The 2016 Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby was the 11th stock car race of the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and the 4th iteration of the event. The race was held on Wednesday, July 20, 2016, in Rossburg, Ohio at Eldora Speedway, a 0.5-mile (0.80 km) permanent oval shaped dirt track. The race took the scheduled 150 laps to complete. Kyle Larson, driving for GMS Racing, held off Christopher Bell with 16 laps to go, and earned his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win, and his first of the season. Bobby Pierce would dominate the entire race, leading 102 laps until hitting the wall and blowing a tire with 25 laps to go.
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. (subscription required)
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMakeSponsor00Cole Custer (R)JR MotorsportsChevroletOneMain Financial1Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevroletDriven2Honor.org02Tyler YoungYoung's MotorsportsChevroletRandco, Young's Building Systems4Christopher Bell (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaJBL05Brady BoswellAthenian MotorsportsChevroletZaxby's6Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevroletChurchill Trucking07Sheldon CreedSS-Green Light RacingChevroletSafecraft8John Hunter NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevroletBerry's Bullets9William Byron (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaLiberty University10Caleb RoarkJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevroletDriven2Honor.org11Jake GriffinRed Horse RacingToyotaRed Horse Racing13Cameron HayleyThorSport RacingToyotaCabinets by Hayley16Stewart FriesenHalmar RacingChevroletHalmar International17Timothy PetersRed Horse RacingToyotaRed Horse Racing19Daniel HemricBrad Keselowski RacingFordDrawTite21Johnny SauterGMS RacingChevroletAlamo Rent a Car22Austin Wayne Self (R)AM RacingToyotaAM Technical Solutions23Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevroletAllegiant Travel Company24Kyle Larson (i)GMS RacingChevroletDC Solar29Tyler ReddickBrad Keselowski RacingFordCooper-Standard Automotive33Ben KennedyGMS RacingChevroletwheelwell41Ben Rhodes (R)ThorSport RacingToyotaAlpha Energy Solutions43Korbin ForristerEmpire RacingFordTilted Kilt, Petty's Garage44J. R. HeffnerMartins MotorsportsChevroletPark East Sales, A. Colarusso49Wayne EdwardsPremium MotorsportsChevroletOH! Lottery50Travis KvapilMAKE MotorsportsChevroletCorvetteParts.net51Cody Coughlin (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaJegs High Performance63Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevroletPremier Waste, Allgayer Inc.66Jordan AndersonBolen MotorsportsChevroletFK Rod Ends, Columbia SC71Ken SchraderContreras MotorsportsToyotaHunt Brothers Pizza75Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevroletFood Country USA78Chris FontaineGlenden EnterprisesToyotaGlenden Enterprises80Justin ShipleyJacob Wallace RacingFordRogers Mechanical82Sean CorrEmpire RacingChevroletNESCO, Petty's Garage86Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevroletABS Van Rentals88Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyotaChi-Chi's, Menards98Rico Abreu (R)ThorSport RacingToyotaSafelite, Curb RecordsOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Tuesday, July 19, at 6:30 pm EST, and would last for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Tyler Reddick, driving for Brad Keselowski Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.977, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed129Tyler ReddickBrad Keselowski RacingFord20.97785.808224Kyle Larson (i)GMS RacingChevrolet20.97985.80034Christopher Bell (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota21.16185.062Full first practice results
Final practice The final practice session was held on Tuesday, July 19, at 9:00 pm EST, and would last for about 55 minutes. Christopher Bell, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 21.853, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed14Christopher Bell (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota21.85382.369213Cameron HayleyThorSport RacingToyota21.98081.893398Rico Abreu (R)ThorSport RacingToyota22.03681.685Full final practice results
Heat qualifying Qualifying for the heat races were held on Wednesday, July 20, at 5:15 pm EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a fastest time; in which that lap would count as their official qualifying lap. Qualifying would set the grid positions for the five heat races; first would get first in heat one, second first in heat two, etc. in a repeating order until the slowest car.
Caleb Holman, driving for Henderson Motorsports, would score the overall heat qualifying pole, with a lap of 20.711, and an average speed of .
