286.9902202Max JohnstonYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet20.78686.5972310Ray CiccarelliJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet20.97985.8002466Ken SchraderBolen MotorsportsChevrolet21.00585.694251Brandon HightowerTJL MotorsportsChevrolet21.03985.5552698Grant Enfinger (R)ThorSport RacingToyota21.10985.2722749Wendell Chavous (R)Premium MotorsportsChevrolet21.26484.6502883J. J. Yeley (i)Copp MotorsportsChevrolet21.30184.503290Korbin ForristerJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet21.37184.2263050Mike Harmon (i)Beaver MotorsportsChevrolet21.57483.434316Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet22.06981.5623213Cody Coughlin (R)ThorSport RacingToyota22.13181.3343357Tommy ReganNorm Benning RacingChevrolet24.09674.7013444J. R. HeffnerMartins MotorsportsChevrolet - -Official heat qualifying results
Heat #1 Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus1152Stewart Friesen (R)Halmar Friesen RacingChevrolet1010running238John Hunter NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet100running3698Grant Enfinger (R)ThorSport RacingToyota100running4445Jeffrey AbbeyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet100running5280Justin ShipleyJacob Wallace RacingFord100running6563Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevrolet100running776Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet50runningOfficial heat 1 results
Heat #2 Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus1288Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota102running2327Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyota100running3129Chase Briscoe (R)Brad Keselowski RacingFord108running4419Austin Cindric (R)Brad Keselowski RacingFord100running5502Max JohnstonYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet100running6713Cody Coughlin (R)ThorSport RacingToyota100running7649Wendell Chavous (R)Premium MotorsportsChevrolet100runningOfficial heat 2 results
Heat #3 Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus1133Kaz Grala (R)GMS RacingChevrolet1010running2216Ryan TruexHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota100running3424Justin Haley (R)GMS RacingChevrolet100running4683J. J. Yeley (i)Copp MotorsportsChevrolet100running5351Harrison BurtonKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota100running6510Ray CiccarelliJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet100running7757Tommy ReganNorm Benning RacingChevrolet20mechanicalOfficial heat 3 results
Heat #4 Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus114Christopher BellKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota1010running2275Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet100running3321Johnny SauterGMS RacingChevrolet100running4420Sheldon Creed (i)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet100running5566Ken SchraderBolen MotorsportsChevrolet100running660Korbin ForristerJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet40window netOfficial heat 4 results
Heat #5 Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus1499Ty Dillon (i)MDM MotorsportsChevrolet109running2118Noah Gragson (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota101running3289Rico AbreuThorSport RacingToyota100running4336Chris WindomMB MotorsportsChevrolet100running551Brandon HightowerTJL MotorsportsChevrolet100running6650Mike Harmon (i)Beaver MotorsportsChevrolet00did not startOfficial heat 5 results
Last Chance Qualifier The Last Chance Qualifier was held Wednesday, July 19, at 8:45p.m. EST. The race was held for all other drivers that were not guaranteed a starting spot in the main feature, with the top seven drivers in the event qualifying to the main feature, leaving one driver to not qualify. Bobby Pierce would win the Last Chance Qualifier and take the 26th spot. At race's end, Tommy Regan, retiring after two laps due to handling issues, would be the only driver to fail to qualify. Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus1163Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevrolet154running2213Cody Coughlin (R)ThorSport RacingToyota1511running3749Wendell Chavous (R)Premium MotorsportsChevrolet150running446Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet150running560Korbin ForristerJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet150running6550Mike Harmon (i)Beaver MotorsportsChevrolet150running7310Ray CiccarelliJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet130running8857Tommy ReganNorm Benning RacingChevrolet20handlingOfficial Last Chance Qualifier results
Full starting lineup Pos.#DriverTeamMake152Stewart Friesen (R)Halmar Friesen RacingChevrolet288Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota333Kaz Grala (R)GMS RacingChevrolet44Christopher BellKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota599Ty Dillon (i)MDM MotorsportsChevrolet68John Hunter NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet727Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyota816Ryan TruexHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota975Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet1018Noah Gragson (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota1198Grant Enfinger (R)ThorSport RacingToyota1229Chase Briscoe (R)Brad Keselowski RacingFord1324Justin Haley (R)GMS RacingChevrolet1421Johnny SauterGMS RacingChevrolet1589Rico AbreuThorSport RacingToyota1645Jeffrey AbbeyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet1719Austin Cindric (R)Brad Keselowski RacingFord1883J. J. Yeley (i)Copp MotorsportsChevrolet1920Sheldon Creed (i)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet2036Chris WindomMB MotorsportsChevrolet2180Justin ShipleyJacob Wallace RacingFord2202Max JohnstonYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2351Harrison BurtonKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota2466Ken SchraderBolen MotorsportsChevrolet251Brandon HightowerTJL MotorsportsChevrolet2663Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevrolet2713Cody Coughlin (R)ThorSport RacingToyota2849Wendell Chavous (R)Premium MotorsportsChevrolet296Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet300Korbin ForristerJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet3150Mike Harmon (i)Beaver MotorsportsChevrolet3210Ray CiccarelliJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevroletFailed to qualify or withdrew3357Tommy ReganNorm Benning RacingChevroletWD44J. R. HeffnerMartins MotorsportsChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 40