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed175Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet20.77186.659229Tyler ReddickBrad Keselowski RacingFord20.88186.203371Ken SchraderContreras MotorsportsToyota20.92586.022444J. R. HeffnerMartins MotorsportsChevrolet20.94485.944541Ben Rhodes (R)ThorSport RacingToyota20.95985.882611Jake GriffinRed Horse RacingToyota21.13285.179716Stewart FriesenHalmar RacingChevrolet21.18984.950898Rico Abreu (R)ThorSport RacingToyota21.19084.946986Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet21.22684.802104Christopher Bell (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota21.29284.539118John Hunter NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet21.32684.4041224Kyle Larson (i)GMS RacingChevrolet21.35384.2971321Johnny SauterGMS RacingChevrolet21.38384.1791402Tyler YoungYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet21.52683.6201507Sheldon CreedSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet21.55783.5001663Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevrolet21.66383.0911743Korbin ForristerEmpire RacingFord21.70082.9491800Cole Custer (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet21.70482.9341923Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet21.75782.7322019Daniel HemricBrad Keselowski RacingFord21.84282.4102110Caleb RoarkJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet21.85982.3462222Austin Wayne Self (R)AM RacingToyota21.93882.0492380Justin ShipleyJacob Wallace RacingFord22.08081.5222478Chris FontaineGlenden EnterprisesToyota22.18481.140251Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet22.25780.8732666Jordan AndersonBolen MotorsportsChevrolet22.26380.8522788Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota22.32380.6342850Travis KvapilMAKE MotorsportsChevrolet22.38780.404296Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet22.47580.0893013Cameron HayleyThorSport RacingToyota22.47980.0753105Brady BoswellAthenian MotorsportsChevrolet22.49180.0323251Cody Coughlin (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota22.49580.018339William Byron (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota22.53579.8763417Timothy PetersRed Horse RacingToyota22.70579.2783582Sean CorrEmpire RacingChevrolet22.75879.0933649Wayne EdwardsPremium MotorsportsChevrolet23.07078.0233733Ben KennedyGMS RacingChevrolet23.24777.429Official qualifying results
Heat #1 Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus1463Bobby PierceMB MotorsportsChevrolet109Running2175Caleb HolmanHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet101Running3211Jake GriffinRed Horse RacingToyota100Running4705Brady BoswellAthenian MotorsportsChevrolet100Running538John Hunter NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet100Running6849Wayne EdwardsPremium MotorsportsChevrolet100Running7666Jordan AndersonBolen MotorsportsChevrolet100Running8510Caleb RoarkJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet00DNSOfficial heat 1 results
Heat #2 Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus1129Tyler ReddickBrad Keselowski RacingFord1010Running2324Kyle Larson (i)GMS RacingChevrolet100Running3216Stewart FriesenHalmar RacingChevrolet100Running4833Ben KennedyGMS RacingChevrolet100Running5688Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota100Running6522Austin Wayne Self (R)AM RacingToyota100Running7443Korbin ForristerEmpire RacingFord100Running8751Cody Coughlin (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota100RunningOfficial heat 2 results
Heat #3 Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus1171Ken SchraderContreras MotorsportsToyota1010Running2321Johnny SauterGMS RacingChevrolet100Running3580Justin ShipleyJacob Wallace RacingFord100Running479William Byron (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota100Running5400Cole Custer (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet100Running6298Rico Abreu (R)ThorSport RacingToyota100Running7650Travis KvapilMAKE MotorsportsChevrolet70RunningOfficial heat 3 results
Heat #4 Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus1144J. R. HeffnerMartins MotorsportsChevrolet1010Running2423Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet100Running3286Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet100Running4717Timothy PetersRed Horse RacingToyota100Running5302Tyler YoungYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet100Running6578Chris FontaineGlenden EnterprisesToyota100Running766Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet100RunningOfficial heat 4 results
Heat #5 Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus1141Ben Rhodes (R)ThorSport RacingToyota1010Running224Christopher Bell (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota100Running3419Daniel HemricBrad Keselowski RacingFord100Running4613Cameron HayleyThorSport RacingToyota100Running5307Sheldon CreedSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet100Running6782Sean CorrEmpire RacingChevrolet100Running751Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet30AccidentOfficial heat 5 results
Last Chance Qualifier The Last Chance Qualifier was held on Wednesday, July 20, at 8:15 PM EST. The race was held for all drivers that did not finish in the top 5 in each of the five heat races. Drivers with high enough owner points would automatically advance to the main event, while drivers with little to no owner points had to finish inside the top two. Cody Coughlin, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, would win the Last Chance Qualifier and take the 26th spot. Chris Fontaine, Korbin Forrister, Norm Benning, Sean Corr, and Caleb Roark would fail to qualify for the main event. Fin.St.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus11251Cody Coughlin (R)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyota1510Running2398Rico Abreu (R)ThorSport RacingToyota150Running3222Austin Wayne Self (R)AM RacingToyota151Running4478Chris FontaineGlenden EnterprisesToyota154Running5743Korbin ForristerEmpire RacingFord150Running6149Wayne EdwardsPremium MotorsportsChevrolet150Running796Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet150Running8101Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet150Running9582Sean CorrEmpire RacingChevrolet150Running10666Jordan AndersonBolen MotorsportsChevrolet40Handling11850Travis KvapilMAKE MotorsportsChevrolet30Handling121110Caleb RoarkJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet00DNSOfficial Last Chance Qualifier results
Full starting lineup